Burnes, Woodruff, & Peralta Are Shoving Toward October

Burnes Flirts With A No-No
In perhaps his best performance this season, Corbin Burnes tossed eight no-hit innings against the New York Yankees. While the Brewers ultimately lost in 13 innings, his individual performance still managed to stand out, as he amassed seven strikeouts and 16 swings and misses. He singlehandedly added 55.9% win probability. 

If his pitch count was a smidge lower than 109 and the Brewers were able to put up any semblance of run support, he may have thrown his first individual no-hitter (he and Josh Hader combined for a no-hitter in September 2021). This was a great way to bounce back from a pair of mediocre performances that saw him give up 10 earned runs in 12 total innings against the Minnesota Twins and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Despite his inconsistencies, Burnes has proven that he can still perform at the highest level, and his postseason experience (albeit a small sample of just 15 innings) goes to show that he can dial up the heat when it really counts.

Woodruff Goes All The Way
Despite having been back on the team for just over a month, Brandon Woodruff has made his presence felt as one of the best starting pitchers in the sport. Across 56 innings pitched, he’s currently at a 1.93 ERA with a 0.79 WHIP. Can you imagine what things would’ve been like if he had been healthy all year? Well, he gave us a glimpse by pitching a complete-game shutout against the Miami Marlins, striking out seven along the way.

The outing extended his scoreless streak to an eye-popping 21 innings. For having recently recovered from a sub-scapular strain that saw him miss four months, there’s not much more people can ask of him. His velocity, stuff, and stamina are all back to pre-injury levels. At this point in the season, he’s probably the toughest guy to face for six innings on the entire Milwaukee pitching staff.

It’s Time To Fear Freddy
Freddy Peralta followed up on Woodruff’s performance against the Marlins in a big way, striking out nine and giving up just one hit in 6 ⅓ innings. The All-Star break did wonders for him, as he went from posting a 4.70 ERA in 92 innings in the first half to a 2.62 ERA over 58 ⅓ innings so far in the second half. 

He struggled with giving up too much hard contact earlier in the season but seems to have drastically improved his ability to place and finish pitches. This allows him to attack the zone more consistently, explaining the high strikeout numbers, while reducing overall damage.

While he might not be as big of a name as the 1-2 punch of Burnes and Woodruff, those who have had the privilege of watching his starts either as supporters or opponents have officially been put on notice. Come October, teams who sleep on Peralta might end up regretting it on their flights home to start their offseasons.