Brandon Woodruff's top 5 career moments, so far

The day is finally here. After nearly two full seasons away from a major league mound, two near returns that were spoiled by untimely injuries, and a ton of anticipation, Brandon Woodruff is returning to MLB and set to start this afternoon's series finale with the Miami Marlins. The entire Milwaukee Brewers fanbase, organization, roster, and coaching staff will have a hard time wiping the smile off their faces as #53 toes the rubber for the Brew Crew once more.

What makes today such a momentous and highly anticipated return is not only the hard work and resilience that Woody showed throughout his rehab process, but it's also the legacy that he already holds in Milwaukee. A legacy that is highlighted by two All-Star appearances, Cy Young Award votes, a career ERA just barely above 3.00, and more than 750 strikeouts. While consistent production became Woody's calling card in Milwaukee, there are a few singular moments in his career that stick out among the rest. So with Woody's long-awaited return to MLB slated to come at 12:40 p.m. CT today, let's first take a look back at some of his best moments with the Brewers so far.

Honorable mention: Woodruff's pandemic masterclass (9/11/2020)

In mid-September of 2020, a time that I'm sure everyone has fond memories of, the Brewers found themselves in a playoff race during the shortened 60-game season. Despite being three games below .500, the Crew still had a chance to sneak into the expanded postseason, and with a matchup against the NL Central-leading Chicago Cubs, a win felt almost necessary. With Woodruff on the bump for the Brewers, and Jon Lester going for the North Siders, it was bound to be a pitcher's duel — and duel they did.

Lester went six scoreless with eight strikeouts and just three hits allowed. But that stellar performance was more than overshadowed by Woodruff's seven one-hit innings and 12 strikeouts. Woody has reached the 12-strikeout mark three times in his career (and never exceeded it), but for a pitcher who seemingly feeds off the energy of the crowd, to do so in an empty American Family Field with fake crowd noises being pumped into the stadium might be the most impressive instance. The pandemic outing also shows Woody's longevity and the obstacles that he's faced during his Brewers' tenure; he's been through thick and thin with the Crew.

5. Woody's first playoff appearance (10/4/2018)

Some fans were shocked when Woodruff was selected to be the game one starter in the Brewers' first playoff game in seven years. For context, the team's ace at the time, Jhoulys Chacín, had started game 163 for the Brewers at Wrigley Field just three days prior. As such, the team got creative, choosing Woodruff, who had been pitching out of the bullpen since rejoining the team in September when rosters used to expand to 40 (those were the days).

While some were caught off guard, the decision held merit — Woodruff had made seven appearances out of the Brewers bullpen in September and allowed just one earned run while striking out 16 in 12.1 innings covered. In other words, he was in form and finally hitting his stride as a big leaguer after an up-and-down first season in MLB.

So how did Woody respond to being asked to open the Crew's first playoff game of 2018 at just 25 years old with less than 90 major league innings under his belt? All he did was toss three no-hit innings, allowing just one base runner en route to a Brewers walk-off win. When the lights shined brighter, Woody rose to the occasion.

4. Woodruff collects 10+ strikeouts in four straight starts (9/28/2022)

Woodruff was dialed in to say the least down the stretch in 2022. While the team struggled with the departure of All-Star closer Josh Hader, Woodruff carried a Brewers pitching staff that was heavily relied on as the Crew pushed for a fifth straight playoff berth. Although the Brewers would eventually come up short with a disappointing end to the season, Woodruff did anything but disappoint with his performance in September.

Beginning with a start against the Cincinnati Reds on September 11, Woody struck out ten or more batters in four consecutive starts, ending with a six-inning shutout against the St. Louis Cardinals on September 28. Not only did Woody rack up 42 strikeouts in four games, but he also went six innings or more in each of those starts and allowed two earned runs or less. Paired with his starts on September 6 and October 4, which bookended his incredible run, Woodruff finished the 2022 season with six straight quality starts.

3. Woody's outstanding MLB debut (8/4/2017)

In early August of 2017, the Brewers were on the cusp of a playoff spot, and the Milwaukee faithful were re-energized by their exciting young ball club. In fact, on the day of Woodruff's MLB debut, the Crew sat just 1.5 games back of the Cubs in the NL Central. With a match-up against the Tampa Bay Rays, who were also sitting just outside of the playoff picture, the Brewers turned to 24-year-old right-hander Brandon Woodruff in hopes of earning a much-needed win.

Woodruff delivered, a phrase that would become commonly used by the Brewers fanbase over the course of the next six seasons. The future ace tossed 6.1 scoreless innings while allowing just two walks and striking out six. The Crew would go on to win by a score of 2-0, giving Woody his first MLB win. Woodruff followed up his debut with three more solid starts, not allowing more than two earned runs in any of them, before his first poor start came in mid-September. With the next wave of pitching talent now joining the Brewers' roster, it's a helpful reminder that one bad start, like the one Woody had in his fifth career start, does not define a player's career.

2. Woodruff tosses a complete game shutout (9/11/2023)

You might be noticing a trend — all of the moments included on this list came during the second half of the season, and most came in big games down the stretch. Woodruff has a knack for getting better as the season goes on and clutching up in important moments. One such performance came in the middle of September in 2023, as the Brewers were looking to close out their NL Central title.

While facing the Miami Marlins, who Woody will ironically see this afternoon, the now-30-year-old, who had missed the first four months of the season, tossed his second career complete game and his first-ever complete game shutout. On 106 pitches, Woodruff covered nine innings and struck out seven without allowing a run to cross home plate. The Marlins, who were above .500 at the time, had an intriguing lineup that included Luis Arraez, Josh Bell, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Jake Burger, but Woody blanked them and gave the Crew their 80th win of the season.

1. Woodruff's NLCS home run off Clayton Kershaw (10/12/2018)

Say what you will about a pitcher's best career moment coming at the plate, but in Woody's case, a list of best moments would not be accurate if it weren't completed with his towering playoff home run against Los Angeles Dodgers legend Clayton Kershaw. The moment, the opponent, the trajectory of the ball flight, Woody's electric run around the bases, the call from Joe Buck — there's really no way around it: it was one of the best moments in Brewers history.

It's game one of the first NLCS for the Brewers in seven years, and the team has won 11 straight games, which included a win in game 163 against the Cubs to win the NL Central and a three-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies in the NLDS. Now, that streak was threatened with the now-member of the 3,000 strikeout club, Kershaw, on the bump. Gio Gonzalez started the game for the Crew, and Manny Machado opened the scoring with a solo shot in the top of the second. After six outs, Gonzalez was replaced with Woodruff, whose spot in the order was due up first in the bottom of the third. On a 2-2 count, Kershaw tried to sneak a 92 mph fastball in the heart of the zone past Woody, but instead, the Brewers' pitcher sent it 407 feet to right-center field, tying the game at 1-1.

The Brewers went on to win the game by one run. It gave them their 12th straight win and a 1-0 lead in the NLCS. To this day, Woodruff is just the third relief pitcher to homer in the postseason, and with the universal DH now in place, it's likely that he will be the last.

Woodruff's return to the mound this afternoon will no doubt be filled with plenty of emotions, but despite the outcome, there's nothing like seeing #53 back on a big league mound. Woodruff's story is far from finished, and while this list serves as a good reminder of the legendary moments that Woody has had in his career up to this point, there's plenty of room for more to be added.