Brewers' Robert Gasser shares MLB history with Sandy Koufax after dominant Game 3 performance

The legendary left-hander Sandy Koufax is a Hall of Famer, a 3x Cy Young Award winner, a 7x All-Star, a 4x World Series champion, a 2x World Series MVP, and now, the co-owner of a piece of postseason history with Milwaukee Brewers' southpaw Robert Gasser.

With his dominant start against the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 3 of the 2026 World Series last night, Gasser became one of two left-handed starting pitchers to face the minimum number of hitters in a World Series start of six innings or more, the other being Koufax, who accomplished the feat back in 1965.

Expand that list to right-handed pitchers as well, and Gasser becomes the first player to face the minimum in a World Series start of six innings or more since Curt Schilling did so back in 2001. Sharing a piece of postseason history with Koufax and Schilling is undoubtedly an impressive accomplishment, one that speaks to the uniqueness of Gasser's Game 3 start.

Gasser's six shutout innings at Tropicana Field on Monday night, during which the lone hit and lone walk he surrendered were both wiped away by ground ball double-plays, continued what has been an incredible postseason for the technically-rookie southpaw (while Gasser debuted back in 2024, he retains his rookie status in the eyes of MLB due to his limited service time in the previous two seasons).

At the beginning of the postseason, during the NLDS, Gasser was the Brewers' No. 4 starter, evidenced by the fact that he was passed up by Dustin May for the Game 3 start in Milwaukee's opening playoff series against the San Diego Padres. However, in the three starts since, Gasser not only cemented himself as the Brewers' Game 3 starter; he emerged as Milwaukee's most consistent and effective starting pitcher during their memorable 2026 postseason run.

Robert Gasser has easily been the Brewers' most effective starter during their historic 2026 postseason run

Prior to the postseason beginning, one narrative surrounding the Brewers was that they would need dominant performances from their starting duo of Jacob Misiorowski and Logan Henderson in order to reach their ultimate goal of a World Series title. However, Milwaukee's top two starters have been somewhat underwhelming by their standards during the month of October.

Misiorowski holds a 2.70 ERA through 13.1 innings during the postseason, which tells you just how high his expectations were entering the Brewers' playoff run, and Henderson sports a 4.50 ERA in 12 innings pitched. Meanwhile, after his dominant World Series start, Gasser holds a 0.60 ERA and has covered 15 innings in his three postseason starts. He also has fewer walks and fewer hits allowed than either Miz or Henderson.

To make matters even more impressive, all three of Gasser's postseason starts have come on the road, while Miz and Henderson have only pitched at home in October. Gasser has gone into opposing ballparks, shut down the home team's offense, and solidified himself as a key piece of the Brewers' incredible 2026 postseason run.

It's perhaps a futile point, comparing Miz, Henderson, and Gasser's postseason performances, seeing as the Brewers haven't lost a single game that any of them have started. However, it's nevertheless surprising that Gasser, whose rotation spot was in question as late as August 20th, has been the most effective of the trio in October.

Postseason runs are all about getting hot at the right time, and that pertains to individual players just as it does to teams. Gasser certainly found his stride at the right time in the 2026 campaign, and as a result, he will forever be remembered not only alongside Koufax in that rare piece of MLB history, but also as one of the heroes of the Brewers' memorable 2026 postseason performance.

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