What should Brewers fans expect from Craig Yoho in 2026?

Craig Yoho made his long-awaited MLB debut last season, though the results were mixed. While he did show some flashes — his changeup generated a 28.9% whiff rate and his overall hard-hit rate was below 30% — he also walked more than one-fifth of the hitters he saw, leading to an unsightly 7.27 ERA.

Yoho actually has a bizarre advantage by being on the Brewers: he's right-handed. Normally, that'd make him a dime a dozen in most major-league bullpens, but Milwaukee's is uniquely southpaw-heavy. With only Abner Uribe and Trevor Megill locked into the bullpen (plus Grant Anderson, though your mileage will vary with him), there's clearly room for at least one more righty to crack the Opening Day roster.

Will Yoho be the one to win that job?

Craig Yoho's unique profile can only be held back by lack of control

By sheer lack of volume, Yoho has a real good chance to make his case for a day-one job in Milwaukee. Easton McGee is the only other right-handed reliever on the 40-man roster besides the aforementioned trio, though that could change if the Crew want to let Chad Patrick and/or Logan Henderson try to harness their elite stuff in the bullpen rather than Nashville.

Assuming those two top right-handers remain stretched out for the rotation, Yoho possesses the kind of raw stuff to succeed in a high-leverage role. He was even getting his MLB footing under him before the Brewers optioned him last September, though his sample is so small that it's hard to draw any definitive conclusions.

What's not difficult to suggest is that in order for the 26-year-old to thrive at the big-league level, he'll need to get control of his command. Issuing out free passes has been his kryptonite since ascending to Triple-A in 2024, and such a habit won't fly against the best hitters in the world. His changeup and fastball both generate ridiculous amounts of arm-side run (and have a ~15 mph difference between them), but that kind of movement profile can be exceedingly difficult to locate in the zone.

That's not to say Yoho should be trying to limit the amount of movement he gets on his primary offerings — the fact that his four-seamer induces 7.3 more inches of horizontal break than the average fastball is special — but it does imply that he'll either need a third offering he can reliably get over the plate. He's toyed with a pretty flat cutter and an even-more-difficult-to locate sweeper in the past; he'll need to learn where to start his pitches to ensure they end up in the same area code as the strike zone.

That's the kind of development better suited for the minor leagues than The Show, but Yoho's profile is so unique (especially in the context of the Brewers' lefty-heavy bullpen) that it may prove difficult keeping him off the roster if his results are promising in spring training. Regardless of when he shows up to Milwaukee, expect a lot of highlights to show up on Pitching Ninja's socials... as well as a stomach-churning amount of walks.