Misiorowski and Yoho can both mow down hitters, and giving them MLB experience will be a win-win
The Brewers’ bullpen seems to be in a bit of a funk. Is it time for the Brewers to give a chance to a big minor league arm like Jacob Misiorowski or an under-the-radar guy like Craig Yoho?
In back-to-back losses to the Cardinals to close out their series, the bullpen gave up the runs that made the difference. While neither Tobias Myers (four innings, two earned runs) or Freddy Peralta (five innings, no runs) were outstanding in their starts, they did just enough to keep the Brewers in it.
With a 4-2 lead in the seventh on Wednesday night, Pat Murphy turned to the recently-shaky Bryan Hudson, who proceeded to give up a two-run homer to Luken Baker to tie it at 4-4. With a 6-4 lead in the ninth, Murphy went to the usually-sure-handed Devin Williams, who struggled as he allowed two runs on three walks and a hit for his first blown save of the year.
After Trevor Megill finished out the inning, he came back out for the 10th needing to keep the Cardinals off the board to send it to an 11th frame. Instead, he walked the bases loaded (one of those was intentional) before giving up a walk-off grand slam to Nolan Arenado.
More of the same issues surfaced in Thursday’s loss, where Nick Mears allowed three hits and a walk in the seventh, giving up all three runs in the 3-0 loss.
For those of you interested in what all of that totals to: across two games, the bullpen totaled 8 2⁄3 innings and allowed 11 runs (10 earned; 10.38 ERA) on 13 hits and nine walks.
Obviously, that’s a small sample size and those numbers might say just as much about the Cardinals’ patience at the plate late in both games. But it’s still concerning. With a little over a month to go in the season, the Brewers must consider calling in reinforcements, as they’ve done so often with promising young arms in recent years.
Brandon Woodruff worked as a bullpen chunk arm in the final month of the 2018 season before hitting that glorious homer off Clayton Kershaw in the NLCS. Corbin Burnes did the same that year, appearing in 30 games, all of them in relief. After spending his first year primarily as a starter (16 games, 14 starts), Freddy Peralta was primarily a reliever in both 2019 and 2020, making 54 appearances but just nine starts.
I’d like to see Murphy and Co. do more of the same with at least one of Misiorowski and Yoho. It seems the team is already looking into that option with Misiorowski moving to the bullpen at Triple-A Nashville. Yoho is already a primary reliever, so either one of them could be the answer the team needs.
While Misiorowski has been far from perfect between Double-A and Triple-A this year — 24 appearances (21 starts), 88 1⁄3 innings, 3.36 ERA, 115 strikeouts, 53 walks, 12 hit batsmen — he’s looked great in his three appearances in relief. In those games, he’s totaled 5 2⁄3 innings, allowing no runs while allowing just one batter to reach (HBP) with seven strikeouts, also picking up his first professional save.
As good as Misiorowski has been lately, Yoho has been that good virtually all season. A 2023 eight-round pick out of Indiana, he’s risen from High-A Wisconsin to Triple-A Nashville, maintaining lights-out numbers at each level. In 38 appearances this season, he has a sterling 0.76 ERA (four earned runs over 47 2⁄3 innings) with 90 strikeouts compared to just 14 walks, five hit batsmen, and 25 hits. Opposing hitters are hitting just .147 against him and his WHIP sits at 0.82.
Will the stuff of either Misiorowski or Yoho translate to the majors? For Misiorowski, it’s a resounding yes, especially if he can maintain the control we’ve seen from him lately. And Yoho has proven that his stuff translates from level to level, so who’s to say it can’t take that final step to the big leagues?
The more difficult question in all of this is who would they replace? With Williams, Megill, Jared Koenig, and Joel Payamps unlikely to go anywhere this late in the year, it comes down to Hudson (certainly not a popular choice here, but he does have two options remaining), Mears (no options remaining), Bryse Wilson (no options remaining), and Joe Ross (no options remaining).
Taking Hudson out of that group, that leaves three options with two young guys in waiting along with a few options currently on the injured list in Rob Zastryzny (return TBD), Enoli Paredes (eligible to return Sept. 1 and currently on a rehab assignment), J.B. Bukauskas (expected return late September), and Hoby Milner (return TBD). DL Hall and Elvis Peguero are both with Triple-A as well. I’m not huge on Ross (or even Wilson at this point, but the team needs a long-relief option), so I’d be in favor of letting him walk.
Rosters expand from 26 players to 28 players on Sept. 1, which changes the game a little bit, but it’s nowhere near the super-expanded rosters we had prior to 2021. Still, the team can carry 14 pitchers. This is how that could look (not counting any of the injured relievers, which obviously changes things as they return):
Starters
- Freddy Peralta
- Colin Rea
- Tobias Myers
- Aaron Civale
- Frankie Montas
Relievers
6. Devin Williams
7. Trevor Megill
8. Bryan Hudson
9. Jared Koenig
10. Joel Payamps
11. Bryse Wilson
12. Nick Mears
13. Craig Yoho or Jacob Misiorowski
If the Brewers are willing to part ways with Ross (a free agent at the end of the year) or option Hudson to get him right, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least to see either Yoho or Misiorowski in the major league bullpen before the regular season draws to a close.