Brandon Sproat's franchise history sent Brewers' starting pitching riches to new level

Much has been made of the Milwaukee Brewers' pitching development over the past decade, and for good reason. Over that time frame, the organization has produced five National League Reliever of the Year Awards (Josh Hader 3, Devin Williams 2) and a Cy Young Award winner (Corbin Burnes 2021). Meanwhile, current ace Jacob Misiorowski is the odds-on favorite to win the 2026 NL Cy Young Award as of June 25.

Looking specifically at the last six seasons, including 2026, Milwaukee's pitching staff has consistently ranked among baseball's best. The Brewers have not posted a team ERA higher than 3.83 during that span -- an even more impressive feat given the amount of turnover they have experienced. Gone are cornerstone arms such as Hader, Williams, Burnes, Freddy Peralta, and others, but the organization has continually replenished its pitching talent and maintained its reputation of being the best pitching developers in baseball.

Those notions have held true this year, as they currently lead the league in team ERA at 3.40. Despite a young and inexperienced rotation, Milwaukee's starting unit has also been one of the best in the league this year, but that isn't to say there hasn't been room for improvement.

Outside of Misiorowski and Kyle Harrison, the three through five starters have largely been a revolving door for the Brewers, in large part due to injuries. That said, rookie right-hander Brandon Sproat has made 15 appearances, the same number as Miz, though only 13 were technically "starts" (Sproat made a pair of long-relief outings back in early April). While the young right-hander, who Milwaukee acquired from the New York Mets this past offseason, got off to a shaky start, Sproat has been throwing the ball much better as of late, evidenced by a 3.48 ERA across four June starts. His most recent outing, a six-inning start against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night, was certainly his best of the 2026 campaign.

Brandon Sproat's recent success suggests Brewers' rotation will be even scarier during the second half of the season

Against the Reds, Brewers starting pitchers Woodruff and Sproat posted back-to-back pitching lines of 6 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, and 10 K. Impressive as that is in its own right, Woodruff's came during his first start back following a lengthy IL stint with a "dead arm," and Sproat became the first rookie pitcher in Brewers' history to record 10 strikeouts with zero walks and one or less hits allowed.

For Sproat, the key to his success over the last month has started with a more aggressive approach in the strike zone. He is no longer trying to be overly precise with his pitches, but rather is attacking hitters early and allowing his raw stuff to play in the zone. That combined with excellent pitch sequencing from his catchers, has resulted in quicker outs and overall positive results.

The belief that Sproat has the potential to be a key piece of Milwaukee's future, even that of a front-line starter, is starting to look like a real possibility once again. While he still has much to prove, thankfully he remains under team control through the 2031 season, which is a great luxury to have, and further exemplifies why the front office targeted him from the New York Mets during last off-season's trade.

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