MLB Top 5: Milwaukee Brewers Pitchers

This is the fifth and final article in a series that looks at the five best players at each position for the Milwaukee Brewers. In this installment are right- and left-handed starters as well as relief pitchers.

The all-time pitching staff for the Brewers includes several hard throwers, especially from the right side. There are also a few crafty veterans and an elite closer who called Milwaukee home during the past decade.

The Best Pitchers in Milwaukee Brewers History

Right-Handed Starters

Honorable Mentions – Marty Pattin was an original member of the Pilots and went 35-38 in three seasons with the franchise (1969-71). He was an All-Star in his final season with the Brewers, going 14-14 with a 3.13 earned run average and setting career highs with 169 strikeouts, 264 2/3 innings and five shutouts, which is second highest in team history.

Lary Sorensen spent four seasons with the Brewers (1977-80), winning at least 15 games twice in that span. He was named an All-Star in 1978, when he set career highs with an 18-12 record, a 3.21 earned run average 280 2/3 innings and 17 complete games. Sorensen went 52-46 and is tied for fifth in franchise history in complete games (50), tied for seventh in shutouts (seven) and tied for eighth in ERA (3.72).

Pete Vuckovich was acquired from the Cardinals along with catcher Ted Simmons and closer Rollie Fingers after the 1980 season. The following year, which was interrupted by a strike, saw Vuckovich lead the league with a 14-4 record and finish fourth in the Cy Young voting. In 1982, he won the award after going a career-best 18-6 and amassing 223 2/3 innings and nine complete games. Although he lost both his decisions in the playoffs, he was an essential part of Milwaukee reaching the World Series against his former team.

Vuckovich went 40-26 with a 3.88 ERA in five seasons with the Brewers (1981-83 and 85-86). He missed the entire 1984 season because of a torn rotator cuff and bone spurs in his right shoulder. Vuckovich was not the same pitcher after he came back and retired for good in 1987. He got a role as Yankees player Clu Haywood in the movie Major League and was an analyst with the Brewers before joining the Pirates organization, first as a pitching instructor and then an assistant general manager.

Bill Wegman played his entire 11-year career with Milwaukee (1985-95), posting four seasons with double-digit victory totals. His best was 1991, when he posted career bests with a 15-7 record and a 2.84 earned run average. He overcame shoulder and elbow surgeries in consecutive seasons and finished his career ranked fourth in franchise history in innings (1,482 2/3), fifth in games started (216), seventh in wins (81-90), eighth in complete games (33) and tenth in strikeouts (696).

Chris Bosio posted double-digit victories four times in seven seasons with the Brewers (1986-92), including a career-best 16-6 mark in 1992. His best season was 1989, when he went 15-10 with a 2.95 earned run average and 173 strikeouts in 234 2/3 innings. Bosio is tied for fifth in franchise history in shutouts (eight), eighth in wins (67062) and innings (1,190), tied for eighth in strikeouts (749) and ninth in games started (163) and complete games (32). He went to Seattle where he threw the second no-hitter in Mariners history in April 1993.

Jaime Navarro started 156 games over seven seasons with Milwaukee (1989-94 and 2000) and won at least 15 games twice. His best season was 1992, when he set career highs with a 17-11 record, 246 innings and three shutouts. Navarro went 62-64 with a 4.44 earned run average, 24 complete games (including 10 in 1991) and six shutouts, which is tied for ninth in franchise history.

Ricky Bones spent five seasons with the Brewers (1992-96), posting three double-digit win totals and earning an All-Star selection in 1994. He went 47-56 with a 4.64 ERA and 10 complete games.

Although Cal Eldred led the league with 15 losses in 1997, he reached double digits in victories four times in nine seasons with Milwaukee (1991-99). His best season was 1993, when he set career-bests with a 16-16 record, 180 strikeouts and a league-leading 258 innings. He also threw a gem in late April against the Rangers in which he gave up a one-out double in the first inning, then retired 23 straight batters until allowing a walk. Jesse Orosco finished off the one-hitter. Eldred has a 4.51 ERA and 686 strikeouts, and he ranks eighth in franchise history in games started (169) and tenth in wins (64-65) and innings (1,078 2/3).

