These 13 Former Brewers Could Be the Next to Make it to Cooperstown

[David Go]

The 2025 National Baseball Hall of Fame Induction in July will feature multiple former Brewers for the first time. The Crew doesn't have a clear-cut future Hall of Famer gracing the diamond at American Family Field, but any of these 13 current and former players could be the next honoree.

Image courtesy of © Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

This list includes players set to appear on the BBWAA ballot in the next half-decade; active players with near-Hall of Fame credentials; and players still in the first half of their careers on Hall of Fame trajectories.

1. Zack Greinke
Career (2004-23): 77.5 bWAR, 3,389 IP, 225 Wins, 3.49 ERA (121 ERA+), 2979 SO
Brewers (2011-12): 3.6 bWAR, 294.2 IP, 3.67 ERA (110 ERA+), 323 SO
Eligibility: 2029
Awards: 2009 AL Cy Young
Greinke represents the last of a breed of starting pitcher, alongside Clayton Kershaw, Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, each of whom will certainly gain election. Since 2000, eight starting pitchers have earned election to Cooperstown. Greg Maddux, Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez are inner-circle Hall of Famers; here’s how Greinke compares to the other five.

	Retired	Year	%	IP	Wins	ERA	ERA+	SO	CY	bWAR
Greinke, Zack	2023	N/A	N/A	3389	225	3.49	121	2979	1	77.5
Sabathia, CC	2019	1st	86.8	3577	251	3.74	116	3093	1	61.8
Halladay, Roy	2013	1st	85.4	2749	203	3.38	131	2117	2	64.2
Smoltz, John	2009	1st	82.9	3473	213	3.33	125	3084	1	69.0
Mussina, Mike	2008	6th	76.7	3562	270	3.68	123	2813	0	82.8
Glavine, Tom	2008	1st	91.9	4413	305	3.54	118	2607	2	80.7

Greinke’s solid seasons in Milwaukee certainly didn’t earn him his election, but he co-anchored a strong rotation alongside Yovani Gallardo. He famously finished 15-0 at Miller Park and once started three consecutive games for the Brewers.

Greinke should easily earn election in his first ballot in 2029, making him the most likely candidate on this list.

2. Christian Yelich
Career (2013-present): 41.9 bWAR, 6383 PA, .287/.377/.466/.843 (133 OPS+), 204 HR, 748 RBI, 1590 Hits, 945 Runs, 205 SB
Brewers (2018-present): 24.3 bWAR, 3571 PA, .285/.384/.493 (136 OPS+), 145 HR, 455 RBI, 871 Hits, 576 Runs, 133 SB
Awards: 2018 NL MVP
Yelich, under contract through 2028, would need a late-career surge to bolster his candidacy. However, his trajectory looks more promising after a .315/.406/.504 line in 73 games before undergoing back surgery in 2024.

The 33-year-old averaged 2.4 bWAR in just 122 games across his last four seasons, but his most recent was the best. If Yelich hit those averages in the final four years of his contract, his career ledger would look like this:

• 51.6 bWAR
• 2,072 Hits
• 1,264 Runs
• 257 HR
• 974 RBI
• 282 SB

Crazier things have happened in Hall of Fame elections, especially if Yelich can prove his injury-plagued 2024 output was no fluke. Getting to 300 homers, 300 steals and 1,000 RBIs would go a long way, but that would require him to play another five or six years, in all likelihood.

3. Francisco Rodríguez
Career (2002-17): 24.2 bWAR, 976 IP, 437 SV, 2.86 ERA, 148 ERA+, 1142 SO
Brewers (2011-13, 2014-15): 4.9 bWAR, 250 IP, 95 SV, 2.91 ERA, 136 ERA+, 266 SO
Awards: 2x AL Reliever of the Year
Eligibility: Currently eligible
Billy Wagner earned induction in January, the eighth full-time-ish reliever to earn induction. Wagner is one of the most dominant pitchers of all-time, despite tossing a Cooperstown-low 903 innings.

Below is every reliever in Cooperstown minus Mariano Rivera (he belongs in a table of his own). Rodríguez is included in the table, sorted by career saves.

	Retired	Year	%	bWAR	IP	SV	ERA	ERA+	SO
Hoffman, Trevor	2010	3rd	79.9	28.0	1089	601	2.87	141	1133
Smith, Lee	1997	Vet	N/A	29.3	1289	478	3.03	132	1251
Rodríguez	2017	N/A	N/A	24.2	976	437	2.86	148	1142
Wagner, Billy	2010	10th	82.5	27.8	903	422	2.31	187	1196
Fingers, Rollie	1985	2nd	81.2	25.6	1701	341	2.90	120	1299
Gossage, Rich	1994	9th	85.8	41.1	1809	310	3.01	126	1502
Sutter, Bruce	1988	13th	76.9	24.0	1042	300	2.83	136	861
Wilhelm, Hoyt	1972	8th	83.8	46.8	2254	228	2.52	147	1610

Each case is unique. Fingers, Gossage and Wilhelm pitched in a different era of relievers, and Sutter received a boost due to being credited with popularizing the splitter.

