In January 2024, the Milwaukee Brewers made a trade that almost nobody paid attention to. A 20th-round pick was sent to the Dodgers, in exchange for Bryan Hudson—a lanky left-handed reliever who had an ERA of over 7.00 in his brief MLB debut. No headline. No hype. Just another name on Matt Arnold’s list of small gambles.
And then things changed so quickly.
Hudson made it straight into the 2024 Opening Day roster, and in his Brewers debut against a raging Citi Field, he threw three innings, struck out four hits, and completely silenced the Mets crowd. That moment wasn’t just an impressive debut—it was the first sign of a breakout that almost nobody predicted.
By May 27th, Hudson had an ERA of 0.59. A 2.03m tall reliever, not a powerful shooter, not a whiff hunter, but consistently causing opponents to miss their shots. When the All-Star conversation began, Bryan Hudson’s name—the player traded for a 20th-round pick—appeared like a fairy tale.
He wasn’t called to the All-Star game. And perhaps, that was the moment things started to go wrong.
His inning volume increased to levels he hadn’t reached since 2018. An oblique injury at the end of July forced the Brewers to be cautious. By September, despite his ERA remaining at 1.73, Hudson was unexpectedly relegated to Triple-A and didn’t return to MLB for the rest of the season. No public explanation. Just an inexplicable silence for a rookie reliever who had just had a dream season.
In 2025, the story took a different—and more brutal—turn.
Hudson started with seven consecutive runs without a run. But then everything fell apart quickly. Command disappeared. The balls that had been “good enough” the previous year were now being punished. He was tossed back and forth between MLB and Triple-A, before becoming a name to be sacrificed as the Brewers needed to clear rosters for deadline trades.
Designated for assignment. The end.
The White Sox gave Hudson a brief chance. Four MLB appearances. A glimmer of hope in Triple-A. But then, this week, Chicago let go too, DFA making room for Austin Hays. 28 years old. No longer a “rookie story.” Just a reliever looking for a foothold.
What makes Hudson’s story haunting isn’t the fall, but the peak he once reached. In 2024, according to Baseball Reference, Hudson earned 2.5 WARs—a nearly unbelievable number for a middle reliever. His fundamental statistics also supported him: top 11% xERA, top 7% xBAA. There’s nothing to suggest it was a lucky season.
The problem lies elsewhere.
Hudson lacked the velocity to save himself when he lost command. He wasn’t good at chasing, he didn’t create many whiffs. Everything depended on placing the ball in the right place. And when that went off—even slightly—the result was disastrous.
Now, Hudson stands at a familiar crossroads in MLB: either become a forgotten name after a bizarre season, or become a low-risk, high-reward gamble for any team that believes they can replicate the Brewers’ 2024 miracle.
The question is: was what the Brewers achieved a system, a timing… or just an unrepeatable moment?
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