Predicting the Brewers' postseason pitching rotation after the trade deadline

With the MLB trade deadline now in the rearview mirror, and about 70% of the season in the books, the separation between the contenders and pretenders is growing more significant. Once again, the Milwaukee Brewers, leaders of the NL Central by 5.5 games as they kick off their second West Coast road trip of the last three weeks, are squarely in the group of contenders, as evidenced by their MLB-leading 74-44 record.

That dazzling record currently has the Brewers in position to earn a first-round bye in the postseason for the second consecutive year, which would once again give them automatic pass to the NLDS. Whether the Brewers hold on and jump right to the best-of-five NLDS or face a daunting best-of-three Wild Card series to kick off the postseason, they will need a third starter beyond their two-headed monster of Jacob Misiorowski and Kyle Harrison to step up. In order to continue advancing through the postseason, Milwaukee will need a fourth starter as well, making the decision of who is the No. 3 starter in their rotation, and who falls to the No. 4 spot, an important question to answer over the final two months of the season.

In the No. 3 spot, do the Brewers go with the guy they traded two of the organization's Top 15 prospects for in Dustin May, or the quietly reliable youngster, Logan Henderson? Each will have the opportunity to prove why they deserve the ball in Game 3 over the final two months of the regular season, and both are likely to make the postseason roster regardless. However, who will slot in behind Misiorowski and Harrison remains an important, and unanswered question.

Quartet of Jacob Misiorowski, Kyle Harrison, Dustin May, and Logan Henderson could dominate in October, but in what order?

The case for Logan Henderson

When healthy, Logan Henderson has quietly been a dominant arm in the Brewers' rotation. A call-up, spot starter a season ago, Henderson has made the most of his increased opportunities this year. Though a late start due to a Spring Training injury and a month on the IL due to a lower back strain has limited Henderson to just 10 starts, the 24-year-old holds a 6-1 record, with 62 strikeouts, and an ERA of 2.70.

Henderson has been the model of consistency throughout his young major league career. He's allowed three earned runs or less in each of his 15 starts in the big leagues, and two earned runs or less in 14 of them. Additionally, though Henderson's two-pitch repertoire limited him to short starts a season ago, the emergence of his cutter this year has allowed him to work deeper into games, as explained by Jack Stern in a column for Brewer Fanatic this morning.

Consistency is key in the postseason, and Henderson will almost certainly deliver it. The rookie right-hander, if called upon to start Game 3, will more than likely keep the Brewers close and give them an excellent chance to win. Though he lacks postseason experience, Henderson has the poise of a pitcher far beyond his years, and would be an excellent option for the Brewers to turn to behind Miz and Harrison.

The case for Dustin May

Milwaukee may have missed out on acquiring Tarik Skubal, but May could certainly end up being a great consolation prize. Acquiring May and reliever JoJo Romero ended up costing the Brewers top outfield prospects Josiah Ragsdale and Alexander Frias. When giving up that kind of capital, it is certainly expected that your acquisition plays an important role in the postseason.

May has plenty of postseason experience, and a World Series ring to boot, with the 2020 Dodgers. Once one of the top young arms in the Dodgers' system, May started his big-league career largely out of the bullpen before transitioning to a full-time starter. 2026 has been encouraging for the former Cardinals pitcher, with some impressive performances along the way; May took a no-hitter into the seventh inning of a start against the Brewers, and turned in his first career complete game against the Tigers, missing a Maddux by two pitches.

Under the guidance of the Brewers' excellent pitching coaches, many are expecting May to be a dominant force down the stretch for Milwaukee. Pair that with his experience and his fiery competitive nature, and May looks like the perfect addition for the Brewers this year.

Prediction: May narrowly beats out Henderson for the No. 3 spot in Milwaukee's postseason rotation

Projected Brewers' 2026 postseason rotation:

1. RHP Jacob Misiorowski
2. LHP Kyle Harrison
3. RHP Dustin May
4. RHP Logan Henderson (when needed)

With a deeper arsenal of pitches and playoff experience, May currently has a slight edge over Henderson when it comes to starting Game 3 of a postseason series. Henderson will certainly still make the playoff roster and will likely play a key role in a shorter series even if he doesn't earn a start, but in terms of who should be viewed as Milwaukee's No. 3 starter down the stretch, it's the more experienced May.

The difficulty of this debate proves that Milwaukee is in a good place with their rotation as the final stretch of the season begins. With four really strong options to start a postseason game, in addition to names like Shane Drohan and Robert Gasser who could also fill in if needed, the Brewers are better positioned for success in this year's postseason than they were a season ago, when they essentially had just Freddy Peralta and Quinn Priester as true starting pitchers heading into the postseason. José Quintana did earn a start, and Miz served as the "bulk pitcher" on three occasions, but the Brewers didn't have the starting options that they hopefully will have this year.

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