Andrew Wright

Image courtesy of Michael McLoone-Imagn Images The Milwaukee Brewers were the best team in Major League Baseball this season, winning a franchise-record 103 games and clinching their fourth straight National League Central title. Finishing with the best record in the league earned them a date with the winner of the Wild Card Series between the top two Wild Card entrants, which netted them this date with the San Diego Padres. The Brewers struggled with the Padres during the regular season, dropping four of the six games between the two teams. Some of those losses were due to bullpen struggles that were uncharacteristic, for a Milwaukee squad rich in relief options. Let's dive a bit more into that, because the pen walked a high wire in Games 1 and 2 and will be tested even more sternly in Games 3 and 4. Abner Uribe Uribe was one of the top relievers in baseball this season, posting a 1.97 ERA with 62 strikeouts and an opponent average of .199 across 61 outings and 59 1/3 innings pitched. It was the second consecutive season in which Uribe posted a sub-2.00 ERA, making him one of the most feared arms in the league. He did not, though, strike fear into Padres hitters. Uribe made two appearances against San Diego in the regular season, posting a 13.50 ERA with two walks and two strikeouts across two innings pitched. Both of those outings came in early May. He was solid in one, but gave up a go-ahead three-run home run in the other. Uribe did have a walk in both outings, something he allowed just 19 of during the regular season. Those struggles carried right over into his appearances in Games 1 and 2, too. He hit a batter, walked another and allowed three hits, all of them well-struck. He could have had better defensive support, and a couple of tough calls went against him, but San Diego batters seem to have the measure of Uribe. Ideally, he'll be less vital in whatever's left of this series, or at least pitch against a different pocket of the Padres lineup. The top four batters in their usual order have each seen him twice already. Name Patrick Ashby Hall Senzatela Megill Uribe Romero Drohan May Gasser Misiorowski Harrison Henderson Tatis X XX XX XX XXX Harris X XX XX XX XXX Taylor X Machado X X XX XX XXX France X X XX XX XXX Merrill XX X X X XX XX Andujar X Bowen Salas X XX Campusano X X X XX XX Fermin X Bogaerts XX X X XX XX Sheets XX Cronenworth X X X XX XX Hays X X Trevor Megill Megill turned in another outstanding season in 2026, posting a 2.63 ERA and 0.89 WHIP while striking out 69 batters across 63 appearances and 61 2/3 innings. His 30 saves were tied for 10th-most in MLB; it was his second consecutive season collecting 30 saves. Megill didn't struggle against San Diego to the extent that Uribe did, but he did have a bit of a bumpy outing during the regular season that gives us some insight into his close call Saturday night. Megill appeared twice against the Padres this season, posting a 3.38 ERA with three strikeouts and one walk across 2 2/3 innings pitched. San Diego got him for a run on two hits in an outing on May 12. That came before Megill was the unquestioned closer; he was setting up Uribe that day. A Fernando Tatis Jr. single and a Miguel Andujar double were the keys to the miniature San Diego rally; Megill actually struck out all three batters he got out that day, including Ty France. He was dominant when he saw them again in August, getting five outs to keep the winning run from scoring in both the ninth and 10th innings. In the middle of that appearance, though, he issued a telling intentional walk to Tatis. In Sunday's Game 2, Megill pitched the top of the ninth and kept the Brewers' deficit to one run, but Tatis hit a ball all the way to the left field wall, where Jackson Chourio hauled it down. The stuff and swing paths match up favorably for Megill against most of the Padres order, but Tatis and France pose significant danger for him. We saw that in the regular season, and again over the weekend. While the Brewers have escaped damage late in each of the two games so far, their bullpen hasn't exactly figured out the top half of the San Diego lineup. The third member of the Milwaukee three-headed monster, Aaron Ashby, did allow a .286 average to Padres' hitters in two outings, but he escaped without giving up any runs. He looked best of the set in the first phase of the NLDS, too, though he had the advantage of working against the bottom half of the batting order and seeing some left-handed batters. This series could still come down to whether Milwaukee relievers can get out Padres batters in a close, late-game situation. We've seen multiple pieces of evidence that Uribe and Megill are vulnerable to those hitters, and now, each has pitched against them very recently. Ashby might be the X-factor. Though he's a lefty (and, thus, is in some real danger when facing the likes of Tatis, Manny Machado and France), he could be the difference-maker during the remainder of this series, as the Brewers try to close it out and advance to the NLCS for the second year in a row. View full article