Here’s how Rodríguez ranks in each category:

• bWAR: 7th
• IP: 7th
• SV: 3rd
• ERA: 4th
• ERA+: 2nd
• SO: 6th

Some voters will point to the character clause and his charge of domestic violence (later dropped) and assault (Rodriguez pleaded guilty to a lesser charge).

He garnered just 10.2% of the vote in his third year of eligibility. Unlikely, sure, but Wagner received just 10.5% on his first ballot and ultimately earned election in his final year.

4. Andrew McCutchen
Career (2009-24): 49.3 bWAR, 9,156 PA, .273/.367/.462 (129 OPS+), 319 HR, 1,095 RBI, 2,152 Hits, 1,239 Runs, 219 SB
Brewers (2022): 1.1 bWAR, 580 PA, .237/.316/.384 (96 OPS+), 17 HR, 69 RBI, 122 Hits, 66 Runs, 8 SB
Awards: 2013 NL MVP
McCutchen spent just one year in Milwaukee, his lone season with a sub-100 OPS+. The rest of his career includes over 2,000 hits, 300 home runs and 200 stolen bases—making him one of 12 players to reach those marks. His ability to continue to compile stats in Pittsburgh at the end of his career may dictate whether Uncle Larry will see the Hall.

His 49.3 WAR outpaces several Hall of Famers already, including Ralph Kiner, Jim Rice and Tony Lazzeri.

5. Ryan Braun
Career (2007-20): 47.1 bWAR, 7,340 PA, .296/.358/.532(134 OPS+), 352 HR, 1,154 RBI, 1,963 Hits, 1,080 Runs, 216 SB
Awards: 2011 NL MVP, 2007 NL Rookie of the Year
Eligibility: 2026
Let’s address the elephant in the room: Braun will not be elected, but his career deserves a second look. His PED saga placed Cooperstown out of reach, but scandal aside, his career may have earned some votes.

Braun has more bWAR than Lou Brock, Red Schoendienst, Tony Oliva or Dave Parker. He hit more home runs than Parker, Hank Greenberg, Ron Santo, George Brett or Edgar Martinez. He posted a higher career OPS than Willie McCovey, Willie Stargell, Fred McGriff, Eddie Mathews or Harmon Killebrew. And he won an MVP, something Derek Jeter, Tony Gwynn, Wade Boggs and Mike Piazza can’t say.

However, he'll likely fall off the ballot in his initial year of eligibility next year.

6. Josh Hader
Career (2017-24): 12.5 bWAR, 459 IP, 199 SV, 2.70 ERA, 155 ERA+, 753 SO
Brewers (2017-22): 10.4 bWAR, 316 IP, 125 SV, 2.48 ERA, 155 ERA+, 541 SO
Awards: 3x NL Reliever of the Year
Hader, 30, has thrown just 459 2/3 innings across eight seasons, but may soon challenge Billy Wagner for most dominant pitcher in MLB history.

Nearly 3,000 pitchers have tossed at least 400 innings on a big league mound. Here's how Hader ranks among them.

• 41.5 K% (1st)
• .157 opponent BA (1st)
• 31.5 K-BB% (1st)
• 0.95 WHIP (2nd, behind Koji Uehara)

Since Hader likely is about halfway through his career, his numbers would look this way when doubled: 25 WAR, 919 IP, 2.70 ERA, 398 SV, 1,506 SO.

The innings total would be higher only than Wagner, but the dominance exceeds that of the recent electee.

7. Corbin Burnes
Career (2018-24): 17.1 bWAR, 903 IP, 60 Wins, 3.19 ERA, 1,051 SO
Brewers (2018-23): 13.6 bWAR, 709 IP, 45 Wins, 3.26 ERA, 870 SO
Awards: 2021 NL Cy Young
Burnes will need to maintain his ace standing for several more years, as the 30-year-old has accrued just 17 WAR and tossed 903 innings. Just one Hall of Fame starting pitcher has fewer than 2,000 innings, and Burnes doesn't quite have the dominance to match.

Since 2021, he's averaged 189 innings with 215 SO and 4.1 WAR per season and a 2.94 ERA. The recent Diamondbacks signee also seems adept at reinventing himself to maintain his effectiveness.

To make it from the desert to Cooperstown, Burnes will need to maintain a Cy Young-caliber level into his late 30s. That's unlikely, perhaps, but it is possible.

8. Devin Williams
Career (2019-24): 8.9 bWAR, 235 IP, 68 SV, 1.83 ERA, 232 ERA+, 375 SO
Awards: 2020 NL Rookie of the Year, 2x NL Reliever of the Year
The Brewers have won five of the last seven NL Reliever of the Year Awards. Williams is responsible for two (2020 and 2023).

