There isn't a single Milwaukee Brewers fan out there who expected Brandon Woodruff to be on the World Series roster.

First of all, the Brewers would have to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers two more times across potentially the next five games in order to even make it to their second-ever World Series.

Second, Big Woo would need to prove his recent 31-pitch bullpen wasn't a fluke and that he is indeed good to go after suffering what many thought was a season-ending injury.

Third, the Brewers must evaluate if it's even worth having him take up a spot on the roster. That said, they have a pitching trio of Chad Patrick, Shane Drohan, and Kyle Harrison that has yet to pitch in the postseason.

Of those three, it feels like Patrick's roster spot is the safest, and then it would be up to Harrison or Drohan for who's the odd man out.

All of that said, it's not like Woodruff is a lock to make the World Series roster, if they make it to that point, but things are trending in the right direction.

When Woodruff first went down with his "season-ending injury," it seemed like he was destined for the same surgery with Dr. Keith Meister that he had back in 2023.

Woodruff's velocity was down quite a bit this season, and even after a few strong starts, he still didn't have his best stuff, and everyone knew it.

Miraculously, it was determined that Big Woo didn't need surgery this time around, and many began to become hopeful that there'd be a chance he could pitch again in the World Series.

On Tuesday, Oct. 13, Woodruff told Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Curt Hogg his stuff is "pretty good" after his 31-pitch bullpen at Dodger Stadium.

Hogg said they expect Woodruff to ramp up a bit more, and potentially even face batters as he progresses.

When Hogg had the chance to speak with pitching coach Jim Henderson, he said, "He's performed really well when he's on the mound. So it's never a question of whether we want him out there... it's probably going to be based on his health and his strength and velo."

Woodruff confirmed: "If I have the opportunity, I'll be ready to go."

For someone who's been with the Brewers since 2017, no one deserves to be on a potential World Series roster more than him.

Obviously, this isn't a charity. The Brewers know they have a job to do, and they can't be handing out a roster spot to the 33-year-old if he's not truly ready to throw.

Here in 2026, Woodruff only made nine starts, sporting a 2-2 record with a 2.98 ERA and 0.84 WHIP. He's been a positive WAR player in all nine years he's pitched in the big leagues.