Yardbarker
Yardbarker
x
Brewers Hurler's Been Perfect For Nearly Two Months, Numbers Show
May 25, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Trevor Megill (29) and catcher William Contreras (24) celebrate after defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Brewers are riding high on an eight-game winning streak.

It’s the club’s longest winning streak since 2023, and it’s propelled Pat Murphy’s boys to a 33-28 record as of Tuesday. 

A key factor in this surge for the Brew Crew has been the stellar performance of their closer, Trevor Megill. 

At 31 years old, the 6-foot-8 right-hander has carved out a notable career across five Major League Baseball seasons with the Chicago Cubs, Minnesota Twins, and Brewers. With a career record of 7-10, a 4.18 ERA, and 203 strikeouts, Megill has emerged as a pivotal piece of Milwaukee’s success in 2025.

Per Brewers reporter Hunter Baumgardt, Megill has been nearly flawless this season, converting 12 of 13 save opportunities, including a perfect 11-for-11 run since April 12. 

His lone blown save came early in the season against Arizona, but since then, he’s been lights-out, boasting a 2.70 ERA and a 17:7 K:BB ratio over 13.1 innings in recent appearances. 

Megill’s ability to mix a 99-mph fastball with a devastating knuckle curve, which generated a 55% whiff rate last season, has made him nearly unstoppable.

Stepping into the role after Devin Williams’s trade to the New York Yankees in December, Megill has thrived under pressure, with standout performances like his 12th save in a 3-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds on June 2. Despite past injury concerns, including a back issue in 2024, Megill’s durability and command have been excellent this year.


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

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST

Twins' Rocco Baldelli Announces Carlos Correa Update After Leaving Red Sox Game
MLB

Twins' Rocco Baldelli Announces Carlos Correa Update After Leaving Red Sox Game

Shortstop Carlos Correa is in his fourth season with the Minnesota Twins after debuting in the majors with the Houston Astros in 2015. The former first overall pick in the 2012 MLB Draft lived up to expectations early, winning AL Rookie of the Year in his first full season. Over seven seasons in Houston, he earned two All-Star selections, a Gold Glove award, and helped the Astros capture two World Series titles. Correa joined Minnesota in free agency prior to the 2022 season, and made his third career All-Star appearance last year—his first with the Twins. However, a flare-up of plantar fasciitis in his right foot sidelined him for nearly the entire second half. He still finished 2024 with a strong stat line, hitting .310 with a .905 OPS and 14 home runs over 86 games. During Tuesday’s game against the Boston Red Sox, Correa was removed from the game in the second inning and replaced with Brooks Lee. Manager Rocco Baldelli provided an update during the game, “Carlos was a little lightheaded out there and it didn't go away so we're going to get him out of the game.” This season, Correa has yet to regain the offensive form he showed last year. Through 92 games, he’s batting .265 with a career-low .701 OPS and has hit just seven home runs. His struggles have contributed to Minnesota’s disappointing 51–55 record, and the team now looks poised to be sellers at the trade deadline on Thursday.

NFL analyst says teams should be 'extremely scared' of this franchise in 2025
NFL

NFL analyst says teams should be 'extremely scared' of this franchise in 2025

While the Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders have garnered a lot of attention lately, there is one NFC team that has quietly been flying under the radar. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost a one-score game to the Lions in the divisional round in 2023 and followed that up with another one-score loss to QB Jayden Daniels and the Commanders last season, proving how close they have been to the ultimate prize in the two seasons with Baker Mayfield under center. In an appearance on ESPN's "Get Up" Tuesday morning, analyst and former player Ryan Clark offered high praise for Mayfield and what the Buccaneers are capable of. "Baker Mayfield is a top-10 quarterback in this league," Clark said. "Baker Mayfield is a football player. And when I say that, I know people at home are gonna be like, 'Duh, he gets paid to play football.' No, not all quarterbacks are seen as football players. Not all quarterbacks are embraced in the locker room as one of us." Clark sees the Buccaneers as a team the rest of the league should be paying attention to because of who they have returning and the close calls in the playoffs the last two seasons. "This is a team that's been on the cusp the last two years," Clark said. "Now you think about some of the pieces they've added, the confidence in their quarterback and the way that he plays, and Todd Bowles with another year to understand winning at a high level at the head coach position. This is a team you better be extremely scared of because they're stacked and they're confident." Mayfield has been sensational during his time with the Buccaneers. Although he did throw 16 interceptions, Mayfield accounted for the third-most passing yards (4,500) in the league last season and has thrown the most TD passes (69) in the last two seasons, per StatMuse. To add even more incentive for Mayfield, the team restructured his contract, which is set to expire after the 2026 season, to include $30M in guaranteed salary for that season. The Buccaneers return a lot of production on both sides of the ball, in addition to bringing in first-round draft pick Emeka Egbuka, who topped 1,000 receiving yards twice at Ohio State and accounted for 26 total TDs. While Tampa Bay allowed the 17th-most points per game (22.7) last season, it returns the majority of its defensive production. On top of that, the offseason acquisition of veteran LB and two-time Pro-Bowler Haason Reddick, who agreed to terms on a one-year deal, should be a welcomed addition for a franchise that had some question marks on defense last season. The Buccaneers are projected to have the sixth-easiest schedule in the NFL this season and have the best chance to win the NFC South for the fifth consecutive season, according to ESPN Analytics. If Mayfield can cut back on his turnovers and the defense can create more pressure on opposing QBs, the Buccaneers could be a threat in the NFC once again as they look to put their recent nail-biting losses in the postseason behind them.