His 1.83 ERA is second-best in the live-ball era (min. 200 innings), and his 39.4 K% ranks fourth behind just Hader, Edwin Díaz and Aroldis Chapman. His .156 opponent batting average bests Hader by one point for best, minimum 200 innings.

The bad news is, Williams now sits on the wrong side of 30 with just 235 innings on his ledger. The changeup specialist will need to be a dominant closer for at least a decade to be in the Hall of Fame conversation.

9. Jackson Chourio
Career (2024-present): 3.8 bWAR, 573 PA, .275/.327/.464/.791 (117 OPS+), 21 HR, 79 RBI, 145 Hits, 80 Runs, 22 SB
I know this is crazy since Chourio, 20, has just one big-league season under his belt. But I can’t be the only one who’s seen the marks he achieved in 2024.

• 3.9 fWAR is ninth-highest among age-20 or younger in the expansion era (since 1961)
• An exhaustive list of players with more WAR in age-20 or younger season: Mike Trout, Alex Rodríguez, Juan Soto, Ken Griffey Jr., Manny Machado, Jason Heyward, Johnny Bench, Bryce Harper
• .303/.354/.525 line after Jun. 1
• Youngest player in MLB history to produce a 20/20 season (20 years, 185 days)
• First Brewers’ rookie to record 20/20
• 2nd player under 21 with a multi-HR postseason game

Let’s just say he has a chance.

Veterans Committee Names
These four players are no longer eligible to earn election from the BBWAA portion of the ballot but could be elected by the Veteran's Committee that meets each year. Dave Parker and Ted Simmons were each elected by the Veterans Committee.

10. Gary Sheffield
Brewers (1988-91): 1.5 bWAR, 1,244 PA, .259/.319/.376 (95 OPS+), 3 HR, 21 RBI, 287 Hits, 138 Runs, 43 SB
Career (1988-2009): 60.5 bWAR, 10,947 PA, .292/.393/.514 (140 OPS+), 509 HR, 1,676 RBI, 2,689 Hits, 1,636 Runs, 253 SB
Sheffield's four-year Brewers career ended acrimoniously with just 1.5 WAR and a 95 OPS+. But his post-Brewers career included a batting title, nine All-Star selections and five Silver Sluggers.

His involvement in the BALCO scandal and Mitchell Report have kept the 500-home run-hitter out of Cooperstown.

11. Jim Edmonds
Career (1993-2008, 2010): 60.4 bWAR, 7,980 PA, .284/.376/.527 (132 OPS+), 393 HR, 1,199 RBI, 1,949 Hits, 1,251 Runs, 67 SB
Brewers (2010): 2.0 bWAR, 240 PA, .286/.350/.493 (125 OPS+), 8 HR, 20 RBI, 62 Hits, 38 Runs, 2 SB
An eight-time Gold Glove recipient with a .903 OPS (132 OPS+) and nearly 400 home runs, Edmonds went one-and-done on a crowded ballot in 2016. His WAR total and accolades squarely place him in the conversation.

12. Sal Bando
Career (1966-81): 61.5 bWAR, 8,289 PA, .254/.352/.408 (119 OPS+), 242 HR, 1,039 RBI, 1,790 Hits, 982 Runs, 75 SB
Brewers (1978-81): 9.4 bWAR, 2,202 PA, .250/.335/.382 (98 OPS+), 50 HR, 243 RBI, 479 Hits, 245 Runs, 15 SB
Bando, who died in Oconomowoc in 2023 at age 78, played a pivotal role as a steady middle-of-the-order bat and defensive stalwart at third base in the A's three-peat in the early-1970s. (Is that the baseball equivalent of a 3-and-D guy?)

His position is the most underrepresented in Cooperstown, and Bando accrued more WAR than Dick Allen, the most recent hot corner inductee.

13. Willie Randolph
Career (1975-92): bWAR, 9,462 PA, .287/.377/.466(133 OPS+), 54 HR, 687 RBI, 2,210 Hits, 1,239 Runs, 271 SB
Brewers (1991): 4.3 bWAR, 512 PA, .327/.424/.374 (126 OPS+), 0 HR, 54 RBI, 141 Hits, 60 Runs, 4 SB
Randolph had one of the best modern homerless seasons in 1991 with Milwaukee, hitting .327 with over 4 WAR.

The 18-year veteran stole 271 bases and accumulated 20 defensive WAR, despite not winning a Gold Glove at second base. JAWS, which factors in total WAR and a player's peak WAR, places Randolph immediately behind Roberto Alomar and Craig Biggio and ahead of Joe Gordon and Billy Herman—all Hall of Famers.

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[Outlander]

It's not crazy to put Chourio on the list because somebody like Chourio has a better chance to make it since he can compile stats and awards for a longer period of time. Would put him second behind Greinke.