7 former Brewers that Milwaukee could see in the National League playoffs

The Milwaukee Brewers have clinched their third consecutive NL Central title, and now, with a first-round bye already to their name, all the attention turns to the postseason. While the 2025 Brewers are still trying to lock up the crown for the most regular season wins in franchise history (the current record is 96), none of it will matter if they don't have a playoff run in them.

In order for Milwaukee to win its first pennant since 1982, they'll have to go through a star-studded National League, and there's a good chance they run into some old friends along the way. Among the National League teams currently in the playoff picture or flirting with a playoff spot, there are seven ex-Brewers that could make a postseason appearance against their former club.

Five of them happen to be on the NL Central rival, the Chicago Cubs. Additionally, both Nestor Cortes and Tyrone Taylor currently find themselves on the injured lists of NL contending teams.

Chicago Cubs (5)

1. RHP Aaron Civale

Aaron Civale came to Milwaukee during the second half of the 2024 season and performed well down the stretch. He covered three scoreless innings for the Brewers in the 2024 NL Wild Card Series, but things quickly went south in 2025.

With all the pitching depth in the organization, Civale found himself the odd man out in the starting rotation, following Jacob Misiorowski's promotion in early June. He requested a trade with hopes of returning to a starting role, and he got his wish, albeit temporarily.

The Brewers traded Civale to the Chicago White Sox for Andrew Vaughn back in June. Vaughn has an .887 OPS since the deal, while Civale was waived by the White Sox after August. The Cubs picked up Civale and stashed him in the bullpen, and so far it's been a savvy move for them. The veteran right-hander has a 1.80 ERA in 10 innings with Chicago.

2. RHP Colin Rea

Colin Rea was somewhat of an unsung hero for the Brewers from 2023-2024 in the starting rotation. He was 18-12 with a 4.40 ERA over those two seasons combined.

Rea elected free agency last offseason, and the Brewers chose not to bring him back. Instead, he signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Cubs. He's 10-7 with a 4.10 ERA for the Cubs this year and has been a valuable arm for the injured pitching staff in Chicago.

3. LHP Taylor Rogers

Left-handed reliever Taylor Rogers came over to Milwaukee from the San Diego Padres in the Josh Hader trade back in 2022. That also happened to be the worst year of Rogers' overall successful big league career.

Rogers had a 5.48 ERA in 24 appearances with the Brewers before signing with the San Francisco Giants after the 2022 season. He landed in Cincinnati this past offseason but was traded to the Cubs at this year's deadline.

4. LHP Drew Pomeranz

Drew Pomeranz had a 2.59 ERA in 25 appearances for the 2019 Brewers after being acquired at the trade deadline for Mauricio Dubon. Pomeranz was a rental, and a darn good one at that, who was brought in for the pennant race. His impressive performance led to him signing a four-year, $34 million deal with the Padres as a free agent after that season.

It had been four years since he pitched in Major League Baseball when the Cubs traded for him and called him up on April 23, but a 2.28 ERA in 47.1 innings shows Pomeranz still had plenty left in the tank.

5. 1B/DH Carlos Santana

Carlos Santana was another rental trade deadline addition by the Brewers, this one coming in 2023. Santana hit 11 home runs in 52 regular season games for the 2023 Brewers, but the team was bounced from the playoffs before he had a chance to make any major postseason contributions.

He's now 39 years old, and the Cubs signed him for his experience prior to September 1, making Santana eligible for the postseason. However, he may not make the playoff roster, as he is 2-for-19 in a Cubs uniform.

Cincinnati Reds (1)

6. LHP Brent Suter

36-year-old Brent Suter was a fan favorite in Milwaukee from 2016-2022. In 196 appearances and 394.2 innings, Suter was 36-19 with a very respectable 3.51 ERA with the Brewers.

His versatility was a huge asset for Milwaukee for many years, but in November of 2022, Suter was waived and quickly claimed by the Colorado Rockies.

Suter had another great season while pitching at Coors Field in 2023, the most hitter-friendly ballpark in the league, and signed a one-year contract with the Cincinnati Reds prior to 2024. Continuing to demonstrate his effectiveness, Suter got another deal from the Reds before the 2025 season, this time with a $3 million club option for the 2026 season.

Arizona Diamondbacks (1)

7. RHP John Curtiss

John Curtiss had a forgettable stint with the 2022 Brewers. He pitched in six games and had a 12.46 ERA after being acquired at the trade deadline. He suffered a season-ending injury less than two weeks after joining Milwaukee, and missed the entire 2023 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Curtiss hasn't had much of a presence in Major League Baseball since, but he has been back in the big leagues with the Arizona Diamondbacks since late June and has a 3.86 ERA this season. Arizona is only one game out of an NL Wild Card spot. If they sneak in and pull off an upset, they could find themselves matched up with Milwaukee, but likely not until the NLCS.