Looking at 6 different potential Milwaukee Brewers starting rotation combinations

The Milwaukee Brewers 2024 starting rotation is going to look vastly different than it did in 2023. Freddy Peralta, Wade Miley, Colin Rea and Aaron Ashby are back, but gone are Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff and Adrian Houser. Newly added are DL Hall, Joe Ross and Jakob Junis.

While we don't know exactly what the entire rotation is going to look like, there is one thing we know for sure, Freddy Peralta is going to get a chance to be the Milwaukee Brewers ace. Freddy is deserving of a chance to lead the rotation given how stellar he was after the All-Star break. After the mid-summer classic, Peralta in 13 starts and 73.2 innings compiled a 7-3 record, 2.81 ERA, 103 strikeouts, only 16 walks, and just 49 hits against 284 batters (a .184 opponent batting average).

If Freddy Peralta can replicate his performance from last August that earned him the NL Pitcher of the Month nod, he'll be a sure fire Cy Young candidate. Last August, Freddy started five games to the tune of a 2.10 ERA with 46 strikeouts, just 10 walks, and only 17 hits to 115 batters faced (.162 opponent batting average).

So Peralta will lead the starting rotation, logically Miley likely follows as a starter in just about any scenario, but who else comprises the rest of the rotation? The Brewers have a lot of different pitchers that can start in the rotation, bullpen, or minor leagues. There are several different types of combinations new manager Pat Murphy can go with, whether it be five man or six man rotations. What might some of those combinations be?

Milwaukee Brewers 2024 starting rotation combinations: Experience

If the Milwaukee Brewers decide that they want to begin the 2024 season with a starting rotation built on the players with the most experience in Major League Baseball, their five man rotation could look something like:

1. Freddy Peralta (97 career starts)
2. Wade Miley (308 career starts)
3. Jakob Junis (110 career starts)
4. Joe Ross (76 career starts)
5. Colin Rea (49 career starts)
6. (If desired) Aaron Ashby (23 career starts)

This lineup would feature the five (or six) players out of the seven to ten players who could factor into the Brewers starting rotation. The concern with a lineup built based on experience, even with a six man rotation, is health.

Freddy Peralta has dealt with some injuries in his young career. Wade Miley has had a career resurgence over the last few years but has missed time in both of the last two seasons due to injury. Jakob Junis has dealt with some minor injuries over the years. Joe Ross has had not one but two Tommy John surgeries and Aaron Ashby should be ready to go after missing all of 2023 with a shoulder injury.

If the Milwaukee Brewers go with a starting rotation based on experience they will be betting a lot of chips on these guys staying healthy or they will be plugging young guys in potentially often.