The Brewers’ reliever whose 2026 role is far more important than his role in 2025

Grant Anderson finally achieved his big-league breakout last year, pitching to a 3.23 ERA over 69 2/3 innings as one of the Milwaukee Brewers' most reliable middle relievers. On the back of a reworked, whiff-inducing fastball, the 28-year-old emerged as the latest bullpen success story in Milwaukee.

Still, he was hardly a "leverage arm" in the traditional sense, instead mostly being used to bridge the gap between the starting rotation and the team's plethora of right-handed weapons in the late innings. Hardly a sexy role, but one Anderson filled with aplomb.

That's set to change in 2026. The Brewers' bullpen has turned into a lefty-laden group, with five currently slated to crack the Opening Day roster. By sheer necessity, Anderson will be tasked with taking on a larger role this season — one which could have a serious impact on the team's trajectory.

Grant Anderson slated for key leverage role in Brewers' bullpen

As things are currently laid out, Anderson projects to be the only non-closer right-hander in the Brewers' bullpen in 2026. Abner Uribe and Trevor Megill, who will be reserved for late-game situations, are the only other righties among the relief corps.

The good news is that means he won't have to answer to the most tense situations the team faces. Megill, Uribe, and Aaron Ashby are all more experienced and well-suited for such situations.

It does mean, however, that Anderson will be the first man out of the bullpen when a slew of tough right-handed batters are due up in the middle and late innings. He's proven capable of handling such duties in the past — his career FIP against righties is 3.44 (7.48 vs. lefties) — but it's a different beast when you have to tackle the middle of an opposing team's batting order.

Last season, Anderson thrived on the back of a fastball-sweeper combo that generated tons of bad swings. Both pitches yielded a whiff rate above 36%, and opposing hitters failed to manage even a .180 batting average against them.

The problem is that neither his run-heavy sinker nor seldom-used changeup was particularly effective. A two-pitch reliever can thrive in short spurts, but he's lacking in weapons to use against left-handed batters (as well as backup plans if the fastball or sweeper is off).

To make a long story short, Anderson is a talented reliever with a slim margin for error. The Brewers' history of developing and retaining reliever success is a positive sign, as is Anderson's own evolution with his two best offerings.

None of this is meant to suggest that the Crew are foolish for relying on him. It's just a reminder that, should Anderson falter, their options are perilously thin.