Will Brandon Woodruff Be the Brewers’ Top Rotation Add?

The Milwaukee Brewers‘ starting rotation looked a bit different in 2024 than in previous years.

Over the course of the Brewers’ recent stretch of regular season domination, their starting rotation has been the foundation of their success. But after they lost Brandon Woodruff to injury last offseason and traded away Corbin Burnes a few months after that, the rotation quickly became their biggest weakness.

And yet, despite featuring 17 different starters in 2024 (including openers), their pitching didn’t miss a beat. While it didn’t have the same degree of continuity, Milwaukee pieced together a very effective rotation that led the team to a second-consecutive division title.

With the MLB offseason in full swing, now is the time when teams look to bolster their rosters, often through free agent acquisitions. However, for the Brewers, their biggest roster addition this winter could come from within.

The Return of Brandon Woodruff

Back in October of 2023, Woodruff underwent surgery to repair the anterior capsule in his throwing shoulder. As a result, he would end up missing the entirety of the 2024 season.

After they non-tendered him last November due to the injury, the Brewers brought Woodruff back on a multi-year contract just a few months later. Keeping Woodruff within the organization was of the utmost importance, as the Brewers were aware of just how critical he’s been to their recent run of success.

Ever since he debuted back in 2017, Woodruff has left his mark on this organization in a big way. Over the course of his seven-year career, he has pitched to the tune of a 3.10 ERA to go with a FIP of 3.19.

The two-time All-Star finished fifth in NL Cy Young voting back in 2021, and he’s one of the most valuable pitchers to come through the organization.

After taking a year to recover from his surgery, Woodruff is primed to make his return to the mound for the Brewers in 2025.

A Model of Consistency

It’s important to remember that, when healthy, Brandon Woodruff has proven to be one of the most consistent and dependable starters in Major League Baseball. The numbers in the table below attest to just how reliable he has been since becoming a full-time starter for Milwaukee back in 2019.

Providing the year-over-year consistency that Woodruff has been able to offer is no easy feat.

His impeccable command has made him such an effective starter over the years. He hasn’t posted a strikeout rate below 29% since 2018, and he’s had a walk rate of 6.1% or lower in four of his last five seasons.

He’s been excellent at limiting traffic on the base paths, as illustrated by his career 1.05 WHIP, and he’s the perfect example of what an anchor looks like at the top of the rotation.

When previewing what the starting rotation could look like for the Brewers in 2025, adding Woodruff into the fold could be an enormous boost of reliability for a group of starters that has a wide range of outcomes.

The Current State of the Brewers’ Starting Rotation

The Brewers’ starting rotation in 2025 will look a lot like it did in 2024. It isn’t the flashiest rotation on paper, but it’s a group that exceeded expectations this past season.

As of now, here is what the starting rotation would look like next season outside of Brandon Woodruff:

While this group was very effective in 2024, you don’t know what you’re going to get from a lot of these names moving forward.

The lone anchor in the rotation is Freddy Peralta. While he fell short of expectations in 2024, Peralta is still Milwaukee’s top option heading into 2025.

Inconsistent command led him to post a career-high in walks in 2024 (68, tied for the third-most in MLB), but he can also be one of the top strikeout artists in the entire sport when he is right on the mound.

Beyond Peralta, expectations are much less clear in Milwaukee.

Tobias Myers put together a tremendous rookie season, and his performance from June 1 onward, including his impressive postseason outing, certainly earned him a spot in the rotation to start the 2025 campaign. That said, it’s far from a slam dunk that he’ll be able to replicate what he did in 2024.

Aaron Ashby and DL Hall will likely be tested as starters once again next season as well. Each has flashed plenty of potential to stick in the rotation, but they haven’t shown enough to be considered rotation locks. It’s yet to be seen if they can be stretched out as starters, or if their arsenals are better suited for relief roles.

Aaron Civale is entering his final year of arbitration, and he’s projected to make roughly $9 million, according to Spotrac. Whether or not he is in Milwaukee’s rotation next season depends on if they deem his production worthy of that price tag.

If there’s trade interest in Civale, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him moved this offseason, especially for a team that looks to cut costs as much as the Brewers. But for the time being, he’s a fine fourth or fifth starter who can soak up innings at the back of the rotation.

Point being, outside of Peralta, Milwaukee’s projected starters carry plenty of question marks heading into the offseason. Even with Woodruff, it’s tough to predict what we’ll see out of him as he works his way back from a significant injury to this throwing arm.

However, if Woodruff can return to the form that fans have become accustomed to seeing, it would completely change the outlook for the Brewers’ rotation heading into Opening Day.

Will Brandon Woodruff Be Milwaukee’s Big Add?

Frankly put, it’s very unlikely the Brewers will be in play for some of the top arms on the free agent market.

The demand for top-flight starting pitching has never been higher, and the rising cost of the best arms available typically prices Milwaukee out of the market.

Instead, it’s far more likely the Brewers rely on their pitching development to help their internal options take a step forward in 2025.

When the Brewers re-signed Woodruff to his two-year deal last February, they were clearly planning for the future. Sure, there’s a chance Woodruff doesn’t look the same post-surgery, but if he can return to form, they’re getting an arm with ace-level upside for a $5 million price tag in 2025.

Even if he doesn’t provide frontline production next year, Woodruff is still very likely to return value at that price with what he brings to the clubhouse alone.

The Brewers are very mindful of how they spend their money, and bringing back Woodruff on this type of deal is an indication that they believe he can still be an effective starter for them moving forward. If Woodruff can achieve a seamless transition back to the mound in 2025, his return could end up being the biggest addition of the offseason for the Brewers.