Postseason FAQ: What's next for Brewers?
Adam McCalvy
@AdamMcCalvyMILWAUKEE -- What¡¯s next for the Brewers?
Well, they finally know their opponent. The New York Mets.
The Brewers completed their 162-game regular-season slate on Sunday and knew they would open their sixth postseason appearance in the last seven years on Tuesday at American Family Field. But they didn't know their opponent until Monday¡¯s scheduled doubleheader between the Mets and Braves in Atlanta.
This was the scenario that played out:
Braves and Mets split: The Braves, Mets and D-backs all finished the regular season with 89-73 records, and it all came down to the head-to-head records to break the tie. Since the Braves won their season series against the Mets and D-backs, and the Mets won their season series over the D-backs, the Braves are in as the NL¡¯s No. 5 seed, the Mets get the No. 6 seed and head back to Milwaukee with what is left of their pitching to face the Brewers. The D-backs are out.
Here¡¯s a look at some of the other questions ahead:
What could the postseason roster look like?
After playing with a 28-man roster in September, teams revert to 26 players, with a maximum of 13 pitchers, in each round of the postseason, with rosters due the morning of Game 1 of each round.
The breakdown of pitchers vs. position players depends on whether it¡¯s a best-of-three, best-of-five or best-of-seven, but let¡¯s start with a best-of-three NL Wild Card Series since that is how the Brewers will begin the postseason. Last year, they carried 11 pitchers and 15 position players against Arizona, but that was a Milwaukee team with some serious starting pitching. Club officials expect to carry at least 12 pitchers this time, and perhaps as many as 13. Here¡¯s what that could look like:
C: William Contreras, Gary Sánchez, Eric Haase
1B: Rhys Hoskins, Jake Bauers
2B: Brice Turang, Andruw Monasterio
3B: Joey Ortiz
SS: Willy Adames
OF: Jackson Chourio, Garrett Mitchell, Blake Perkins, Isaac Collins
SP: Freddy Peralta, Frankie Montas, Tobias Myers
RP: Devin Williams, Trevor Megill, Jared Koenig, Joel Payamps, Bryan Hudson, Aaron Ashby, DL Hall, Joe Ross, Hoby Milner, Nick Mears
Who is eligible for the postseason roster?
Any player who was on the 40-man roster or 60-day injured list as of midnight on Aug. 31 is eligible for the postseason.
But there¡¯s a loophole. A player who doesn't meet that criteria can still be added to a team's postseason roster via petition to the Commissioner's Office -- if the player was in the organization on Aug. 31 and is replacing someone who is on the injured list and has served the minimum amount of time required for activation. Essentially, that means any player who was in the organization as of Aug. 31 -- say, Triple-A flamethrower and No. 3 Brewers prospect Jacob Misiorowski, just to pick a name out of a hat -- is eligible should a need arise.
When do the playoffs start?
The Brewers will go into the playoffs as the No. 3 seed and host the sixth-seeded Mets in a best-of-three NL Wild Card Series at American Family Field beginning Tuesday, Oct 1. You¡¯ll find the most up-to-date information at MLB.com/postseason.
When do postseason tickets go on sale?
They are on sale already at Brewers.com/postseason, and fans who purchase those seats will get the first opportunity to buy tickets for the next round should the Brewers advance.
What time is the game?
Game 1 will start at 4:32 p.m. CT on Tuesday, while Game 2 will start at 6:38 p.m. CT on Wednesday. The start time for Game 3 on Thursday, which will only be played if necessary, is TBD. You can find more info about game times at brewers.com/postseason.
What does the regular season tell us about their Wild Card Series opponent?
Here is the Brewers¡¯ record and run differential against the Mets: 5-1, +11
Are there any injuries that could impact plans?
Right fielder Sal Frelick¡¯s hip injury, suffered in Friday¡¯s win over the Mets, throws a major wrench into the Brewers¡¯ outfield rotation. The plan had been to start Chourio in left field and Frelick in right, with Garrett Mitchell and Blake Perkins splitting center based on matchups. Now, Mitchell will have to shift to right field. He¡¯s a plus defender, but he¡¯s not as accustomed to right as was Frelick, who led NL outfielders this season with 15 defensive runs saved.
On the pitching side, Payamps looks back to full strength after a recent bout of forearm tightness, and Aaron Ashby was able to navigate Saturday¡¯s outing against the Mets in scoreless fashion despite some recent back stiffness. A wild card, so to speak, is reliever Nick Mears, who was acquired from the Rockies before the Trade Deadline. He returned from a forearm injury on the last road trip and surrendered a two-run homer to the Pirates, then bounced back to deliver a scoreless inning against the Mets on Saturday night. He has the kind of power stuff that plays in the postseason, despite what his ERA (5.93) may suggest.
Two big names won¡¯t play in the postseason, so don¡¯t even think about it. Left fielder Christian Yelich had back surgery in mid-August and will be ready for the start of Spring Training. And starter Brandon Woodruff is going step by step in his comeback from last fall¡¯s shoulder surgery. He won¡¯t pitch in 2024, no matter how far the Brewers manage to go.