Brewers rotation projection highlights importance of quick Brandon Woodruff recovery

As of right now, Milwaukee Brewers fans are, at best, unsure of Brandon Woodruff's Opening Day availability. With a marquee matchup against the New York Yankees to start the season, Milwaukee could once again begin their 2025 campaign without Woodruff as he recovers from his shoulder issues.

Freddy Peralta is once again in line to be the Brewers ace. The 28-year-old was forced to take the number one spot last season as the crew dealt Corbin Burnes and was left without Woodruff. With a career high 32 starts, Peralta put up a respectable 3.68ERA. With a 2.6WAR, fastball Freddy finished the season with an 11-9 record.

Finishing the season with exactly 200 strikeouts, Peralta only started four innings in the post-season. His 68 pitches left Brewers fans puzzled as he had given up three earned runs, but Joel Payamps came in and gave up the same in just 14 pitches.

Bleacher Report's Brewers rotation projection shows lack of rotation depth without a healthy Brandon Woodruff

With Peralta as the ace, Bleacher Report predicts Nestor Cortes as the next man up. The former Yankee will be making his Brewers debut, and even with Woodruff back in the fold, he's still in line to round out the Brewers top three starting pitchers. All of this relies on his health as the 30-year-old has had a history of injuries, specifically in the past two seasons.

One of Cortes' biggest strengths is his ability to go deep into a game. Eight different times in 2024 he went seven innings or longer. He racked up a 4-2 record in those games, giving up a combined six earned runs in the two losses. Regardless, he started the season 1-4 but didn't let that hold him back. If healthy, Nestor Cortes could be the dark horse of this Brewers pitching staff.

Aaron Civale is projected to be the third man in the rotation. Civale was traded to the Crew on July 3rd of last year, then went on to debut for the team against the Dodgers on July 5th. He pitched for the Brewers on 15 occasions last season, one of which being a three-inning performance to close out game one against the Mets in the playoffs.

Milwaukee wasted no time throwing Civale into the fold. The 29-year-old came to the Brewers with a less than stellar 2-6 record but racked up six wins in his 14 starts. His 161 innings pitched and 149 strikeouts were the most of his career. He started nine more games last year than he had before, and he should be a mainstay of the Brewers 2025 lineup.

With Civale exceeding expectations last season, Tobias Myers sits at number four in the Brewers starting rotation. Myers performed extremely well last season and is looking to expand on his 2024 campaign. His 9-6 record and 3.00ERA were both sensational, and he struck out 127 batters in just 138 innings.

DL Hall is projected to be the fifth starter, according to Bleacher Report. Again, this is all subject to change as Brandon Woodruff's avaiabliity is in question. Hall would join Cortes as the lefties in the line-up, but Aaron Ashby's name is in consideration as well. Ashby is another lefty, the only other left-handed internal candidate.

When the season gets tough and there's a span of two or so weeks without an off day, it's not unlike the Brewers to use a six-man rotation. Depending on the health of Woodruff, both Hall and Ashby could be given chances in the starting rotation. Ashby has been given numerous chances by the organization to prove himself as a starter, but he seems to thrive throwing two to three innings in an early relief role.

Ashby started just two games for the Brewers in 2024, but he started 19 back in 2022. Don't let the 2-10 record fool you, sometimes it's just about having that starting experience in the line-up. Hall has started just eight games in his career, spanning across three seasons. He started seven games for the Brewers in 2024 but put up an ERA of 5.02.

Best case scenario, Woodruff is healthy come opening day. Woody, Peralta, Cortes, Civale, and Myers is a pretty great five man rotation. There's nothing wrong with mixing in the likes of Hall or Ashby, but Jacob Misiorowski is another name that could fight his way into the line-up by the end of the season. There are so many variables when it comes to injuries and performance, but Chris Hook will have his squad ready to go come March 27th.

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