3 Brewers dark horse breakout candidates for the 2025 season

If the Milwaukee Brewers are going to be contending again in the 2025 postseason, they will need more of their young guns to step up similar to what happened in 2024. Returns to form for Christian Yelich and Brandon Woodruff would add much needed veteran support, Jackson Chourio will be hoping to have another brilliant year following his standout rookie season.

We won't know the level of Yelich and Woodruff until they return with both having missed substantial time. Willy Adames then left in free agency and of course the Devin Williams trade has opened up voids that need to be filled whether by committee or by guys taking to the next level in their baseball careers.

One player that all are hoping to kick on is left-hander Aaron Ashby having shown flashes of real brilliance in the past couple seasons, overshadowed by a number of injuries but the ability is so clearly there. The bullpen has a ready-made answer to the Williams departure with the flamethrower Abner Uribe also returning and likely to share the closer role with Trevor Megill at the beginning of the season.

Those two names are at the top of all surrounding the Brewers to breakout, but here are three guys that are going under the radar heading into the 2025 MLB season.

Here are some under-the-radar Brewers breakout candidates for 2025

DL Hall

Peanut butter and jelly, salt and pepper, wine and cheese, fish and chips, the Milwaukee Brewers and pitching injuries. These are all things that go hand in hand and the first dark horse breakout candidate for the Crew is DL Hall.

Having come over to Wisconsin as part of the Corbin Burnes trade last offseason, Hall had his struggles with injury and never really found his way back into the fray for Pat Murphy's team. He pitched in 13 games, starting seven and having a 5.02 ERA, giving up six home runs and striking out 44 batters. As the season kicked off back in March, Hall found himself in the starting rotation but after just four starts found himself sidelined with a knee sprain before moving to the 60-day injured list in June.

The lefty returned to action in August and was pitching out of the bullpen but never really found his feet with a number of poor performances. No confirmation has been made yet as to the plan with Hall in his second year with the Brewers, but he can provide depth in the rotation or as a nice relief pitcher. The Brewers always find a way to get the best out of pitchers and so expect to see more and hopefully an improved Hall with a full offseason in Milwaukee under his belt.

Jeferson Quero

Next up is the number one prospect in the Brewers rankings and that is catcher Jeferson Quero. An injury in his first Triple-A appearance of 2024 derailed the entire year for Quero as he was expected to arrive in the majors last season.

Eric Haase was a really positive addition for the Brewers in 2024 and Gary Sanchez, who has now moved on, had his moments to. William Contreras is still in arbitration with Milwaukee but we know he is still going to be the starting catcher moving forward, but that doesn't stop Quero from breaking out this year.

Contreras was no stranger to playing the DH position and that could provide opportunity to the young Venezuelan that has hit .278/.350/.445 with a .795 OPS across his three years in the Minor Leagues. Taking the load slightly off Contreras would be perfect for Quero as he is a solid bat while also being arguably the best catcher across the minors, as shown in his 2023 Rawlings Minor League Gold Glove Award.

Tyler Black

Tyler Black slots just inside the top five Brewers prospects per MLB.com and he did have opportunities in 2024 but it looked like the step up was too soon for him. The first baseman played just 18 games in the majors and hit a measly .204/.316/.245 with a .561 OPS as he bounced between the majors and minors and never really had any consistent time with the Brewers.

The future of Rhys Hoskins is up in the air following a lackluster year from the big acquisition heading into 2024, Jake Bauers has returned on a minor-league deal but there are still question marks over that everyday first baseman and that could be a spot Black takes in 2025. He does have a talented bat with a minor league average of .272 and hit 32 home runs across the past two years in the minors.

Adames' departure and Caleb Durbin coming in from the Williams trade does still leave Murphy and his staff having to decide and likely tamper with how they see the infield moving forward. Black is certainly someone in contention for the spot at first and a good preseason may see him on the teamsheet for Opening Day in March.

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