Freddy Peralta may soon find himself in the top five on this list if he keeps up his recent performance. He made his only All-Star team in 2021 after going 10-5 with a 2.81 earned run average and 195 strikeouts in just 144 1/3 innings. Peralta also started a pair of one-hitters during the season. In 2023, Peralta went 12-10 and set a career high with 210 strikeouts. His 749 career strikeouts rank tied for eighth in franchise history, and he has a 42-27 record with a 3.83 ERA in six season (2018-present). He has an 0-1 record with 17 strikeouts in 13 innings over four postseason appearances.

Another in the group of young, hard-throwers on the current Brewers staff, Brandon Woodruff is a two-time All-Star who reached double-digit wins twice in seven seasons (2017-present). His best season was 2021 when, despite a 9-10 record, he finished fifth in the Cy Young voting after posting career highs with a 2.56 earned run average, 179 1/3 innings and 211 strikeouts. Woodruff is currently the all-time franchise leader with a 3.10 ERA, and he ranks seventh with 788 strikeouts. He also sports a 46-26 record in 680 1/3 innings over 115 starts, and he has been a part of two of Milwaukee’s 23 one-hitters. Woodruff is 103 with 40 strikeouts in 28 1/3 innings over eight playoff contests.

Jim Colborn was one of the early pitching stars of the franchise, posting a 57-60 record over five seasons (1972-76). His lone All-Star selection came in 1973, when he had a 3.18 earned run average, set career highs with 135 strikeouts and a team-record 314 1/3 innings, and went 20-12 with 22 complete games, both of which are the second-highest single-season totals in team history. Colborn ranks fourth on the all-time franchise list in complete games (51), sixth in ERA (3.65), tied for seventh in shutouts (seven) and ninth in innings (1,118). He spent time with the Royals and Mariners before retiring after the 1978 season.

5. Bryan “Moose” Haas – He was taken in the 1974 draft along with second baseman Jim Gantner and reached double figures in wins six times 10 seasons with the Brewers (1976-85) including five in a row. A control pitcher, Haas had his best season in 1980, when he set career highs with a 16-15 record, a 3.10 ERA, 146 strikeouts, 252 1/3 innings and 14 complete games. He also went 13-3 (for a league-leading .813 winning percentage) in 1983.

Haas ranks second in franchise history in games started (231), third in innings (1,542) and complete games (55), fourth in wins (91-79), tied for fifth in shutouts (eight) and sixth in strikeouts (800). He made five postseason appearances, getting hit hard in four of them. He lost twice to the Yankees in the 1981 Division Series, then won against the Cardinals in his only ALCS start the following year before being shelled by the Cardinals twice in the World Series. The three-time fielding champion was traded to the Athletics and spent two seasons in Oakland before retiring in 1987.

4. Corbin Burnes – He is one of the top pitching stars in the game, having earned three straight All-Star selections and four straight top 10 finishes in the Cy Young voting. Burnes won the award in 2021 after going 11-5 and leading the league with a 2.43 earned run average and 12.6 strikeout rate (234 in 167 innings). On September 11, he struck out 14 batters in eight innings and Josh Hader finished the second no-hitter in team history.

The following year, Burnes went 12-8 with a 2.94 ERA and he fanned a league-best 243 batters (second-most in team history) in 202 innings. Through six seasons (2018-present), he has a 45-27 record and ranks third in franchise history in ERA (3.26 ERA) and fifth in strikeouts (870). In eight postseason appearances, Burnes is 1-1 with 22 strikeouts in 19 innings. He is sure to be the subject of trade speculation since his contract runs out after the 2024 season.

3. Yovani Gallardo – He spent eight seasons with the Brewers (2007-14) and posted double-digit wins in five straight years and struck out at least 200 batters in four straight. Gallardo returned from a torn knee ligament in 2009 to become an All-Star and a silver slugger the following year, when he went 14-7 with 200 strikeouts in 185 innings.

Gallardo set career bests with a 17-19 record, 207 strikeouts and 207 1/3 innings in 2011 and followed that with a 16-9 mark and a strikeout-per-inning rate. He was a stalwart in the Milwaukee rotation, making at least 30 starts in six straight seasons.

