Three questions facing the Milwaukee Brewers this offseason

The fact that the Milwaukee Brewers made the playoffs, let alone had the best record in the majors, is remarkable.

The Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds had improved their rosters for their own playoff run while the Brewers' budgetary concerns led to closer Devin Williams being traded. Milwaukee had a 25-28 record on May 24 and was fourth in the NL Central. From that point on, the Brewers were the best team in baseball, at least until they ran into the Los Angeles Dodgers juggernaut in the NLCS.

The Brewers find themselves in an interesting spot heading into the offseason. They have an impressive farm system and a pair of young stars establishing themselves at the major league level in outfielder Jackson Chourio and pitcher Jacob Misiorowski. The Brewers' payroll may remain in the bottom third of the league, but it would be foolhardy to count them out of the playoff picture in 2026.

Three questions facing the Brewers heading into the offseason

1. Will Freddy Peralta be on the Brewers Opening Day roster?

The Brewers made one of the easiest decisions of the offseason when they exercised Peralta's $8M team option for 2026 on Monday. He took a significant step forward as the Brewers ace in 2025, posting a 2.70 ERA and a 1.075 WHiP over 176.2 innings, striking out 204 batters with 66 walks. Peralta led the National League with 17 wins and was named to his second All-Star Game.

While Peralta's salary is affordable for any team, he has one year of team control left. Trade rumors swirled almost from the final out of the NLCS, with Peralta recognizing that he may not be back in 2026. Although the Brewers would have an extremely inexperienced rotation if Peralta is dealt, their history, coupled with his one remaining year of team control, makes a trade the likely outcome.

2. Can Quinn Priester replicate his success in 2025?

A former top 100 prospect, Priester had lost his luster over the past few years. He was traded to the Boston Red Sox for infielder Nick Yorke in 2024, making just one appearance in Boston before being sent to Milwaukee on April 7. That deal turned out to be a bargain for the Brewers as Priester blossomed, posting a 3.32 ERA and a 1.239 WHiP over 157.1 innings, striking out 132 batters with 50 walks.

Although Priester was acquired due to necessity, the Brewers are counting on him to be a key part of the rotation. However, he may not be able to perform at the same level in 2026. Priester had a 4.01 FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching — results the pitcher has control over) and his chase percentage and strikeout rate were below average. He did a solid job of limiting hard contact but will need to prove that he can be more than a one year wonder.

3. Can Jackson Chourio take that next step to stardom?

Chourio has already had an impressive start to his major league career and is the youngest player in MLB history to post consecutive 20/20 seasons. However, his overall performance was a bit of a step back compared to 2024. Chourio posted a solid .270/.308/.463 batting line over 589 plate appearances, hitting 21 homers and 35 doubles while stealing 21 bases.

Despite performing at almost the exact same rate as 2024, there were concerns. Chourio's walk rate dropped to 5.1% while his average exit velocity and hard-hit rates saw a slight dip. The biggest concern is that Chourio will swing at most pitches in the same zip code as home plate with his 36.9% chase rate ranking in the eighth percentile. The potential is there for Chourio to be a force for the Brewers — if he can learn to control the strike zone and improve his plate discipline.