Brewers may have an unexpected Devin Williams replacement in camp right now

Craig Yoho has taken the world by storm. The former shortstop has found himself, immediately making an impact in the Milwaukee Brewers first few spring training games. Yoho is a 25-year-old sensation who has already been through it all, but his full-time transition to pitching in 2021 was the best decision he's ever made.

It certainly hasn't been easy for Yoho as a pair of surgeries set him back. At just 25 years old, he's already had Tommy John surgery, twice. The first procedure took place during his freshman season in 2019, followed by the second in March 2021. Not only did he have those surgeries, but he alos dislocated his kneecap in 2021. Nothing was able to hold him back though as it's all beginning to pay off.

Yoho has risen at an astronomical rate, finishing last season with 101 strikeouts in 57.2 innings pitched. In 2024, he worked his way up from the Timber Rattlers to the Nashville Sounds, striking out 42.4% of the batters he faced. There's no question he's a top prospect for the Brewers, and he's doing everything in his power to make the opening day lineup.

His 2024 stats continue to impress. Yoho struck out nearly five times more batters than he walked, and he gave up only six earned runs throughout his 48 games. Only two of those six runs came in AAA with the Sounds, though he did only pitch 14.1 innings in Nashville. Either way, his 0.94 ERA speaks for itself.

Craig Yoho is turning heads down at Brewers spring training

In the Brewers 6-1 loss to the Rockies, Yoho came in to pitch the 5th inning. With Milwaukee already down 6-0, Yoho made a statement after giving up a leadoff single. Right out of the gate, his first two pitches were changeups. Jordan Beck was left fooled at the 76 and 78mph pitches. Yoho turned up the heat, and a few pitches later gave up a single off of his 93mph sinker.

From that moment, he retired the side. It took just two pitches for Drew Romo to pop out, followed by a four-pitch strikeout to Austin Nola. All four pitches thrown to Nola were changeups, three of which at 78 and the final at 79mph. Kudos to Brewers catcher Jorge Alfaro for the strikeout as he smartly challenged the call, resulting in Yoho's first strikeout of the day. Adael Amador ended the inning with a three-pitch strikeout, going down to the changeup once again.

It's an extremely small sample size so far, and spring training isn't always the best way to judge talent, but Craig Yoho has what it takes to make the Brewers opening day lineup. He doesn't need to immediately replicate Devin Williams and be the team's reliable closer with a nasty changeup, but he can eat up some of the middle innings and keep the score intact.

Of the 14 pitches he threw, nine of them were changeups. Yoho isn't the hardest thrower in the world, but a 93mph sinker is going to be a lot more dangerous coming off of his 78mph changeup.

Brewers fans have already been trying to find a name for the pitch, reminiscent of Williams and his airbender. The nickname "Yo-Yo" has been thrown around a bit as a pun on Yoho's last name. At this rate, it's only a matter of time before his changeup has a name and he's making his big-league debut.

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