Milwaukee Brewers: Top Ten Relievers in Franchise History

The Milwaukee Brewers have a storied past. Today, we take a look at the best relievers in franchise history as part of the all-time position breakdown series.

The importance of a lockdown bullpen cannot be overstated. We are seeing the effects that a great bullpen can have on a team this year with our Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers have had some great relievers over their history.

Who makes the cut?

Find out ahead.

Honorable Mentions

There have been so many great relievers for the Crew that it is necessary to include a few performers who just missed the top ten.

Ray King

Years as a Brewer: 2000-2002, 2007

154.2 IP, 3.71 FIP, 1.27 WHIP

 The lefty provided some bullpen stability to the putrid teams of the early 2000’s.

King had a 3.03 ERA over his four years in Milwaukee, but what prevented him from being higher up was his issues with walks. He gave up walks at a rate of 3.6 per 9 innings and wasn’t a high strikeout pitcher with an average of 7.3 K/9 while in Milwaukee.

He was reacquired in the Brewers 2007 playoff push, but only logged 6 innings.

Doug Jones

Years as a Brewer: 1982, 1996-1998

168.2 IP, 3.76 FIP, 1.17 WHIP

Doug Jones was drafted by the Brewers in the third round of the 1978 MLB January Draft.

Jones appeared on the 1982 squad that won the AL Pennant but was a non-factor tallying a mere 2.2 IP.

Jones moved on from Milwaukee after the season and had productive seasons with the Indians, Astros, and Phillies earning five All-Star appearances.

He returned to Milwaukee in 1996 and had a fantastic 1997 season where he was snubbed from the All-Star team, but finished 20th in the MVP voting.

The ’97 season was a special one for Jones where he finished 73 games and posted an ERA of 2.02.

What prevented Jones from cracking the top ten was that he only played four seasons in Milwaukee and had below average 1982 and 1998 seasons.

Josh Hader

2017-Present

95.2 IP, 2.37 FIP, 0.89 WHIP

Josh Hader has not been in the league for a full two years, but he has already been a major contributor in his short time with the Crew.

2018 has been a remarkable year thus far for Hader where he has been mowing down hitters at a clip of 16.9 K/9. His impressive first half of the season garnered him a selection to the 2018 All-Star Team. Hader will play a big part in the Brewers second half push towards the playoffs.

Now it’s time to get to the official top ten relief pitchers in Brewers history.

10. Tyler Thornburg

Years as a Brewer: 2012-2016

219.2 IP, 3.83 FIP, 1.19 WHIP

Tyler Thornburg was drafted in the third round of the 2010 MLB Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. He is associated with the trade that brought Travis Shaw and Mauricio Dubon to Milwaukee. While the trade has gone in the Brewers favor, Thornburg was an elite reliever in 2016 when the Brewers sent him to the Red Sox.

Thornburg worked his way up the minor league system and made his debut in the 2012 season. He had a rough first season posting a 7.10 FIP and 1.41 WHIP in 22 innings pitched. In his sophomore season, Thornburg started to put things together. He pitched 66.2 innings with a 3.11 FIP, 1.19 WHIP, and an astoundingly low 0.1 HR/9.

He would have made his way higher up the ladder had he continued his 2013 success, but he had less than stellar 2014 and 2015 campaigns that hindered his overall numbers with the Crew.

The 2016 season has been the best of his career racking up 12.1 K/9 and allowing a mere 0.8 HR/9. This season improved his trade value to the point where the Crew were sellers in the offseason and the Red Sox were looking for a quality arm to strengthen their pen for the 2017 season.

Unfortunately for Thornburg, durability has been an issue as of late. After the trade went through he had a shoulder issue where he missed a significant amount of time. This past year, he had to get surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome. These injuries have kept him off the diamond until recently when he was activated from the DL.

9. Corey Knebel

Years as a Brewer: 2015-Present

184.1 IP, 3.40 FIP, 1.23 WHIP

Corey Knebel was acquired by the Milwaukee Brewers in the Yovani Gallardo trade prior to the 2016 season with the Texas Rangers. Prior to the trade, he had pitched one lone season in Detroit where he only threw 8.2 innings.

Knebel’s 2015 and 2016 seasons were nothing special. 2015 was the better of the two years where he compiled a 4.03 FIP along with a 1.2 WHIP. The issue with Knebel’s 2016 season was an increase in walks. His 2015 year had him walking three batters per nine as opposed to his 2016 where that stat jumped up to 4.4 walks per nine. As a result, his WHIP went up to 1.47 in 2016.

Knebel put his doubters’ criticisms to rest in 2017 where he had a breakout season. He earned 39 saves, had a FIP of 2.53, and a K/9 of 14.9. These numbers earned him a spot on the All-Star roster. He was an integral part of the 2017 surprise Milwaukee team as he ranked third on the team in WAR.

Knebel has been off to a rough start to 2018. He was forced to the disabled list with a hamstring injury early on the season and has not seemed to ever find his footing. He’s had 4.53 FIP and his walks remain an issue (4.3 BB/9). Some have been calling for him to be removed from the closer’s role. Regardless, we hope that Corey is able to find his former success after the All-Star break.

8. Francisco Rodriguez

Years as a Brewer: 2011-2015

250.2 IP, 3.54 FIP, 1.08 WHIP

Rodriguez will be remembered most for his time with the Angels, but his time with Milwaukee cannot be overlooked. K-Rod came over from the Mets in a deal where the Brewers looked to improve their chances at a World Series in 2011. While they fell short of that goal, K-Rod was very solid in his time with Milwaukee.

