With the 2026 MLB season half over, Brandon Woodruff, the Milwaukee Brewers‘ most tenured roster member, is shaping up to become a vital cog in the Brew Crew’s machine. Big Woo will undoubtedly play a huge role in determining his team’s postseason fate.
The 33-year-old right-hander, who has been a Brewer since 2017, has had numerous stints on the injured list over the last ten years. The last two seasons, however, have seen Woodruff shelved the most. He missed all of 2024 due to anterior capsular repair in his throwing shoulder. After beginning the current season throwing well, he landed on the IL on May 1 and did not pitch again until June 22.
Since his return to the rotation, Woodruff has been nothing short of phenomenal, and he has made two starts without giving up a run. That bodes well for Milwaukee, who are 53-31 and five and a half games clear of the second-place Chicago Cubs.
With his latest comeback, the hope is that his form is back to normal. His current hot streak and ability to lead the Brewers’ young and talented pitching staff as a grizzled veteran have fans longing for the team’s first pennant in 44 years. All that depends on his ability to take the ball every fifth day.
Coming out of spring training, Woodruff started strong. In his five April starts, he went 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA. Against the Miami Marlins on April 18, Woody was dazzling during his seven-inning stint, allowing just one run on three hits in Milwaukee’s 5-2 victory.
After his April 30 outing against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Woodruff was forced to exit the game after 1.1 innings. The cause for his early departure was labeled a “dead arm,” and he was out of action for seven weeks.
The stat lines for Woodruff’s most recent two starts were nothing short of masterful.
After his outing against the Reds, his manager, Pat Murphy, was grateful for his performance.
“Nobody’s shocked,” said Murphy. “That’s the truth. That’s ‘Woo.’ He takes craft seriously, and I’m really proud of him and what he did for the club because of the leadership he shows doing that. It’s pretty special.”
Not that Murphy expected anything differently, rust from his inactivity is nowhere to be found.
The beauty of Woodruff’s comeback to the starting staff is that he does not have to be the ace as he had been previously. With Jacob Misiorowski and Kyle Harrison firmly entrenched as the top two starters, Woodruff has settled in as the number three guy on the five-man rotation. With those top three, especially when playoff rotations are shorter, the Brewers have a lethal trio to compete for their first world championship.
Here is a look at the current (through July 1) season numbers of the triumvirate:
Together, Misiorowski’s, Harrison’s and Woodruff’s totals are staggering. In 39 starts, the three have a 19-5 record through 216.2 innings pitched. They have allowed just 50 earned runs through 216.2 innings pitched, and they have struck out 284 batters while allowing just 55 walks. Their collective ERA is 2.08 with a 0.88 WHIP.
The statistics are one thing, but numbers cannot measure Woodruff’s impact on the other two. To get those youngsters to navigate a tough division and maintain the level of success Milwaukee was expecting, it would take the right veteran to lead them. That’s where Woodruff comes in.
Said Harrison on Woodruff: “He’s out there, watching our bullpens every day, giving us tips and tricks and just little tidbits, you can talk to him during the game. Little learning points so it’s definitely cool to have a guy with that much experience. It’s really cool for a young staff like us.”
The leading National League Cy Young Award candidate, Misiorowski, echoed Harrison’s sentiments.
“In the start (of my career) he kind of was like the one that described to be what big league life looked like and how to go about it… So he’s a huge help just with anything, you have a question, you go to Woo and you ask him anything and he’ll be there to talk you through it.”
Woodruff has even acted as a de facto coach for Misiorowski.
The Miz said, “I was throwing a bullpen and Woo had me try a different grip on a pitch, and I remember I tried it and I think it was my changeup and I was kind of playing with it and he had me switch, slide my fingers over a little bit and it jumped it up like five more inches of horizontal (break) and it was like ‘oh, wow, that really works.'”
Woodruff’s mentoring has enabled him to embrace his new role and transition smoothly from his former ace status, and he is doing so exquisitely.
“I’m in a role where I still feel like a number one, but also I’m trying to just fill in behind these guys and watch them do their work. Because it’s fun to see, that’s fun for me to watch them do what they do because I learn from them, too.” he said.
What’s your take? Post it in our free sports community at stadiumrant.app, or download Stadium Rant on the App Store.
Brew Crew fans have their fingers crossed that Woodruff’s injury woes for 2026 are over. With him, Milwaukee arguably boasts the best top-three pitching punch in major league baseball. Without him, the search for a steady number three is sketchy.
The Brewers have candidates to step in and produce should Woodruff’s arm take a turn for the worse. Shane Drohan, Brandon Sproat, and Logan Henderson have shown glimpses of being MLB-worthy. None of them has the experienced voice to be a mentor and leader like Woodruff, and that influence could be what Milwaukee needs to overtake their National League foes.
If you love sports, download Stadium Rant from the Apple App Store and join one of the fastest-growing social sports communities. Be sure to follow us on socials too — you can find all our profiles on our Linktree.
