Cory Sparks

Image courtesy of Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Freddy Peralta is in the final year of his contract, and it may be tempting for many to want him to don the blue and yellow yet again. This would not work, and it could prove catastrophic for the future of Milwaukee’s rotation if they tried a move like this. Let’s break down Peralta’s 2026 season, and the three different reasons bringing him back would be a poor decision. This is a two-part article: read the counterpoint here. Building A Strong Reputation Before diving into the reasons Peralta shouldn’t be back with the Crew, it’s important to highlight the portfolio he’s built for himself. For years, he has been one of the best pitchers in all of baseball. This is someone who has a career record of 75-51, a 3.79 earned run average, and over 1,200 strikeouts in just north of 1,000 innings. Peralta is a two-time All-Star, and the 30-year-old even surpassed 200 strikeouts in three straight seasons from 2023-2025. A Season To Forget Milwaukee traded Peralta to the New York Mets ahead of this season, losing their ace along with a depth arm in Tobias Myers. In exchange, the Crew got utility Jett Williams and right-handed pitcher Brandon Sproat. Since that deal, Peralta has had one of the worst seasons of his big league career. This year, the now Tampa Bay Rays starter is 5-9 with a 5.37 earned run average, striking out 116 hitters over 117 1/3 innings in 23 starts. Peralta’s 1.52 WHIP is 44 points higher than the value he produced last year in his final campaign with the Brewers. The fastball-heavy hurler has been getting hit hard, allowing 19 homers while allowing a batting average of .260 or better on four of his six pitches. No Guarantee He's "Back" Peralta’s walks are up at 9.2 percent (38th percentile), and his below-average strikeout rate of 21.8 percent (43rd percentile) hasn’t been encouraging either. This is somebody who has lost a tick on his fastball velocity, as his primary offering is gliding in at just an average of 94.2 miles per hour, his lowest mark since 2022. There’s no guarantee he returns to his form with the Brewers; The Cubs tried this with Jake Arrieta, who won a Cy Young with the team in 2016 before having some subpar seasons with the Phillies. When he re-joined the northsiders five years later, his earned run average ballooned up to 7.39, almost three full runs higher than a 4.64 mark a pair of years prior. While it’s fun to imagine Peralta magically returning to form as soon as he dawns his old threads, this is someone on the other side of 30 years old who relies on power and is struggling mightily. Innings Inefficiency Even when Peralta was at his best, the former Brewers’ ace has always had a tough time finishing off hitters. The 30-year-old throws a lower-than-average percentage of pitches inside the zone, leading to a pitches per plate appearance rate north of 4.1. This results in those taxing, 100-pitch starts that sometimes just get Peralta through five innings. That’s how bullpens get taxed, even on some of his better days. Holding Down Controllable Talent As it stands, Milwaukee has one of the better rotations in baseball while still developing more up-and-coming arms. Jacob Misiorowski is competing for an NL Cy Young award, Kyle Harrison has been a remarkable secondary option, and other names like Coleman Crow, Logan Henderson, and more could be controllable, affordable arms that should fill out the rotation. Peralta, even after a down year, will demand more revenue per year than most, if not all, of those players right now. With the salary cap looming, combining production with affordability is of the utmost importance. Unfortunately, Peralta doesn’t provide that combination. View full article

While it may be tempting to bring back two-time All-Star Freddy Peralta, the Milwaukee Brewers should not make the decision. Peralta is in the midst of the worst year of his big-league career, and in this video, we'll go over the three reasons that making him a member of the Crew again would be a poor decision. View full video

This is true. The depth is insane. What's the NLCS official prediction?

Agreed!

