The Crew heads to The Big Apple for first series of 2025
Welcome back to regular season baseball! The Milwaukee Brewers are set to kick off the 2025 season with a trip to New York to face the Yankees. Coming off a busy offseason, the Brewers’ biggest changes come in their rotation and their infield. With Willy Adames now in San Francisco, the Brewers are expected to field Joey Ortiz at shortstop, with Vinny Capra and Oliver Dunn splitting duties at third base to open the season. On the mound, a lot has changed behind ace Freddy Peralta. More on the rotation situation can be checked out here.
The Yankees are also fielding what most would consider a team not nearly as good as the World Series roster they built last season. Juan Soto signed a massive deal with the Mets, Gleyber Torres signed with the Tigers, Clay Holmes also joined the Mets, and catcher Jose Trevino was traded to the Reds. That’s not to mention starters Nestor Cortes, now with the Brewers, and Gerrit Cole, expected to miss the season after yet another elbow injury. In terms of additions, the biggest adds comes in the form of starter Max Fried (signed to an eight-year deal), Devin Williams (acquired for Cortes), and veterans Cody Bellinger (trade with Cubs) and Paul Goldschmidt (signed to a one-year deal).
To check out the Brewers’ and Yankees’ full projected lineups and rotations, click here.
Probable Pitchers
Thursday, March 27 @ 2:05 p.m: Freddy Peralta (8.56 spring ERA, 3.68 2024 ERA) vs. Carlos Rodón (5.40 spring ERA, 3.96 2024 ERA)
With Cole down for the season, Carlos Rodón will be forced to step up as the team’s ace in 2025. An All-Star with the White Sox in 2021 and the Giants in 2022, Rodón had a disappointing, injury-riddled 2023 before bouncing back to have a solid season in 2024. Now in year three of his six-year, $162-million contract, Rodón is looking to improve on his 2024 numbers (3.96 ERA, 4.39 FIP, 175 innings, 195 strikeouts). This spring, Rodón made three starts, spanning 10 innings as he allowed six runs on 12 hits and six walks with 10 strikeouts. His last start on March 21 was his best, as he went 4 2⁄3 innings and allowed no runs on three hits and three walks with five strikeouts on 77 pitches. In four career starts against Milwaukee, Rodón is 1-1 with a 2.65 ERA and 21 strikeouts across 17 innings.
For the Brewers, Freddy Peralta makes his second consecutive Opening Day start. Peralta has turned in consecutive solid seasons for the Crew, with a 3.86 ERA and 210 strikeouts in 2023 before finishing 2024 with a 3.68 ERA and 200 strikeouts. Though his spring ERA ended up at 8.56, that was ballooned by an offensive shootout with the Diamondbacks in his last start. Discounting that game, Peralta had a 2.61 ERA with 11 strikeouts across 10 1⁄3 innings, topping out at 91 pitches his last time out. This is his first career appearance against the Yankees.
Saturday, March 29 @ 12:05 p.m: Nestor Cortes (3.27 spring ERA, 3.77 2024 ERA) vs. TBD
The Yankees haven’t yet announced a starter for game two, but this will likely be the newly acquired Fried. Having spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Braves, Fried’s career numbers are a 73-36 record, a 3.07 ERA, a 3.29 FIP, and 863 strikeouts across 884 1⁄3 innings as he’s compiled 22.9 bWAR. After missing about half of 2023 due to injury, Fried made 29 starts in 2024, finishing the year with a 3.25 ERA and 166 strikeouts across 174 1⁄3 innings. He made four starts this spring, allowing six runs with 12 strikeouts over 16 innings. Across five career starts against Milwaukee, Fried is 3-1 with a 2.67 ERA and 25 strikeouts over 27 innings.
Cortes, who has spent the bulk of his career with the Yankees, makes his return to Yankee Stadium in a Brewers uniform. In his last season with New York, Cortes went 9-1 with a 3.77 ERA and 162 strikeouts across 174 1⁄3 innings, though those numbers are overshadowed by his performance in the World Series, when he allowed a walk-off grand slam to Freddie Freeman in game one. In three appearances this spring, Cortes allowed four runs and struck out 14 across 11 innings. Cortes obviously hasn’t pitched against the Yankees in a long time, but having spent a season with the Orioles and a season with the Mariners, Cortes did pitch one relief inning against New York, walking one and allowing a hit in a scoreless frame.
Sunday, March 30 @ 12:35 p.m: Aaron Civale (6.23 spring ERA, 4.36 2024 ERA) vs. TBD
The Yankees also haven’t announced a starter for game three, with Marcus Stroman most likely to get this one. Stroman, in his second season with the Yankees, is entering his 11th MLB season. He made 30 appearances (29 starts) last year with a 4.31 ERA and 113 strikeouts across 154 2⁄3 innings. He made five starts this spring, allowing seven runs on 15 hits and four walks with 11 strikeouts. Most notably, he allowed five homers. A former Cub, Stroman has made eight starts against the Crew, going 3-1 with a 3.10 ERA and striking out 40 across 49 1⁄3 innings.
Civale, brought over last July in a trade with the Rays, had a solid stint to close out the season with Milwaukee, turning in a 3.53 ERA (4.79 FIP) with 65 strikeouts across 74 innings. Despite that, he had a rough spring, allowing seven runs (six earned) on eight hits and four walks with four strikeouts over 8 2⁄3 innings. Having spent the first five-plus years in the AL, he’s made six starts against the Yankees, going 1-4 with a 5.52 ERA and 28 strikeouts over 31 innings.
How to Watch
Thursday, March 27: National TV on ESPN; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network
Saturday, March 29: FanDuel Sports Wisconsin and MLB.TV (out-of-market viewers); listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network
Sunday, March 30: FanDuel Sports Wisconsin and MLB.TV (out-of-market viewers); listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network
Prediction
This is undoubtedly an early season test for the Brewers. The Yankees are still one of the best teams in the league on paper, making them a tough road challenge to open the year. I’ll take the Yankees to win two of three before we welcome the Brewers to American Family Field on Monday.