Sep 4, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) reacts after striking out Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm (not pictured) with the bases loaded in the fourth inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Brewers Ace Potentially Faces Pressure As Postseason Nears

Originally posted on Milwaukee Brewers on SI
By Curt Bishop | Last updated Sep 14, 2025 1:00 PM ET

The Milwaukee Brewers won their 91st game of the 2025 season in dramatic fashion, rallying from a 6-1 deficit to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals 9-8 with Andruw Monasterio's walk-off base-hit. They still have the best record in Major League Baseball and lead the National League Central by 6 1/2 games over the second-place Chicago Cubs. They also have clinched their seventh postseason berth in the last eight years.

Now, the Brewers are aiming for their fourth NL Central title in the last five years and will try to sweep the Cardinals this afternoon.

The Brewers will likely send Freddy Peralta to the mound for Game 1 of the NLDS. They'll need him to pitch like an ace to advance in the playoffs. Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report listed Peralta as one of 12 players under the most pressure to deliver as 2025 winds down.

Brewers Ace Under Pressure To Deliver As 2025 Winds Down

"Freddy Peralta is the ace of this team, and will likely be tasked with taking the ball in Game 1 of each series and making sure Milwaukee holds onto home-field advantage. He should be up to that task considering he is 16-6 with a 2.69 ERA over 163 2/3 innings pitched," Kelly wrote.

"But for all the great vibes that exist around the Brewers this season, things could go south in a hurry if Peralta falters in Game 1 of the NLDS. Brandon Woodruff has pitched well in his first 11 starts of the season this year, but that comes after missing nearly two years following right shoulder surgery. Quinn Priester has had a breakout season, and Jacob Misiorowski is one of the more talented rookies in the sport this year, but neither has ever pitched in the postseason."

Peralta certainly faces some pressure as the 2025 regular season nears its end and the postseason approaches. The Brewers will need him to come through and conquer his postseason demons if they want to make a deep run in October. They have not gotten past the NLDS since 2018, when they made it to the NLCS and lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games.

The right-hander has struck out 185 batters in his 163 2/3 innings and has been the undisputed ace of the Brewers this season. We'll see if he can come up big in October.

This article first appeared on Milwaukee Brewers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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