Why Dustin May Could Be the Brewers' Missing Piece

Aug 6, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Dustin May (21) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Why Dustin May Could Be the Brewers' Missing Piece

Originally posted on Milwaukee Brewers on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Aug 7, 2026 3:00 PM ET

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The Milwaukee Brewers got their first look at Dustin May in a Brewers uniform on Thursday and there were green flags all over the place.

As the trade deadline approached, Tarik Skubal and Freddy Peralta were the two most prominent pitchers connected to Milwaukee in rumors. Milwaukee made a serious push to land Skubal from the Detroit Tigers, but they went with arguably a lesser offer from the Los Angeles Dodgers instead. Peralta went to the Tampa Bay Rays and afterward, MLB.com's Adam McCalvy reported that Milwaukee wasn't as interested in a reunion as the buzz out there insinuated.

May was a player out there on the trade block with the St. Louis Cardinals selling, but there was no buzz out there connecting him to Milwaukee. Then, all of a sudden, the Brewers got the deal done for him and Romero. While he may not carry the cache nationally as Skubal and Peralta, this is a guy who has front-of-the-rotation stuff and is younger than both of them. With Brandon Woodruff on the Injured List, Milwaukee needed another veteran hurler with playoff experience. May is that guy. And he has had a better season than you'd expect.

Dustin May Is A Great Addition

On Thursday, he dominated the Pittsburgh Pirates across six innings of work. He allowed just three base hits and two runs while striking out five batters and besting Pirates hurler Braxton Ashcraft.

Now, May has a 4.30 ERA on the season to go along with a 111-to-38 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 115 innings pitched. While those numbers may not jump off the page, it's important to note that they are skewed by a few tough outings. He has made 22 total starts. He allowed 13 total runs across his first two starts of the season. After that, he logged a 2.54 ERA across 12 starts from April 10 through June 15. Then, he had two straight tough outings in which he allowed 11 total runs. Since then, he has a 2.93 ERA in his last six starts. So, of his 22 starts this season, at least 18 of them have been very solid with a few duds mixed in.

Early on in his career, he looked like a star in the making with the Dodgers. In 2020, he had a 2.57 ERA in 12 appearances, including 10 starts, for example. But injuries held him back. Between the 2019 and 2023 seasons, he pitched in just 46 games, but he did log a 3.10 ERA.

He's fully healthy right now and has pitched like that version of himself for the majority of the 2026 season. So, his overall ERA is at 4.30 on the season but he has been very good this season and is another front-of-the-rotation arm for a club that knows how to get the most out of its pitchers. Milwaukee is fortunate to have him for its playoff push.

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

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