Gallardo is the all-time franchise leader in strikeouts (1,226), and he ranks fifth in wins (89-64), sixth in games started (211) and seventh in innings (1,289 1/3) and ERA (3.69). He went 2-2 with a 2.32 ERA in six postseason appearances with the Brewers. Gallardo spent time with four other franchises before finishing his career with the Rangers in 2018.

2. Ben Sheets – Before the Burnes-Woodruff-Peralta punch at the top of the current rotation, Sheets was best young Brewers pitcher since the 1980s. Even before he made his first professional start, he was making headlines. Sheets was a member of Team USA in the 2000 Summer Olympics and pitched a shutout against Cuba in the gold medal game. He was named an All-Star as a rookie but followed that with a league-leading 16 losses in 2002. Sheets rebounded to earn three more All-Star selections, and he reached double-digits in victories seven times in eight seasons with Milwaukee (2001-08).

Sheets set career bests with a 2.70 earned run average and team record 264 strikeouts in 237 innings in 2004. He was coming off a season in which he went 13-9 and led the league with three shutouts but suffered a torn flexor tendon, which required him to undergo Tommy John surgery. Sheets missed the 2009 season and finished his Brewers career ranked second in franchise history in strikeouts (1,206), third in games started (221), fifth in innings (1,428), sixth in wins (86-83) and tied for eighth in ERA (3.82).

Sheets was a sought-after free agent before the surgery, and he spent the 2010 season with the Athletics. He suffered the same injury as before at the end of the season and missed the following year. Sheets finished his career with the Braves in 2004 and now runs a baseball academy and is a volunteer coach at his alma mater, the University of Louisiana Monroe.

1. Jim Slaton – No matter what role he was in, he kept the Brewers competitive throughout his 12-year career (1971-77 and 79-83). A selection by the Pilots in the 1969 amateur draft, Slaton used three plus pitches (fastball, curveball and changeup) to rack up double-digit victories in 10 seasons. He missed part of 1972 when he was in the Army National Guard and earned his only All-Star selection in 1977 despite a 10-14 record.

After a year with the Tigers in 1978 when he went a career-best 17-11 (and brought outfielder Ben Oglivie in return in the trade), Slaton re-signed and had his best Brewers season with a 15-9 mark the following year. He suffered a rotator cuff injury that cost him all but three starts in 1980 and when he returned, he was put in the bullpen. Slaton was a workhorse, winning at least 10 games and throwing more than 100 innings in each of his two seasons as a reliever. He also made eight postseason appearances, going 1-0 and allowing three earned runs in 13 1/3 innings.

Slaton is the all-time franchise leader in wins (117-121), games started (268, posting a team-record 38 twice), innings (2,025 1/3) and shutouts (19). He also ranks second in games pitched (364) and complete games (69) and fourth in strikeouts (929). The two-time fielding champion was traded to the Angels in late 1983 and finished his career with the Tigers three years later.

Left-Handed Starters

Honorable Mentions – Jerry Augustine spent his entire 10-year career with the Brewers (1975-84), going 34-42 in three years as a full-time starter. Augustine went 55-59 overall with a 4.23 earned run average in 279 games (104 starts). He is tied for ninth in franchise history with six shutouts and tenth with 27 complete games. Although Milwaukee had playoff success in the early 1980s, Augustine did not appear in the postseason during his career.

Scott Karl posted double-digit victories in four of his five seasons with the Brewers (1995-99), going 50-51 with a 4.57 earned run average. He had his best season in 1996, when he set career highs with a 13-9 record, 121 strikeouts and 207 1/3 innings. Karl split the 2000 season between the Rockies and Angels and was released from the Pirates’ minor league system the following year. He went to California to work in real estate after his playing career.

The first no-hitter thrown by a Brewers pitcher came in 1987 from an unlikely source: Puerto Rican southpaw Juan Nieves, who played just three seasons in the majors (1986-88). He went 32-25 with eight complete games, five shutouts and 352 strikeouts in 490 2/3 innings. Nieves’ gem occurred on April 15, 1987, when his 6-0 gem improved Milwaukee’s record to 9-0 on the young season. The game ended with Robin Yount making a diving catch in deep right-center field to rob Eddie Murray of a double. Nieves suffered a shoulder injury that required three surgeries and he was forced to retire early. He spent nearly 20 years as an instructor and coach, and he is currently the pitching coach of the Tigers’ Triple-A affiliate, the Toledo Mud Hens.

