The most interesting position battle Brewers face in 2026 Spring Training

Baseball is back. Spring Training games are underway, indicating that we have finally made it through the bleak winter season. Well, almost anyway. Snow is still falling, and the temperature is still below freezing in Wisconsin, but at least the Milwaukee Brewers have begun Cactus League games down in Arizona.

While Spring Training is often considered a tune-up for the upcoming season for established players, it can also serve as an opportunity for players on the verge of the big leagues to prove they are deserving of a spot on the Opening Day roster.

At this time last year, the Brewers’ starting pitcher picture was incredibly different. Freddy Peralta and Aaron Civale were the only veteran carryovers that were in the rotation and ready to start the season.  Nestor Cortes, acquired in the Devin Williams blockbuster, was coming off a solid year with the New York Yankees, and Tobias Myers was also squarely in the picture after a 2024 breakout season.

Though the Brewers had several established starters at the beginning of the season, many of the pitchers who would eventually make up their rotation were not a part of the Opening Day staff. Brandon Woodruff was still on the mend. Quinn Priester was still in the Boston Red Sox organization, and José Quintana was still building up after signing late with the Brewers. Meanwhile, Logan Henderson, Jacob Misiorowski, and Chad Patrick all had yet to make their MLB debuts as the Brewers headed into the 2025 season.

Now, things are drastically different. Myers and Peralta are with the New York Mets. Quintana is with the Colorado Rockies. Civale is with the Athletics. Woodruff looked destined to take over Peralta's role as the Opening Day starter, but now that situation is "up in the air." Priester and Miz feel like Opening Day rotation locks, but after that, things get interesting.

The battle for the Brewers' last two rotation spots will be fun to watch as Spring Training continues

For all intents and purposes, let’s assume that the Woodruff is at the top of the rotation on Opening Day, and that Priester and Misiorowski are the No. 2 and 3 starters when the season gets underway. Milwaukee's two major offseason splash trades did return them with starting pitching options, as well as a number of guys who have risen through the Brewers system over the past few seasons.

Taking a look at the Brewers "unofficial" depth chart, there are six legitimate candidates vying for those last couple of spots in the rotation. Some with more legitimate cases than others. Spring Training could be make or break for some of these guys, both for the big league roster, and perhaps their future in the Brewers' organization.

Candidate 1: Chad Patrick

If we are basing this conversation on the Brewers depth chart listing, Patrick seems to have a leg up on the competition. Patrick made 27 appearances for the Brewers last season, 23 of which were starts. By no means was he going to win a Cy Young in 2025, but he was solid, despite a 3-8 record. He pumped out a 3.53 ERA, 127 strikeouts, and most importantly for the Brewers' injury-riddled pitching staff, ate up 119.2 innings.

Arguably, Patrick was at his best in the postseason for the Brewers, appearing out of the bullpen in four games for 4.2 innings, in the NLDS, striking out six. With the luxury of a deep rotation, Patrick may be best served to replace Nick Mears as a middle inning, high-leverage bullpen arm, who can make a spot start if needed. He will most likely be part of the 26-man roster; it's just a matter of what role.

Candidate 2: Kyle Harrison

The newest member of the Brewers' pitching staff has more than a few things working in his favor to make the Brewers’ initial rotation. First and foremost, the fact that Milwaukee traded a Rookie of the Year finalist to acquire him, among a couple of other guys, is a massive endorsement of his talent. Second, most teams like to have a lefty in the rotation, and Harrison is the best option the Brewers have.

Harrison is still early in his big league journey, having made 42 appearances in the big leagues across three seasons -- a vast majority coming in 2024 with the San Francisco Giants. Last summer, the Giants traded him to Boston to land the services of Rafael Devers. As a member of the Red Sox, Harrison appeared in three games (two starts) and struck out 14 batters over 12.0 innings.

His stuff can be electric. With a fastball that clocks in the upper 90s, a slider with tons of break, and a changeup that will now be further developed in the Brewers' pitching lab, Harrison is a prime candidate to join this rotation.

Candidate 3: Logan Henderson

Logan Henderson has to be one of my favorite options to join this rotation. Henderson shot through the minors in 2024 and made five starts with the Brewers in 2025. He was 3-0, pitching 25.1 innings, striking out 33, walking just eight, and allowing just five runs. At Triple-A Nashville, that success continued, with a 10-4 record over 16 appearances, with 87 strikeouts and just 24 walks.

Henderson primarily works with his fastball and changeup, but Brewers pitching coach, Chris Hook, says that his curveball could also be a big pitch for the young righty. In his first spring appearance, Henderson was flawless, dealing a clean inning on 14 pitches.

While it is unlikely that he will remain undefeated at the big league level, his success in the relatively small sample size speaks for itself.

Candidate 4: Robert Gasser

This is another name that Brewers fans would love to see with the big-league club. Gasser is another lefty option who Milwaukee acquired back in 2022 in the Josh Hader trade.

In 2023, Gasser was the International League Pitcher of the Year and was having another great season in Triple-A in 2024 before the Brewers called him up. Like Henderson, he made five appearances and amassed a 2-0 record, striking out 16 in 12 innings of work and allowing just a 2.57 ERA.

Tommy John surgery derailed his 2024 campaign, and in his two appearances in 2025, the young lefty struggled. He wasn't great in two spot starts before the postseason, losing both, and struggled in his NLDS appearance against Chicago in Game 4.

Gasser made his spring debut on Sunday as well, erased an early baserunner with a double play, and followed it with a strikeout. He certainly has the stuff to succeed at the big-league level, and whether he starts the season in the rotation or even at the big-league level, he will pitch for the Brewers at some point in 2026.

Candidate 5: Carlos Rodriguez

The case for Carlos Rodriguez isn't as easy. He doesn't necessarily have the same success as the other guys in limited work. Across two seasons, Rodriguez has appeared in seven games, recording a 1-3 record, with 20 strikeouts in 22.0 innings of work, and an ERA of 6.95.

Still, he has been solid in the minor leagues, and has proven to be able to get hitters out by varying his stuff. At just 24 years old, Rodriguez may be on the outside looking in to start the 2026 campaign, but did receive a subtle endorsement, specifically that he was able to switch his number to a more traditional jersey number, 27.

Candidate 6: Brandon Sproat

Brandon Sproat came to Milwaukee from the Mets, acquired in the Peralta trade. Sproat made his MLB debut in September, and made four appearances for New York, all as a starter. His best outing came in his second start, facing the Texas Rangers, where he posted six innings of scoreless baseball with three strikeouts.

Sproat has an electric fastball, with a changeup and cutter that is likely only going to get better with the Brewers. Can he crack the rotation? Time will tell. When you trade away a player the caliber of Peralta, there is an expectation that player(s) replacing him will provide a significant impact.

Prediction

My gut says that Chad Patrick would be a great addition to the bullpen, taking him out of the race. That leaves five guys for the two rotation spots. While we are likely to see each player in the bigs at some point, Henderson and Harrison seem most likely to start the season in the rotation, with Gasser being the first minor league call-up.