Robert Gasser's minor delivery change is already paying major dividends

Robert Gasser's 2026 season got off to a rocky start. After impressing in an Opening Day outing for the Milwaukee Brewers' Triple-A squad, Gasser experienced soreness in his throwing arm and was away from a mound for two weeks. In his first three starts back from his brief setback, Gasser posted a 6.75 and covered a total of just 8.0 innings for the Nashville Sounds.

The results improved considerably for Gasser in his next two Triple-A starts, during which he struck out 10 and allowed just three earned runs in eight combined innings, which led the Brewers to promote the 27-year-old southpaw on May 17.

Gasser's first few starts in the big leagues this year were mired with similar inconsistency to what he displayed in Triple-A. Through his first four starts, which to be fair included one start against the Los Angeles Dodgers and another in the hitters' paradise of Las Vegas Ballpark, Gasser posted an 0-3 record with a 6.38 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP. Paired with the southpaw's discouraging performance in the postseason last year following his return from a 14-month recovery from Tommy John surgery, Brewers fans were unsure of what to think about Gasser's long-term value.

However, the left-handed Gasser has since made a minor adjustment to his mechanics that has yielded strong early returns. Prior to his start on July 29 against the Cincinnati Reds, Gasser, encouraged by the Brewers' excellent pitching coach staff, made the decision to start pitching only out of the stretch. Throughout his career, Gasser, like most starting pitchers, threw out of the wind-up with no runners on base and out of the stretch once someone reached.

"We were just trying to simplify things," said Gasser on the change after his start against the Reds. "In the last game especially, all my hits were with nobody on...so let's just go with what's working." Discussing his "last game," Gasser was referring to his start against the Atlanta Braves, when, in fact, all four of the hits that he allowed came with no runners on base, while the southpaw was pitching out of the wind-up.

Gasser's start against the Reds turned out fine on paper -- the Brewers' starter ended just one out shy of a quality start -- but he did allow six hard-hit balls and seven hits in 5.2 innings while adjusting to his delivery change. "It worked well today," said Gasser at the time. "[The] walk wasn't ideal, the homerun is a homerun, [Elly De La Cruz] is a good hitter. Other than that, I was happy with it." When I asked Gasser if he was going to stick with the change going forward, he replied, "Yeah, I think so."

Well, stuck with it he has, and on Tuesday night, facing the St. Louis Cardinals, Gasser turned in what might have been the best outing of his major league career.

Robert Gasser is now pitching solely out of the stretch, and it's working

Gasser took the ball for the Brewers in Game 2 of yesterday's doubleheader against the Red Birds after a brief stint in the minor leagues wasn't brought on by performance but rather by the Brewers' need for another arm in their bullpen, knowing they could recall Gasser as the 27th man for the doubleheader regardless.

After the Brewers took Game 1 with Jacob Misiorowski on the bump, Gasser turned in a 7.2-inning start in Game 2, during which he allowed just two earned runs on four hits. It was the longest outing of Gasser's career, and it came when the Brewers needed it most as they continue their grueling schedule leading up to the All-Star Break.

Similar to his start against the Reds, Gasser's two earned runs last night can be attributed to just a few mistakes. The most costly were a changeup that was just a touch higher than Gasser wanted it, leading to a single from All-Star Jordan Walker, and a fastball to the next batter, Nelson Velásquez, that caught too much of the plate and ended up in the seats for a two-run homer. However, for the most part, Gasser was sharp and efficient last night, frequently getting ahead of batters, as evidenced by a 72% first-pitch strike rate.

It's not just the first-pitch strike rate that has improved over the last two games for Gasser. Both his overall zone rate and the average exit velocity he's allowed have been better than his season average in each of the last two starts, signaling that the minor change to his delivery is already having noticeable results beyond the excellent stat lines that Gasser has posted.

Gasser has always utilized the wind-up throughout his career, as confirmed by the southpaw after his start in late July. However, making this specific change in an effort to simplify things is a tactic that's paid off for the Brewers in the past. Corbin Burnes used to pitch out of the wind-up, but after his inconsistent 2019 campaign, switched to just the stretch, and two years later took home the Cy Young Award.

With Brandon Woodruff's recent placement on the IL, and his availability during the second half of the season now in question, the Brewers will need arms like Gasser to step up in his stead. The left-hander can't be added back to the roster before the All-Star Break after his brief appearance as the 27th man yesterday, but you can bet the Brewers will call upon Gasser and his "stretch-only" delivery frequently during the second half of the 2026 campaign.

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