Brewers fly high during season that reaches familiar end

MILWAUKEE – From a 20-year-old leading off on Opening Day to high-fives for opposing fans to popcorn flying off the Green Monster to game-ending home run robbery to grand slams galore to a second straight division title, it was a season to remember for the Brewers in 2024. Unfortunately, it was also another first-round postseason exit.

Here’s what we learned and what we’re looking forward to in 2025.

Defining moment: Memorial Day against the Cubs
So much of the narrative going into the season was about who wasn’t with the Brewers. Brandon Woodruff was down for the year with a shoulder injury. Corbin Burnes was traded to Baltimore. Devin Williams missed the first four months with a back injury. Not to mention Craig Counsell, the winningest manager in franchise history, bolting for the rival Cubs. With so many departures, would the Brewers be any good?

The answer was yes, and that was clear by the time Counsell made his first return to American Family Field for a highly anticipated Cubs-Brewers matchup on Memorial Day. Brewers rookie starter Robert Gasser and the Cubs’ Justin Steele each carried shutouts into the seventh inning. Willy Adames hit one of his three-run homers. Jackson Chourio hit a run-scoring double. The NL Central still belonged to the Brewers. And all afternoon, a sellout crowd made sure Counsell heard them.

What we learned: Jackson Chourio is the real deal
So much was unknown on Opening Day, when Chourio became the youngest Brewer to debut in a season opener since Robin Yount. And for the first two months of the season, he looked every bit like a 20-year-old playing against more experienced Major Leaguers. But then he hit .305 with an .887 OPS from June 2 on, along the way becoming Milwaukee’s youngest Major Leaguer (Braves and Brewers) to have a multihomer game and the youngest Major Leaguer ever to secure a 20-homer, 20-steal season.

On the day the Brewers clinched the NL Central, it was Chourio who tripled and scored the winning run in a walk-off victory over the Phillies before celebrating with non-alcoholic beer and champagne. And when the Brewers needed a run to extend their season in Game 2 of the NL Wild Card Series, it was Chourio who delivered the tying homer and conjured mentions of Babe Ruth and Derek Jeter.

Now, can Chourio replicate that success next season when he’s no longer an unknown?

“He’s smiling when he’s taking pitches, he’s laughing when he fouls stuff off that he feels like he should hit, he’s ribbing the guys, calling a home run and then he goes and does it,” said Rhys Hoskins. “Those are the kinds of things that the greats in this game have. I don’t know if he knows that, which is probably a good thing.”

Best development: Tobias Myers claiming his rotation spot
We’re using the term “development” literally there, because Myers was two years removed from a truly miserable season in the Minors in which he was cut loose by three teams and went 1-15 with a 7.82 ERA. But the Brewers saw some ingredients they liked and gave Myers a two-year Minor League deal with an invitation to big league camp before the 2023 season, which eventually put him on the radar to help when injuries felled starters Wade Miley, Jakob Junis, Joe Ross and then Gasser.

Myers stepped in and thrived, delivering 138 regular-season innings with a 3.00 ERA, plus five scoreless innings in Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series against the Mets. In eight months, Myers went from outside manager Pat Murphy’s list of Milwaukee’s top 25 pitchers in Spring Training to a lock for the 2025 starting rotation.

Area for improvement: Rotation depth
It’s a good thing Myers stepped up, because the Brewers have some uncertainty going into next season. They’ll surely exercise the first of Freddy Peralta’s two club options -- that’s right, next season will already mark five years since Peralta signed his contract extension -- and Peralta figures to lead the rotation again.

Then Myers. After that, there are few certainties. Frankie Montas’ mutual option would cost $20 million, so it’s likely he’ll be a free agent. Joe Ross will be a free agent. Colin Rea has a $5.5 million club option. Aaron Civale is arbitration eligible after making $4.9 million. DL Hall might fit best as a reliever. No. 3 prospect Jacob Misiorowski is an option after spending all season at Triple-A Nashville, but he looked great in relief at year’s end. Gasser will still be recovering from Tommy John surgery next spring.

The Brewers used 17 different starting pitchers in 2024, matching the franchise record, so you can bet that much of their energy over the winter -- and perhaps some capital -- will be spent on starters.

On the rise: Joey Ortiz
Chourio was so terrific down the stretch that it overshadowed Ortiz, who quietly delivered 3.1 fWAR to rank a hair ahead of Cardinals star Nolan Arenado and also ahead of the Braves’ Austin Riley (2.4 fWAR) and Rockies All-Star Ryan McMahon (1.9). Ortiz was above average offensively (104 wRC+) but got to a lot of his value via sensational defense at third base. With Adames headed for free agency and Brice Turang with two good years at second base on his resume, Oriz looks like the leading candidate to take over at shortstop for Milwaukee.

Team MVP: William Contreras
It’s a close call between Contreras and Adames, but Contreras has the statistical edge to defend last year’s club MVP honor. His 5.4 fWAR led Major League catchers, and the only catcher with at least 100 plate appearances and a better wRC+ was big brother Willson (140 wRC+ in 358 plate appearances for Willson, 131 wRC+ in 679 plate appearances for William).

Barely a postseason press conference went by when Murphy didn’t sing Contreras’ praises for helping Milwaukee’s pitchers through the night -- and Contreras often played banged-up -- like he did in Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series when a knee issue moved him to DH duties.