Paul Finebaum Hints At Premier College Football Coach Being Fired with Poor Season
College Football

Paul Finebaum Hints At Premier College Football Coach Being Fired with Poor Season

The 2025 college football season presents significant pressure for top coaches. Another disappointing season could result in them seeking new jobs. One of the coaches in question is Brent Venables, who is the head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners. He is entering his fourth season in this position. However, in two of his first three seasons, Venables' team has ended with a losing record, a situation that hadn’t occurred for more than 20 years before he took over. The Sooners are coming off a 6-7 season last year; however, there is some optimism for this season as they have added former Washington State Cougars quarterback John Mateer and former California Golden Bears running back Jaydn Ott to their roster. Last season, Mateer threw for 3,139 yards, 29 touchdowns and only seven interceptions, while also rushing for 826 yards and scoring 15 touchdowns. Although Ott faced challenges with injuries during the 2024 season, he had an impressive performance in 2023, rushing for 1,315 yards and scoring 12 touchdowns. On "The Paul Finebaum Show," SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum stated that the Sooners need to start the season with a 5-0 record before facing Texas in the Cotton Bowl. Following that game, he believes they are likely to lose to Texas and will then need to secure a 4-2 record to finish the year. If they don't, he could be looking for a new job. "If they can win all but maybe two of those games, I think that Brent Venables may have a great record and will likely be around for a while," Finebaum said. "Otherwise, I think you know the answer to the question." If the Sooners decide to part ways with Venables, it would come with a hefty price tag. Venables' buyout is $34.9 million following this season. This speculation from Finebaum arises just one year after Venables agreed to a significant contract extension. Venables signed a six-year contract after the 2023 season, which the Oklahoma Board of Regents approved in June 2024. The deal guarantees him an annual salary of over $8.5 million for its entire duration. He originally signed a six-year, $43.5 million contract with the Sooners in December 2021. Venables' contract is fully guaranteed, and after this season, his buyout will decrease by nearly $10 million each year until the end of the contract. The Sooners are hopeful that Venables’ team can bounce back this season and avoid the need to search for a new coach in the upcoming offseason. Oklahoma is scheduled to open the season at 6 p.m. ET on Aug. 30 against the Illinois State Redbirds.

Commanders reportedly hesitant about one issue with Terry McLaurin deal
NFL

Commanders reportedly hesitant about one issue with Terry McLaurin deal

The 2024 offseason expanded the $30M-per-year wide receiver club to six members. D.K. Metcalf, Ja’Marr Chase and Garrett Wilson have taken it to nine this year. Terry McLaurin is undoubtedly pushing to bump that number to 10, after seeing 2019 Day 2 classmates Metcalf and A.J. Brown land among that contingent. McLaurin reported to training camp Sunday and landed on the active/PUP list. As our Rory Parks explained, skepticism exists about how injured the Commanders’ top wide receiver really is. An ankle injury has keyed the PUP stay, but it can be safely assumed McLaurin would be ready to practice if an extension comes to pass. Nevertheless, the Commanders have been surprised by the difficulty of these talks. Using an injury to avoid practicing while negotiating — developments the Jonathan Taylor and Micah Parsons sagas brought — represents a third tactic, joining the holdout and the increasingly utilized hold-in amid extension talks. McLaurin shifted from a holdout to the injury route; no matter how he is accomplishing not practicing, the seventh-year veteran is aiming to land a lucrative third contract. His age provides a complication for Washington. McLaurin is going into an age-30 season, separating him from Brown and Metcalf. Both Ole Miss products were drafted just before McLaurin, a 2019 third-round pick, but they are each two years younger. This strengthened their cases for big-ticket third contracts. McLaurin went first to ignite the second-tier boom on the receiver market in 2022, agreeing to a three-year, $69.6M extension. That shaped the Metcalf and Deebo Samuel extensions, both of which coming in higher than McLaurin’s despite the latter’s consistency with suboptimal quarterback situations. McLaurin’s AAV has dropped to 17th at wide receiver. The Commanders are prepared to extend their top wideout, but Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline indicates the "holdup" is regarding the $30M-AAV number. Some around the league point to the team not wanting to go into that neighborhood for McLaurin, despite his five 1,000-yard seasons. Courtland Sutton and McLaurin are nearly the same age, and the Broncos’ top target signed a four-year, $92M extension. That matches where the Titans went for Calvin Ridley (now 30) in 2024. McLaurin, though, has a better resume than both and should be aiming higher. The Commanders have a Jayden Daniels rookie contract to structure another McLaurin extension around as well. Adam Peters was around for the 49ers’ 2022 Samuel extension but not Brandon Aiyuk‘s $30M-per-year deal. (The Samuel extension also did not work out for the 49ers, who proceeded with a salary dump of sorts by trading him to the Commanders.) The second-year GM taking a hardline stance with McLaurin would be an interesting route given the WR’s importance to a sudden contender. Peters confirmed talks are ongoing, with that comment coming after McLaurin expressed frustration about the negotiations. A potential gap between the pack of 20-somethings (and Tyreek Hill) north of $30M AAV and the Tee Higgins–Jaylen Waddle–D.J. Moore tier could be relevant here, and it will be interesting to see if McLaurin settles for something just south of that $30MM benchmark. Guarantees and contract structure, of course, will be important to determining the value as well. A short-term extension should be reached soon, per Pauline, but if the Commanders hold the line at or around $30M, the McLaurin matter could drag on for a while longer.

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!