On the surface, the Milwaukee Brewers enter 2026 in a position any team would envy. 97 wins. The best record in MLB. The league-leading run percentage. Three consecutive years of dominance in the NL Central. But beneath that success, a major concern is emerging — and Pat Murphy is the first to voice it directly.
Not the offense. Not the team spirit. But the pitching rotation.
The Brewers’ decision to part ways with Freddy Peralta wasn’t just an isolated transaction. It created a void that no previous season’s statistics could fill. With the ace gone, all questions about the future immediately converge on one point: who will truly carry the most crucial innings?
Murphy doesn’t shy away from the issue. On the contrary, he directly calls it the number one concern as Spring Training approaches.
“Rotation is always a concern for any team,” Murphy said. “Injuries, the trend toward modern pitching, the number of pitchers needed per season — that’s always the biggest problem. And we’re going to have to strengthen that.”
That sounds familiar. But in the context of the Brewers’ historic season, this acknowledgment carries a different weight. The team won a lot of games last year — but the way they won doesn’t guarantee they’ll repeat it.
Milwaukee isn’t a team that relies on home run power. In 2025, they’ll still be hitting 806 runs, third in MLB, even though they don’t frequently get the ball out of bounds. That shows a balanced, disciplined, and efficient team. However, pitching is the foundation that has kept them consistent throughout 162 games.
The problem is: there are only five spots in the rotation.
The Brewers have many promising young pitchers. But potential doesn’t equate to durability, and Spring Training will be where Murphy has to make difficult decisions. Who is reliable enough to pitch every five days? Who is a better fit for the bullpen? And who needs more time, even if the talent might already be ready?
Last year, Milwaukee had to make last-minute adjustments by signing Jose Quintana late in Spring Training to increase depth. That scenario could easily repeat itself. But so far, the Brewers haven’t given a clear signal about what they’ll do—or with whom.
It’s noteworthy that this concern doesn’t stem from weakness, but from the very standards the Brewers have set for themselves. When you’re the most-winning team in MLB, every small deviation is magnified. An inconsistent rotation doesn’t just affect April or May—it can wear down the roster until September.
Murphy understands that. And his public declaration of this as a major concern shows the Brewers aren’t entering 2026 complacent. But it also raises an uncomfortable question: are they already doing enough, or will they be forced to take further action before the season begins?
The upcoming Spring Training will be more than just a testing phase. It will be a test of the Brewers’ philosophy after a historic season. Because sometimes, the most dangerous thing isn’t an obvious weakness—but the gap that appears right after the greatest success.
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