5. Chris Capuano – He spent six seasons with the Brewers (2004-07, ’10 and ’16), going 45-49 with 643 strikeouts in 768 2/3 innings. Capuano set career bests with an 18-12 record and 176 strikeouts in 2005 and earned his only All-Star selection the following year. He underwent Tommy John surgery, missing the 2008 season, and spent the following year in the minors. Capuano played with five other teams and returned to Milwaukee, pitching in 16 games in 2016. He is now the Director of Operations for the Major League Baseball Players Association.

4. CC Sabathia – Carsten Charles Sabathia was a three-time All-Star and the 2007 Cy Young Award winner during his eight-year run with the Indians. He was traded to the Brewers the following July for three players and a player to be named later (which became future All-Star outfielder Michael Brantley). Sabathia was stellar after the trade, going 11-2 with a 1.65 earned run average, 128 strikeouts in 130 2/3 innings over 17 starts. Despite playing only 2½ months in Milwaukee, he led the league with seven complete games and three shutouts.

As is the case with most players acquired at that time of year, the Brewers brought in Sabathia for the postseason. However, he could not continue his late season success, taking a loss after giving up five runs in 3 2/3 innings in a loss to the Phillies in the Division Series. Sabathia signed a then-record seven-year, $161 million deal with the Yankees the following year. Over the next 11 season, he won 134 games, earned three All-Star selections, led the league in victories twice, won a title in 2009 and was named MVP of the ALCS that year. He retired after in 2019 with a 251-161 record and 3,093 strikeouts over 19 seasons.

3. Bill Travers – He was a part of a full starting rotation from the late 1970s and early 1980s that appears on this list. Travers posted double-digit win totals four times in seven seasons with Milwaukee (1974-80). His best year was 1976, when he earned his lone All-Star selection after setting career highs with a 15-16 record, a 2.81 earned run average, 120 strikeouts, 240 innings and 15 complete games.

Travers ranks fourth in franchise history in shutouts (10), seventh in complete games (46), ninth in wins (65-67) and tenth in games started (157). His career was set back by injuries, including two ulnar transfer operations with the Brewers and a missed season in 1982 with the Angels after having calcium deposits removed.

2. Teddy Higuera – The Brewers signed him after a stellar 1983 season with Ciudad Juarez in the Mexican League (17-8, 2.03). Higuera spent nine seasons with Milwaukee (1985-91 and 93-94), reaching double figures in wins five times. He finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting after going 15-8 in 1985.

The following year, he earned his only All-Star selection and was the runner-up for the Cy Young Award after posting a 20-11 record (second in team history), a 2.79 earned run average, 207 strikeouts, 15 complete games and four shutouts. Higuera had a similar season in 1987, going 18-10 with 14 complete games and setting career-high totals with 240 strikeouts (third in team history) and 261 2/3 innings. He had a no-hitter going against the Royals on September 1 that was ended with two outs in the eighth inning.

Injuries took away Higuera’s effectiveness in the second half of his career. He suffered a herniated disc in his back, which required surgery, and a torn rotator cuff that caused him to miss the entire 1992 season. Over his final three seasons in the majors, he went 5-10 and made just 32 appearances. The Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of Famer retired after a failed tryout with the Padres in 1995 and served as a pitching coach for his home country in the World Baseball Classic three times.

1. Mike Caldwell – He showed flashes of talent with the Padres in their early years, then was traded up the California coast to the Giants for future Hall of Famer Willie McCovey in 1973. The following year, he went 14-5, but things went downhill sharply after he had bone spurs in his elbow.

