Appreciating the Brewers' Modern-Day Triumphant Trio

When Brandon Woodruff spoke candidly after his first MLB outing in 18 months (yes, technically a spring training start), he reflected on his time in Milwaukee and how he is now one of the old guys. When Woodruff, Freddy Peralta and Christian Yelich officially start the 2025 season, it will be their eighth year together as Milwaukee Brewers teammates. Woodruff is the longest-tenured Brewer, with one more season under his belt with the Brewers, while Peralta and Yelich started playing for Milwaukee in 2018. Keeping three high-level contributors together for nearly a decade is a victory in itself, in Milwaukee and in today's baseball world, but the trio has meant much more to the organization. The combination of personal achievements, team success and their personalities making them fan favorites is reminiscent of the Brewers' "Triumphant Trio" on a smaller scale.

Robin Yount, Paul Molitor and Jim Gantner own the MLB record for hits by a trio of teammates, with 6,401 knocks for the Brewers from 1978 to 1992. For 15 seasons, Yount and Molitor fueled the first era of exciting Brewers baseball, often headlining incredible lineups that ignited fans across the county. Meanwhile, Gantner did the dirty work at second base, getting the most out of his ability as a hard-nosed Wisconsin native sporting Coke-bottle and tinted glasses. He was a fan favorite for his everyman, local kid persona. Molitor and Yount, well, they simply were two of the best to ever play baseball. They put the national spotlight on Milwaukee and were the main cogs in the franchise's best chance to win a World Series. It's not difficult to see why they remain legends among Brewers fans.

Of course, those three did it for a much longer time, and none of the new trio are likely to reach the Hall of Fame. But Woodruff, Peralta and Yelich share many other traits with the 20th-century group. They're mostly quiet leaders who go about their business, set examples for everyone else, and hold themselves accountable when they fail. Molitor and Yount, especially, were not boisterous, rah-rah guys, though they exuded consistent professionalism to set the tone. As for Gantner (nicknamed Gumby), he could be looser and wackier, with a strange version of the English language that produced "Gumby-isms." Peralta is definitely the most outgoing and free-spirited of the current group, a perfect balance to the more low-key Yelich and Woodruff. But all six of these fan favorites love their teammates, enjoy every part of the game and appreciate the Brewers fanbase.

It also doesn't hurt that each trio treated their supporters to fantastic stretches of success. It's a lot easier to root for guys who make winning a priority and a habit.

Winning Percentage as Teammates

• 1978-1992: .523 (.542 in first seven seasons)
• 2018-2024: .561

Winning Seasons as Teammates

• 1978-1992: 10-for-15 (6-for-7 in first seven seasons)
• 2018-2024: 6-for-7

All-Star Appearances as Teammates

• 1978-1992: Eight All-Stars (four All-Stars in first seven seasons)
• 2018-2024: Six All-Stars

MVP/Cy Young Awards as Teammates

• 1978-1992: Two MVPs (one MVP in first seven seasons)
• 2018-2024: One MVP

As you can see, there are quite a few parallels between the pair of trios, particularly if you only count the first seven seasons of The Kid, The Ignitor and Gumby. It's not fair to compare playoff appearances and division titles, because the format is so much different now. For multiple reasons, it's easier to make the postseason in modern baseball. That doesn't mean we should take Woody, Freddy and Yeli for granted in this era, though, because plenty of franchises would envy the Brewers right now, despite their inability to win playoff series since 2018. The Crew has reached the playoffs in six out of the last seven seasons. It's been nine years since the Pittsburgh Pirates played in the postseason, and a full decade for the Los Angeles Angels, who had Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani on their club for six years.

But again, both Brewers trios mean so much more to Milwaukee and Wisconsin than on-field wins. All six men have been wonderful spokespeople for the franchise, the quality of the organization, the passion of the fans and the overall terrific experience of wearing the blue and gold threads. They have always come across as genuine, thankful pieces of a larger, special bond between the state and the team. Despite Yelich being the lone player to not be drafted by the Brewers, and Molitor (sadly) the only one to leave Milwaukee before the end of his career, they all hold a special place in the hearts of Brewers backers, who can claim them all to be permanent True Blue Brew Crew players.

How will this Triumphant Trio's story end? Will they be the first set of three teammates to bring home a World Series? Could they at least get back to the Fall Classic? If Yelich is truly back, Peralta takes a step forward as an ace and Woodruff finds lightning in his arm once again, Brewers fans can dream that this trio will be etched in stone as permanently as the OGs. Either way, it's been one heckuva run for those three.