Constructing Pat Murphy's reliever trust tree heading into Brewers' 2026 postseason run

The Milwaukee Brewers approached every regular-season game with Pat Murphy’s “win tonight” mentality, a mindset that helped them maintain their intensity throughout September and finish with a franchise-record 103 wins. That aggressive approach also meant heavy usage for the bullpen, with Murphy frequently leaning on his trusted relievers to protect leads and close out games.

Trevor Megill, of course, led the team with 30 saves, but Chad Patrick quietly matched Abner Uribe with six saves, while Aaron Ashby added four. Entering the NLDS matchup against the San Diego Padres, all remain among the relievers Murphy trusts the most, but there's no doubt Ashby, Uribe, and Megill are the Brewers' best, and most trusted trio of relievers.

Where things get interesting is beyond that core group. Who else has earned Murphy’s trust heading into the playoffs? Who will cover the high-leverage situations if those three are unavailable? Here, we take a closer look at the Brewers’ bullpen and the pecking order of trust behind Megill, Uribe, and Ashby.

Constructing Pat Murphy's reliever trust tree before Milwaukee Brewers' 2026 postseason run

If the Brewers need to turn to a fourth reliever in a close playoff game, Chad Patrick could be the guy. Patrick was excellent in the postseason last year, and turned in a 3.40 ERA this year despite surpassing the 100 innings mark for the second-consecutive season. DL Hall could follow Patrick on Murphy’s trust tree. Hall posted an outstanding 1.91 ERA this season, pairing upper-90s velocity with nearly seven feet of extension that makes his fastball play even harder than the radar gun suggests. His curveball was especially dominant, averaging 2,752 RPM and holding opposing hitters to a .086 batting average despite being his second-most-used pitch.

Trade deadline acquisition JoJo Romero has also been excellent during his brief time with the Brewers this year, with a 3.38 ERA in 11 appearances, and should be one of the fresher arms in the bullpen after a midseason appendectomy forced him to stop throwing for a month. Romero has mostly been used in high-leverage situations in the middle of games, and could certainly assume that same role in the postseason.

Rookie left-hander Shane Drohan is another pitcher Milwaukee could turn to with a reasonable level of confidence. He split the season between the rotation and bullpen, but was particularly effective in relief, posting a 1.47 ERA in those appearances. Beyond Drohan, the Brewers’ reliance on right-hander Antonio Senzatela, whom they acquired from the Colorado Rockies at the trade deadline, and potentially southpaw Kyle Harrison, who is not a lock for the postseason roster, will likely depend on specific matchups and game situations.

Pat Murphy's bullpen trust tree heading into the 2026 postseason:

Top branch: RHP Trevor Megill, RHP Abner Uribe, LHP Aaron Ashby

Middle branch: RHP Chad Patrick, LHP DL Hall, LHP JoJo Romero

Bottom branch: RHP Antonio Senzatela, LHP Shane Drohan, LHP Kyle Harrison (if on roster)

Ultimately, Murphy has a handful of arms that he trusts contributing out of the bullpen in the NLDS -- this is truly one of the most talented relief groups in all of baseball -- but the pecking order becomes clearer when the stakes rise. Notably, Dustin May and Robert Gasser were not mentioned in this piece as they served as starting pitchers this year, with one of them likely to take the ball for Game 3 of the series.

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