Caldwell was traded three times in between the end of the 1976 season and the middle of 1977, first to the Cardinals, then the Reds and finally the Brewers. In Milwaukee, he was managed by George Bamberger, who was known for turning the Orioles’ pitching staff into a powerhouse in the last decade. Caldwell was named Comeback Player of the Year and finished second in the Cy Young voting after posting a franchise-best pitching season in 1978. That season, he set Brewers marks with a 22-9 record, a 2.36 earned run average, 23 complete games (which also led the league) and six shutouts, and he also threw 293 1/3 innings, which ranks second in team history.

The year sparked a run of six straight in which Caldwell posted double-digit victories, and his 91 wins in that span turned him into one of the best pitchers in the American League. The key to his success was the development of his sinker, which some claimed was a “spitball” (including the Yankees, who Caldwell shut out three times in his stellar season).

“Mr. Warmth” saw his ERA sit near 4.00 for his final six years with the Brewers and resulted in the team trying to trade him multiple times (with Milwaukee turning down a deal before the 1982 season for future Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg). Caldwell responded with 17 wins in the regular season and two more in the World Series loss to St. Louis.

Caldwell is the all-time franchise leader in complete games (81), and he ranks second in wins (102-80), innings (1,604 2/3) and shutouts (18), fourth in games started (217) and tenth in ERA (3.74). He went 2-2 overall in six postseason games, including a shutout against the Cardinals.

Caldwell had a pair of inconsistent seasons to end his career with the Brewers while also dealing with an ankle injury and a drug probe (Caldwell and Paul Molitor were accused of using cocaine but were later cleared). He was released before the 1985 season and retired after he went unsigned.

Relief Pitchers

Honorable Mentions – Trevor Hoffman spent the final two seasons in his 18-year Hall of Fame career with the Brewers (2009-10). He had a spectacular season at age 41 in 2009, earning his seventh and final All-Star selection after going 3-2 with a 1.83 earned run average and 37 saves. Hoffman had 10 saves in his final season but had the worst year of his career. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his third year on the ballot in 2018.

Francisco Cordero was better known for his time in Texas and Cincinnati, but he also saved 60 games in his 1½ seasons in Milwaukee (2006-07). He was traded by the Rangers as part of the deal that sent Nelson Cruz and Carlos Lee to Texas. The following year, Cordero earned one of his three All-Star selections after posting a 2.98 ERA and 44 saves while striking out 86 batters in 63 1/3 innings. He ended his career by splitting the 2012 season between the Blue Jays and Astros.

Chuck Crim was a solid setup man behind another player on this list during his five years with the Brewers (1987-91). He went 33-31 with 42 saves, and he also ranked fourth in franchise history in games pitched (332) and ERA (3.47). Crim led the league in appearances in back-to-back seasons. He spent two years with the Angels and one with the Cubs before he retired in 1994.

Bob Wickman had at least 25 saves three times in five seasons with Milwaukee (1996-2000) after arriving in a trade from the Yankees. His only All-Star selection with the Brewers was his last, when he had 16 saves in 43 games before he was sent to the Indians. In Cleveland, he had 139 saves in six seasons, including a league-leading 45 in 2004. Wickman also played for the Braves and Diamondbacks and retired in 2007.

5. Francisco Rodriguez – He is best known for his time with the Angels in which he won a title in 2002, had three All-Star appearances and led the league in saves three times, including a league-record 62 in 2008. Rodriguez was traded from the Mets to the Brewers in 2011 and, after spending the latter half of 2013 with the Orioles, he returned to Milwaukee.

“K-Rod” earned two straight All-Star selections after his return. He ended his five-year run with the Brewers (2011-13 and 14-15) with a 13-16 record, a 2.91 ERA and 266 strikeouts in 250 2/3 innings. Rodriguez ranks fifth in franchise history with 95 saves, and his 44 in 2014 are tied for the second-best single season mark.

4. John Axford – The 6-foot-5 hard-throwing righty did not earn an All-Star selection in his career, but he earned some Cy Young and MVP consideration after going 2-2 with a 1.95 earned run average and a league-best (and team record) 46 saves in 2011. “Ax Man” extended his streak to 49 straight saves the following year before blowing one the night his wife went into labor with their second child.

