A Closer Look at Brewers' Pitching Dominance During World Series Run

The Milwaukee Brewers' sheer dominance this postseason was a key reason the team won its first-ever World Series.

Oct 24, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Aaron Ashby (26) pitches against the Tampa Bay Rays during the eighth inning in game two of the 2026 World Series at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Milwaukee Brewers are still riding the high of their first-ever World Series title, which they won on Wednesday by defeating the Tampa Bay Rays.

Milwaukee celebrated its win with a parade through the city on Friday, with friends and fans alike joining the team in commemorating the team's historic season. The Brewers have been successful for nearly a decade, reaching the postseason in eight of the last nine seasons and winning their division in each of the past four, but they displayed a different level of dominance this year.

The Brewers' offense got hot at the perfect time, leading the playoffs in hits, runs, batting average, and, surprisingly, home runs. Even with how well the offense performed, it's hard to overlook how dominant Milwaukee's pitching staff was this postseason and the impact it had.

Milwaukee's bullpen was especially dominant

Oct 28, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; The Milwaukee Brewers celebrate after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays in game five of the 2026 World Series at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"The Brewers did not allow more than four runs in any of their 13 postseason games," MLB.com's Sarah Langs wrote on Thursday. "They joined the 1990 Reds and 1983 Orioles as the only teams to allow no more than four runs in a game throughout the entirety of a postseason that culminated with a World Series championship since playoffs expanded in 1969. Plenty of that credit goes to the bullpen. The Brewers threw 118 innings this postseason, and relievers handled 65 of them. That 55.1% of innings from relievers is the fourth-highest percentage among the 102 teams to throw at least 100 innings in a postseason. Only the 2021 Astros (58.6%), 2024 Dodgers (57.7%) and 2021 Dodgers (55.6%) had higher rates.

"This wasn’t just quantity, though – it was quality, too. The Brewers’ bullpen posted a 1.38 ERA and a .173 opponent average. Those marks are each the second-lowest allowed by any bullpen in a single postseason behind the 2022 Astros (0.83, .126), with a minimum of 50 innings. Chief among those bullpen arms was Aaron Ashby. He threw 18 innings, all scoreless. That tied 1960 Whitey Ford for the third-most innings pitched in a postseason, all scoreless, behind only 1905 Christy Mathewson (27) and 2006 Kenny Rogers (23)."

Though Milwaukee's offense got hot at the right time, the pitching staff was extraordinary this postseason. Ashby led the way with 18 scoreless innings and 20 strikeouts, but Jacob Misiorowski, Robert Gasser, Abner Uribe, DL Hall and others all made a big impact during the team's World Series run.

Looking ahead, the Brewers have a few pitchers heading to free agency, including Dustin May, Brandon Woodruff and JoJo Romero. It's unclear what Milwaukee's priorities are this offseason, but the team could focus on extending impressive closer Trevor Megill, who is entering his final season of arbitration. Either way, Milwaukee should look to keep its pitching staff this stacked.