This is the first part of a multi-part look into the expectations for the Milwaukee Brewers' pitching staff following the trade of Freddy Peralta to the New York Mets.
The dust has settled in the aftermath of a seismic trade that sent Milwaukee Brewers ace Freddy Peralta to the New York Mets on Wednesday.
Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold has talked with the media, reflecting on what Peralta meant to the organization and the emotional component of the decision to move on as well as the excitement for the incoming top prospects, Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat, that Milwaukee received in the deal.
Peralta also said his goodbyes to the organization with a heartfelt post on Saturday via Instagram.
Arnold made it clear that both Sproat and Williams will compete for Opening Day roster spots. Of the two, Sproat has MLB game experience, and he can slot into one of the two pitching vacancies left by Peralta and Tobias Myers, who Milwaukee also packaged in the deal.
With that, let us identify what the Brewers’ situation looks like with the departures of Peralta and Myers.
Brandon Sproat, RHP: Since he was the first name to be mentioned in this article, and he is the most relevant to the Peralta trade, I will start by identifying Sproat.
The 25-year-old right-handed native of Pensacola, Fla. Came up through the Mets’ minor league system after the organization selected him out of the University of Florida with the 56th pick in the second round of the 2023 MLB Draft. Sproat quickly worked his way through the ranks to Triple-A Syracuse during the 2024 season.
However, he struggled mightily once reaching the Triple-A level. In seven starts, Sproat logged a 7.53 ERA and gave up 24 earned runs and 11 walks through 28.2 innings of work.
His 2025 season saw an improvement from Sproat as he went 8-6 with Syracuse with a 4.24 ERA through 26 games (25 starts). In 121 innings pitched, he logged 113 strikeouts. On Sept. 7, he made his MLB debut as the starting pitcher against the Cincinnati Reds.
Sproat would make three more starts over the remainder of the season for the Mets, going 0-2 with a 4.79 ERA across 20.2 innings. Now, he comes to the Brewers with a chance to fill a rotational spot immediately.
Sproat displays solid metrics and a wide-ranging pitch selection, and he improved his play through a “let it eat” mentality that compelled him to adopt fearlessness and conviction in how he plays. If he wants to become a mainstay on the mound for the Brewers, he will need to maintain this mindset.
Brandon Woodruff, RHP: There is one word that can define expectations for Woodruff heading into 2026: Availability. Can he and will he stay healthy to provide the Brewers with the type of arm he has proven to be?
Woodruff’s injury history is lengthy and has eaten significant chunks of the last three seasons. In 2023, he was limited to 11 starts and 67 innings before shoulder surgery ended his season and caused him to miss the entire 2024 campaign.
When Woodruff finally made his return last July, he was incredibly effective. Across 12 starts, the 32-year-old logged a 7-2 record with a 3.20 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP. However, a right lat injury caused him to miss the entirety of the postseason.
Now that Woodruff is set to earn the second-highest salary on the team in 2026 after accepting a $22.025 million qualifying offer, the Brewers, and their fans, are crossing their fingers in hopes he can live up to an uncomfortable amount of money for a small market franchise.
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