Glasnow is just working back too. I don't hate the matchup in general! Love the "young and dumb" take too- get guys who just ambush the moment and see what happens

The Milwaukee Brewers squared off with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS last year, but the Dodgers got the best of the Crew in the form of a sweep. This year, Jacob Misiorowski's status as a starter is no longer in question, as he's the NL Cy Young frontrunner. Kyle Harrison has emerged as a front-of-the-rotation threat. How does the Brewers' pitching staff compare to Tarik Skubal and the Dodgers' starters? We dove in headfirst to find out. View full video

Image courtesy of IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect The Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers may yet again be on the David vs. Goliath course that we saw the conclusion of in the NLCS last year. Milwaukee has consistently been in the bottom half of the league’s payroll rankings, while the Dodgers live amongst the cream of the crop when it comes to top-end spending. Despite the financial disparity, there may not be a starting pitcher more electric than Jacob Misiorowski and Tarik Skubal. Kyle Harrison and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are both secondary options, so we’ll compare those two as well. Jacob Misiorowski Breakdown Misiorowski has quickly stolen headlines for having the most electric fastball in the sport. The Brewers’ flamethrower has fired a ball as fast as 105.5 miles per hour, and he’s improved leaps and bounds with his command since debuting in the major leagues last year. The 24-year-old former second-round pick is 11-5 this year with a 1.63 earned run average and has 195 strikeouts in 127 innings of work. He’s striking out 40.6 percent of hitters (100th percentile) and is walking hitters just 6.0 percent of the time (87th percentile). The Brewers’ ace has a five-pitch mix, but he heavily relies on the fastball that holds a rising effect out of his 30-degree arm angle upon release. His 0.73 WHIP tops all starters by 0.15, and he’s holding opposing hitters below the Mendoza line against every one of his pitches. Tarik Skubal Breakdown Skubal was the big-ticket acquisition at this year’s MLB trade deadline, and for good reason. The two-time Cy Young winner has the accolades on his side, and he currently profiles as one of the hardest-throwing lefties in baseball. The newest member of the Dodgers’ rotation holds a 7-6 record this year with a 2.81 earned run average. He has 122 strikeouts in 102.2 innings pitched, operating with a 0.92 WHIP on the season. Skubal is a master of deception, and he’s one of the more cerebral pitchers in baseball, using his sinker 32% more often against fellow southpaws than he does against right-handed hitters. The 29-year-old lands in the top 10 percent for chase rate (36.1), whiff rate (32.5), strikeout rate (30.7) and walk rate (4.0), and he has postseason experience under his belt from his time in Detroit. Kyle Harrison’s Tale of the Tape Harrison was the Brewers’ big offseason acquisition, as Milwaukee got him from the Boston Red Sox in a package deal. Harrison has one of the best slurves in baseball, garnering just a .150 opposing batting average against his low-80s, gloveside biting pitch. The first-year member of the Crew is 9-2 this season with a 2.84 earned run average, and he’s struck out 111 hitters in 88.2 innings. He’s been an absolute master at creating swing-and-miss and limiting quality contact. The 24-year-old southpaw has an elite 33.4 percent chase rate (79th percentile) accompanied by a 29.4 percent whiff rate (80th percentile). He’s also allowing a ball to get barrelled up just 6.3 percent of the time. His 6.6-foot extension (67th percentile) allows what’s already a mid-90s fastball to appear even quicker. The most important aspect for Harrison is staying healthy, as his most recent injury scare was related to cramping in both calves. Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s Makeup Yoshinobu Yamamoto rounds out matchups, and if he’s the Game 2 opponent in this hypothetical series between LA and Milwaukee, runs may be at a premium. The 27-year-old righty has an 11-7 record this year, earning a 2.76 earned run average and a miniscule 0.88 WHIP on the season. Yamamoto has an elite ground ball rate, forcing a hitter to roll over 47.5 percent of the time (75th percentile). The Japanese-born pitcher put up a Madison Bumgarner-like performance in the World Series last year, tossing 17.2 innings while allowing just two runs and striking out 15 across three different appearances. The Dodgers’ pitchers have the postseason experience, but overall, give me Miz as a guaranteed two wins if his stuff is on in a playoff atmosphere. Yamamoto gets the slight edge over Harrison since he’s been performing at a higher level for a little longer, but overall, Milwaukee’s starters have impressed me more in the 2026 regular season and have the edge. View full article