The mustachioed Axford finished his six-year Brewers career (2009-13 and ’21) with a 21-19 record, a 3.41 ERA and 318 strikeouts in 263 2/3 innings. He ranks third in franchise history with 106 saves and is tied for ninth with 269 appearances. Axford went 1-0 with three saves in six postseason contests. After spending time with seven teams, he came back to the Brewers in 2021 but threw just one-third of an inning before undergoing Tommy John surgery. Axford pitched for Team Canada in the 2023 World Baseball Classic but hasn’t appeared in a major league game since the procedure.

3. Dan Plesac – The lefty was Milwaukee’s first round pick in 1983 and used his overpowering fastball and sharp slider to keep opposing hitters off balance. Plesac went 10-7 with 15 saves in 51 appearances as a rookie. He earned All-Star appearances in each of the next three years and posted at least 20 saves in four straight seasons during his seven-year Brewers tenure (1986-92).

Despite arm issues, Plesac set the franchise record with 33 saves in 1989, but his ERA ballooned by more than two runs a game the following year. He was inconsistent again in 1991, which included him allowing a massive home run to Tigers slugger Cecil Fielder that went an estimated 520 feet and was the only ball to leave County Stadium.

After seven seasons with the Brewers (1986-92), Plesac became the all-time franchise leader in games pitched (365) and saves (133), and he sits second in ERA (3.21). He bounced around to five teams before ending his 18-year career with the Phillies in 2003. After his time as a player, Plesac worked as a broadcaster and trained harness horses.

2. Rollie Fingers – Known for his handlebar mustache, he won three championships with the Athletics, including 1974, when he was the MVP of the World Series victory over the Dodgers. After four All-Star selections in Oakland and another with San Diego, Fingers joined Milwaukee in the famous trade with the Cardinals in December 1980.

In his first season with the Brewers, Fingers put together one of the most memorable campaigns of the era. He was nearly unhittable, allowing just nine runs in 78 innings (a 1.04 earned run average) and leading the league with 28 saves in the strike-shortened season. The performance earned Fingers both the MVP and Cy Young Awards as well as his sixth All-Star selection. Although his ERA jumped to 2.60, he had 29 saves and was chosen for the Midsummer Classic once again.

Fingers was instrumental in Milwaukee’s regular season success, but he wasn’t there for the postseason. A torn forearm muscle in early September ended his season early and tendinitis sidelined him for all of 1983. Fingers returned to form the following year (23 saves and a 1.96 ERA) but fell off in 1985 and was released. He got an offer from the Reds, but their no facial hair policy led him to choose retirement.

The four-time Rolaids Relief Award winner ended his four-year tenure with the Brewers (1981-82 and 84-85) with a 13-17 record, a 2.43 ERA, 97 saves (fourth in franchise history) and 196 strikeouts in 259 innings. Fingers was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his second year on the ballot in 1992. In his post-playing career, he worked for communications and print companies and became an avid golfer.

1. Josh Hader – He is arguably the most dominant active closer in the game. Hader was originally drafted by the Orioles and was traded to the Astros then to the Brewers in the deal involving outfielder Carlos Gomez. After one season in a setup role behind Corey Knebel, he took over the role late in 2018.

Hader earned his second All-Star selection in 2019 after posting a 2.62 earned run average, 37 saves and 138 strikeouts in 75 2/3 innings (for an incredible 16.4 rate). His strikeouts-per-nine inning rate hovered around 15 for the rest of his Brewers career and he led the league with 13 saves in the COVID-shortened season. The following year, he was an All-Star thanks to a nearly unhittable 1.23 ERA, 34 saves and 102 strikeouts in 58 2/3 innings.

The lefty had 29 saves but fell off a bit with a 4.24 ERA in 2022 and was sent to the Padres at the trade deadline. The three-time Hoffman Reliever Award winner finished his six-year Brewers career (2017-22) with a 17-17 record, a 2.48 ERA and 541 strikeouts in 316 1/3 innings (15.4 per nine innings). He ranks second in franchise history with 125 saves and is tied for ninth with 269 appearances.

Hader went 0-2 with one save in 11 postseason appearances for Milwaukee. He had four saves in the 2022 playoffs for San Diego, then posted 33 saves and a 1.28 ERA with the Padres in the most recent season.

The next team to be featured will be the Minnesota Twins.