Coming over to the Crew in 2011, Rodriguez was a key fixture in getting the ball in John Axford‘s hand at the end of the game. He had a 1.86 ERA with a 1.14 WHIP in 2011. However, Rodriguez didn’t enjoy being the setup man and was upset with Brewers management on his role. Despite his displeasure with his role the Brewers were able to retain him for the 2012 season on a one year deal worth $8 million dollars. The 2012 season showcased a drop in performance. He was average with a 3.83 FIP and 1.33 WHIP in 72 innings.

After a disappointing 2012 season, the Brewers were able to bring K-Rod back again, but this time on a minor league deal with $2 million dollars. He pitched well and they shipped him off to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for prospect Nicky Delmonico.

Milwaukee decided to bring K-Rod back for the 2014 season granting him full control of the closer’s role. He shined in 2014 and 2015 earning back to back trips to the All-Star game. Rodriguez was traded in the offseason of 2016 where the Brewers acquired current catcher Manny Pina from the Detroit Tigers.

7. Bob Wickman

1996-2000

315 IP, 3.89 FIP, 1.40 WHIP

The Wisconsin native came to the Brewers in a trade with the Yankees in 1996. Wickman began as an innings eater out of the bullpen and worked himself into the closer’s role with the Crew. Wickman’s 1997 was his most effective year with the team as he worked a team-high 95.2 innings of relief work. Wickman formed a nice one-two punch with closer Doug Jones during the 1997 season giving the Brewers one of the more formidable backends in the majors.

Wickman took over as the Brewers closer in the 1998 season and he earned 78 saves over the next three seasons. 1998 and 1999 weren’t eye-popping numbers for Wickman, but he provided a consistent option in the Brewers pen. In 2000, Wickman earned his first All-Star appearance after an impressive first half which saw him pitch to a tune of a 2.87 FIP and a 1.24 WHIP. The Brewers saw this as an opportunity to cash in on Wickman and sent him to the Indians in a trade that brought Richie Sexson to Milwaukee.

6. Jeremy Jeffress

2010, 2014-Present

223 IP, 3.13 FIP, 1.22 WHIP

Jeremy Jeffress was drafted in the first round of the 2006 MLB Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. He has lived up to the first round expectations and has done very well in his time with Milwaukee. Consistency is the word I would use to describe Jeremy Jeffress with the Crew. He has put together four stellar seasons thus far with the best one still ongoing.

2018 has seen Jeffress take his game to another level. He ranks fifth in all of baseball with a 1.34 ERA at the All-Star break and has a dominant 0.89 WHIP. Jeffress and Josh Hader have teamed up to form baseball’s best duo from the bullpen. Jeffress was named to the All-Star team after Sean Doolittle was put on the DL. It is crucial that Jeffress continues his first-half success if the Brewers want to make the postseason.

5. Bill Castro

Years as a Brewer: 1974-1980

411 IP, 3.56 FIP, 1.27 WHIP

Bill Castro was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers and went on to have a successful career out of the bullpen. The Dominican Republic product posted six quality years with the organization. While he was never named to an All-Star team he was a model of consistency throughout his time with the Brewers.

Apart from a rough season in 1977, Castro could always be counted on in the Brewers bullpen. Castro returned to Milwaukee in 1992 to serve as the bullpen coach up until his firing in 2009. He was one of the longest tenured coaches in Brewers history.

COOPERSTOWN, NY – JULY 24: Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers is introduced at Clark Sports Center during the Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony on July 24, 2016 in Cooperstown, New York. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

3. Rollie Fingers

Years as a Brewer: 1981-1982, 1984-1985

259 IP, 3.05 FIP, 1.08 WHIP

Rollie Fingers elevated the Milwaukee Brewers to a whole new level. The beloved Brewer was acquired in a big-time trade with the Cardinals that saw the Brewers acquire Fingers, Ted Simmons, and Pete Vuckovich.

Fingers had the best year of his career in 1981 when he took home the Cy Young and AL MVP Award.

He helped lead the Brewers to the AL Pennant in 1982. His 1982 season saw him earn an All-Star appearance and finish 16th in MVP voting while pitching to a 2.54 FIP and 1.04 WHIP.

If Fingers was healthy for the World Series, there is a good chance that the Brewers win it all.

Fingers fell off in 1985, but in three short years, he became a Brewers legend.

2. Ken Sanders

Years as a Brewer: 1970-1972

321 IP, 3.02 FIP, 1.10 WHIP

While the Brewers teams of the early 1970’s were pretty poor, a bright spot that stood out was Ken Sanders. He had two amazing seasons with the Crew. 1970 was his top year, but 1971 was right up there.

Sanders set the single-season record for games finished in 1971 with 77 and led the AL with 31 saves. He finished 16th in the MVP voting. It is hard to believe that Sanders was never named to an All-Star team in 1971 or 1972.

He was nicknamed, “Bulldog” by Brewers manager Dave Bristol for his mentality on the mound as being a rough and tough pitcher.

1. Dan Plesac

Years as a Brewer: 1986-1992

524.1 IP, 3.30 FIP, 1.23 WHIP

Dan Plesac was drafted in the first round of the 1983 MLB Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers.

Plesac had a phenomenal rookie season in 1986, where he was snubbed from the Rookie of the Year award and an All-Star appearance.

He followed up his rookie season with three straight All-Star selections from 1987-1989. Out of those three seasons, 1987 was the most impressive. He had a 2.92 FIP and 1.08 WHIP in 79.1 innings pitched.

Plesac is the Brewers all-time saves leader with 133 and holds the majority of franchise records in pitching.

Plesac’s consistent success with the Brewers earns him the honor of being Milwaukee’s top reliever of all-time.

All stats acquired from Baseball Reference and Fangraphs.

Credit to Motor City Bengals on the all-time player’s list idea.

Next: Top 5 First Basemen in Brewers history