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Following the drama of an offseason that included the departure of franchise cornerstones Corbin Burnes and Craig Counsell, the Milwaukee Brewers have responded with a tremendous season.
The club is 77-56— 9.5 games ahead of the second-place Chicago Cubs in the NL Central. Milwaukee's 55 wins at the All-Star Break were tied for the most in franchise history before the All-Star Break.
With the season's final month looming, the Brewers will look to continue their success en route to an NL Central title and, hopefully, a deep postseason run. This is the time of the year when a team's stars perform at their best. It is also a chance for unsung players to make a lasting impact. Here are three Brewers ready to break out in September ahead of the playoffs.
Aaron Ashby
Once Milwaukee's top pitching prospect, Aaron Ashby's MLB progress in the last two years. In 139 innings across 2021 and 2022 (23 starts, 17 relief appearances), the left-hander posted a 4.47 ERA while striking out 10.7 batters per nine innings. With a high-90s fastball and a nasty changeup, Ashby was on the cusp of breaking through as a high-level MLB starter.
But shoulder surgery kept him out the entirety of the 2023 season and his return to the mound in 2024 was uninspiring. Ashby held an 8.24 ERA as a starter through 84 innings at Triple-A Nashville before the club moved him to the bullpen. Ashby finally found his footing as a reliever, pitching 7.2 scoreless innings with two hits and no runs allowed while striking out 16 batters. His curveball had a whiff rate of 60%, while hitters swung and missed at his slider 64.3% of the time.
After nearly two years, Aaron Ashby looked like the pitcher that had Brewers fans proclaiming him as the franchise's next ace. The 26-year-old returned to the Majors, pitching two scoreless innings against the Oakland Athletics on August 25. Aaron Ashby will be a crucial bullpen arm for the Brewers during the playoff push if he can rediscover his swing-and-miss stuff.
Gary Sanchez
After struggling for much of the season, it turns out that a month-long IL stint was what Gary Sanchez needed to turn his year around. Since returning to the field in early August, Sanchez is batting .290 with a .975 OPS across 38 at-bats. The Brewers catcher also has 10 walks to just nine strikeouts during this span — an impressive total for a player not known for his plate discipline.
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Gary Sanchez is batting .274 at catcher versus just .179 while playing as designated hitter. With starting catcher William Conteras ranking second on the team with 126 games played, keeping the Milwaukee star hitter healthy is paramount. This means more time for Sanchez behind the plate while Contreras sees an increase in reps at DH.
Gary Sanchez could be the big bat who guides Milwaukee to a seventh playoff appearance and fourth NL Central title in eight seasons.
Frankie Montas
Frankie Montas has been nothing short of a workhorse for the Brewers since joining from the Cincinnati Reds at the trade deadline. Montas has pitched five complete innings in four of his five starts and at least six full innings in each of his last two starts. The right-hander's inning-eating ability has been crucial for a Milwaukee rotation that has thrown the fewest innings of any starting battery in the Majors.
Montas has also demonstrated shades of his old Cy Young days since his move. The 31-year pitched seven innings of one-hit ball in a win over the St. Louis Cardinals and has yet to allow more than four runs in a start for his new club. His ERA during this stretch is a solid 3.33. As Montas becomes more comfortable, he will be a valuable starter for the Brew Crew down the stretch.