Image courtesy of IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Cooper Pratt has had quite the year. The Milwaukee Brewers’ fourth-ranked prospect (per Brewer Fanatic) has inked a long-term extension, made his MLB debut, and now he’s quickly turning into the most dangerous type of hitter there is: someone who excels at everything. Let’s break down how Pratt is already adjusting to the big leagues in a way that could make him a key piece when postseason baseball rolls around. Cooper Pratt’s Background Pratt is a 21-year-old infielder for the Brewers, and he’s done nothing but impress since the team selected him in the sixth round of the 2023 MLB Draft. Pratt holds a hefty frame, standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing 210 pounds despite profiling as a shortstop, a position that demands the fleet of foot. The former sixth-round pick has overcome that, swiping 58 bases between the 2024 and 2025 minor league seasons. His glove (60) and fielding (60) have profiled as the infielder’s best tools, as he’s managed to work his way all the way up to a major league debut this season. This isn’t an easy feat considering the fierce competition from Jesus Made and Luis Pena, fellow infield prospects who are climbing the ladder with Pratt. Pratt Locked Down Matt Arnold has proven himself as someone who knows talent analysis, and he’s nailed the hires to build the best farm system in baseball. With that being said, when the Crew signs someone to an eight-year, $50.75 million contract, it’s for good reason. The budding shortstop is locked down until at least 2033 before a club option can kick in over the next couple of years. This is similar to what the Brewers have done with Luis Lara, an outfielder who also debuted this year and inked a seven-year, $31 million deal taking him through 2032 ahead of a club option. The Surface Level Numbers Are Promising So far, Pratt has passed the eye test, and he’s come a long way from someone who slashed just .238/.343/.348 with the Double-A Biloxi Shuckers a season ago. One of Milwaukee’s greenest infielders is currently slashing .289/.371/.391 with a .762 OPS over 42 games with the group. Pratt has slugged two home runs, driven in 17 baserunners, and has 18 walks to 29 strikeouts with 10 stolen bases already. Taking A Deeper Dive Take a more granular look at Pratt’s early performance, and you’ll be even more impressed. The Magnolia Heights H.S. alum has a 137 wRC+ since the start of July, implying that he’s been a far better all-around hitter than the average major leaguer (with 100 being the mean value). Like most players on the Brewers, he takes his walks, earning a free pass 12.2 percent of the time. That mark, along with his 19.6 percent strikeout rate, is both well above league average. Pratt has had success against fastballs, even getting a bit unlucky with a .258 batting average that’s eight points below his expected value. The real difference has been his success against breaking balls, a pitch type that he’s gone 17-for-38 (.447 AVG) against with five extra-base hits, including a home run. Pratt, even at his young age, is already identifying which breaking balls aren’t worth offering at and which to attack. What’s His Long-Term Role? What will Pratt do long term, and can he keep this productivity up? Unlike batting average on balls in play, metrics like low chase rates, high walk rates, and a prominent indication that he can identify pitches well are all sustainable traits. This isn’t someone who is hitting into luck. In fact, he’s done all of this despite having a below-average bat speed of 70.3 miles per hour. Pratt is still very young, and he could easily fill out more of his frame as the years go by. He may need to be flexible, though, as baseball’s top prospect in Made could be up in the big leagues as soon as this year. We’ve seen Pratt play around the infield, so it shouldn’t be much of an issue. Wherever he plays on defense, this is someone who has the right habits at the plate and could be a difference-maker for years to come. View full article

Cooper Pratt is quickly making Matt Arnold look like a genius, as the now-extended infielder is hitting just south of .300 and looks like one of the most complete hitters in the organization. The 21-year-old is flexing a 137 wRC+, and in this video, we'll dive into everything from his high walk rate, ability to pound breaking balls, and even contextualize his future amongst a remarkable group of Milwaukee farmhands. View full video