Sunday, September 27

Welcome back to the Brewers Beat newsletter. MLB.com's Linus Lawrence filled in for Adam McCalvy on this edition.

Could the Brewers have five All-Stars this season?

It’s not entirely out of the question. The Crew has sent five players to the All-Star Game on three occasions, most recently in 2021.

This season, the Brewers boast several qualified candidates who have helped them jump out to a 49-29 record (second-best in the Majors). Though there’s not a Brewer among the finalists for fan voting -- the process which determines the position players in each league’s starting lineup -- the pitching staffs and reserves are left up to player ballots, with the full rosters set to be revealed on July 4.

Here’s a closer look at some of Milwaukee’s most notable All-Star cases.

Lock: Jacob Misiorowski

The only question here is whether Misiorowski will be the National League’s starting pitcher. In any other season, a 1.45 ERA and 138 strikeouts in 93 innings would surely do the trick to secure that honor. But Cristopher Sánchez has been nearly as good, and the All-Star Game is at his home ballpark in Philadelphia. In such cases, the tiebreaker tends to go to the hometown pitcher (Matt Harvey in 2013, Max Scherzer in 2018 and Clayton Kershaw in 2022, for instance).

If Misiorowski does get the starting nod over Sánchez, it would only solidify his burgeoning reputation as a Phillies antagonist. The 24-year-old drew the ire of Philadelphia fans when he was selected to last year’s All-Star squad after just five big league starts over Sánchez, and last month he responded by unleashing one of the most dominant pitching performances of all-time at the Phillies’ expense.

Likely: Kyle Harrison

Harrison’s numbers would look a lot prettier if not for one start in Las Vegas, during a series which saw historic offensive production. If we remove that eight-run dud, his earned run average plummets from 2.50 to 1.55 and his WHIP drops from 1.06 to 0.95. Entering Thursday, those revised numbers would rank second and seventh, respectively, among NL pitchers with at least 50 IP. He also ranks sixth in that group with a 4.83 K/BB rate.

The only mark against Harrison’s case is his volume. The left-hander is averaging just a tick above five innings per start, whereas most starting candidates are averaging around six. Harrison’s chances are good, but in a field as remarkably crowded as this year’s, nothing is certain.

Likely: Brice Turang

The 26-year-old Turang knows a thing or two about star-studded rosters, having started five of Team USA’s seven games in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. He barely missed out on Phase 2 of fan voting after placing third as of Monday’s ballot update behind eventual finalists Ozzie Albies and Bryson Stott.

But there’s a strong case to be made that Turang, with a 129 OPS+ and 91st-percentile Fielding Run Value, deserved the starting nod. Stott’s vote total was no doubt boosted by the Philadelphia factor, as his numbers sit well below the rest of the field. Albies is putting together his best season since 2023 -- when he earned his third All-Star selection – but he trails Turang in on-base percentage and slugging percentage.

Turang’s most serious threat is actually rookie JJ Wetherholt, who ranks fourth in the NL with 3.5 bWAR. While Turang outpaces Wetherholt offensively, the Cardinals’ second baseman has the baserunning edge (95th-percentile Baserunning Run Value) as well as the second-highest Fielding Run Value in the Majors (14).

Toss-Up: William Contreras

Contreras was an All-Star in 2022. He was an All-Star in 2024. Will the pattern continue? His manager certainly seems to think it should. Pat Murphy gently campaigned for his catcher earlier this month, emphasizing the overlooked things that Contreras does day in and day out (for instance, guiding the Brewers’ young pitching staff to an NL-best 3.38 ERA).

But All-Star selection tends to be about the big, shiny numbers. Precedent suggests that only two catchers will make the All-Star roster. If Drake Baldwin wins the starting role as expected, that leaves surprise slugger Liam Hicks (.831 OPS) or 2025 All-Star Hunter Goodman (21 homers, 2nd-most in NL) to contend for the second spot. Contreras is in a good position, but it’s anyone’s race, and Goodman -- hailing from a Rockies team without an obvious representative -- might have a slight edge because every team gets at least one All-Star.

Needs help: Jackson Chourio

Chourio has been moving at a breakneck pace this season -- and that’s not a reference to his 28.6 feet-per-second sprint speed. Despite making his season debut on May 4 due to a left hand fracture, the 22-year-old has been making up for lost time, riding a .524 slugging percentage that ranks ninth among NL batters (min. 150 plate appearances).

This case is tricky because it’s truly just a matter of playing time. If Chourio kept up his current pace with 75 games played instead of 44, then he would have 169 total bases by now, tied with Byron Buxton for third in the Majors behind Yordan Alvarez (185) and Kyle Schwarber (172). He’d be a shoo-in. Instead, he’ll likely be missing the trip to Philadelphia, with James Wood and Jordan Walker both locks to secure bench spots after missing Phase 2 of fan voting.

Needs help: Jake Bauers

Bauers is in the midst of a full-blown breakout season. In just 69 games, the 30-year-old has already set a career high in home runs (14) and tied his career high in RBIs (48). Those totals might not stack up against the league’s biggest bats, but his overall offensive numbers do. He sports an .885 OPS, ranking eighth among qualified NL batters and first among NL first basemen.

The trouble for Bauers’ All-Star case is his position. Freddie Freeman and Matt Olson are deservedly the two finalists, and Bryce Harper is a lock to play in his hometown All-Star Game. That leaves Bauers as the odd man out. While he has the offensive rate stats to compete, his defense (minus-6 Fielding Run Value, 3rd-percentile in MLB) and volume (276 PA) hold back his case in a crowded field.

Long Shot: Aaron Ashby

Do any other pitchers in the Majors have double-digit wins this season? Nobody? Case closed.

Assuming he doesn’t miss any time after undergoing back surgery on the off-day Thursday, Murphy will manage his 500th game in the big leagues Saturday against the Cubs (including 96 with the Padres in 2015).

Murphy already has an impressive list of accolades, including back-to-back Manager of the Year Awards, but here’s one more: On Saturday, he will become the sixth manager since 2007 to make their managerial debut and record at least 280 wins in their first 500 games, joining Mike Matheny, Dave Roberts, Aaron Boone, Alex Cora and Rob Thomson.

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