Image courtesy of © Ronald W. Erdrich/Reporter-News via Imagn Content Services, LLC The Milwaukee Brewers selected Sawyer Strosnider with the No. 66 overall pick in the MLB Draft. Slot value for that pick is $1,353,100. Strosnider was ranked as high as 15th on some draft boards, making his slide all the way down to No. 66 puzzling to most but fortunate for Milwaukee. The two-year starter at TCU posted a .314 average across two seasons while slugging an impressive .641 in those two seasons. A late season slump may have played a role in his slide down draft boards, but he still showcased his impressive power during the MLB Combine, posting several exit velocities upward of 105mph. Here's what our draft expert Jamie Cameron had to say about Strosnider. "If you want a prospect who bridges the enormous ceiling of some prep prospects with the current skill and productivity of many first-round college players, Sawyer Strosnider might be the player for you. Strosnider was a multi-sport athlete in high school (basketball, track), and the athleticism you'd expect translates beautifully to the diamond. A twitchy, powerful left-handed swing, Strosnider has massive raw power. On his way to winning Big 12 freshman of the year in 2025, he hit 11 home runs, 13 doubles, and 10 triples, an indicator of the power/speed blend on offer. Entering 2026, Strosnider's offensive focus centered on reigning in an overly aggressive approach at the plate. Strosnider accomplished this, increasing his walk rate from 8% to 18.4%, while posting a matching 18.4% strikeout rate. Unfortunately, his hitting took a half-step back, as he hit .273 (down from .350). There's plenty of supplementary tools here. Strosnider has plus speed and a good arm, a combination that will give him a chance to stick in centerfield as a pro." Strosnider will likely enter Milwaukee's system as its No. 2 or No. 3 outfield prospect, either trailing or just ahead of current No. 6 prospect Josh Adamczewski. The Brewers do have a loaded outfield with Christian Yelich, Jackson Chourio, Garrett Mitchell, Luis Lara and others, so a path to the majors may be a lengthy process for Strosnider. View full article

Milwaukee selected Trey Ebel with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft. The slot value for the selection is $3,696,000, a number that Ebel will likely sign for much less than. Ebel was an astounding high school player, posting a career slash line of .345/.453/.596, good for a career OPS of 1.049 with 12 home runs, 20 doubles and 77 RBI. Ebel struck out just 34 times in his high school career compared to the 39 walks he drew. He continuously got better in his high school career, showcased by his jump in batting average from .262 his sophomore year to .417 as a senior. The one concern may be the glove, as he posted a .890 fielding percentage and collected 14 errors in his senior season. This is what our draft expert Jamie Cameron had to say about Ebel and what he'll being to Milwaukee's organization. Trey Ebel is the younger brother of Brady Ebel, drafted 32nd overall by the Brewers in 2025, and the son of Dino Ebel, the Dodgers' long-time third base coach. Ebel will be 17 years old on draft day, a face likely to make him pop on organizational models. Ebel is a right-handed hitter with what's currently a hit-over-power profile. He has an excellent approach and rarely chases pitches out of the zone. In the summer of 2025, he put together some of the best contact and approach numbers of any player on the summer circuit. In the last 12 months, Ebel has grown into more bat speed. That has translated to in-game, pull-side power, which can likely further develop to solid average power in time. Defensively, there are good infield actions and a solid arm. He's a high baseball IQ player whose intelligence and feel for the game will likely help him outperform his physical tools. Ebel is committed to Texas A&M and is one of the sharpest risers on the prep side of the draft in the last few months leading up to day one. Ebel will join a shortstop prospect group in Milwaukee that includes baseball's No. 1 prospect in Jesus Made, as well as Jett Williams, Cooper Pratt and his brother Brady. View full article