Latest "pitching lab" revitalization project is paying dividends for Brewers in 2025

For the last several years, the Milwaukee Brewers pitching staff has been one of the best in baseball. Whether it be the rotation or the bullpen, Milwaukee has kept opponents in check and gotten by with whatever offense it could gather. This formula has won the Brewers a lot of games and earned them trips to the postseason in every season since 2018, with the exception of 2022.

Perhaps even more impressive has been who Milwaukee has been getting these impressive pitching performances from. As a small-market team, the Brewers have limited financial resources compared to the bigger-market clubs, relying on prospects and reclamation projects to get the job done. One such project has been phenomenal for the Brewers this season, a big turnaround from his 2024 campaign.

Nick Mears is the Brewers' latest successful pitching project

When the Brewers acquired Nick Mears at the trade deadline last season, most fans were rather confused. Mears had been struggling with the Rockies, logging a 5.56 ERA over 41 appearances. Things didn't go much better for him in Milwaukee, as he made 13 appearances, giving up 10 runs in the process. The collective groans emerged even more when the Brewers tendered his contract last fall.

Like many others before him, guys like Jordan Lyles, Drew Pomeranz, Gio Gonzales, and Frankie Montas, the Brewers’ "pitching lab" has revitalized Mears. Sometimes, it simply takes a new set of eyes to work out an issue that another pitching staff may have missed. Such appears to be the case with Mears. After varying success with the Pirates organization, then the Rockies, it seems like a simple mechanics change, laid out in further detail by Jack Stern of Brewer Fanatic, has put Mears in a prime spot in Milwaukee's bullpen.

Now, he is one of Pat Murphy's go-to guys in high-leverage spots, making clutch appearance after clutch appearance, including back-to-back holds in the first two games against Houston. Prior to Wednesday's action, Mears already had more appearances for the Brewers this season than last, and that includes missing the beginning of the season due to illness. In 14 games, he has only allowed one earned run and struck out 12 batters.

Perhaps even more important though, Mears is still arbitration-eligible for two more seasons after this year, meaning Milwaukee can continue to use him and develop him without it costing the team too much.

If he can continue to replicate his early-season success, Mears might even get some consideration for the midseason All-Star Game. If he were to accomplish that impressive feat, the Brewers' "pitching lab" would be once again to thank for the career turnaround of yet another pitcher.