For the last 12 years, starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff has been a staple of Milwaukee Brewers baseball, although he hasn't always filled that role on the field itself. The 33-year-old former All-Star was once a Cy Young Award contender for the Brew Crew, with a near 65% win-loss rate in 151 career appearances for Milwaukee.
Yet in spite of all the goodwill he's established in the bullpen and across the organization, manager Pat Murphy cannot allow feelings to dictate his decision when it comes to the World Series roster.
Woodruff, who missed most of this season after suffering a right shoulder anterior capsule injury, threw live pitches against the Brewers' lineup this week, giving Murphy and his team some real footage to chew on as they decide whether or not to pull him into the mix for the World Series roster. Even after looking at the footage, it's hard to say whether that experience pushes him in one direction or the other, but Woodruff clearly wants to be out there for the team that he made a career with.
And rightfully so, as Woodruff has been an important part of building this Brewers culture into one that Milwaukee could ride into the World Series. But that isn't quite enough when push comes to shove, and the Brewers' leadership group cannot afford to let their rose-tinted glasses sway their final roster decisions.
For all that Brandon Woodruff means to the Milwaukee Brewers, he should only pitch if they're certain he can make a real impact.
Woodruff's place on the World Series roster needs to be decided by his play and health alone. If he's not reaching his intended velocity or striking out batters the way we expect from him, there's no point in putting him out there. If the Brewers win, Woodruff will get to celebrate with the team and earn his ring regardless of whether he plays or not.
But if they lose, and it's in part because they put him on the mound out of loyalty over raw data and analysis, then it's a detriment to everyone involved.
The good news is that no matter what injury he deals with or how long he recovers, Woodruff tends to produce when he plays. In just 32 games over four seasons since his age-30 season, Woodruff has a 14-5 record with a 2.80 ERA and averages about 6.4 strikeouts per contest. Even in 45 innings this season, Woodruff has an ERA under 3.00 and 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings.
Considering the mixed bag they've gotten from Shane Drohan and Dustin May thus far in the postseason, a healthy Woodruff is a great player to lean on in high-leverage situations. Whether he starts or fills a gap in the rotation is yet to be seen, but if he's well enough to pitch at the baseline of his ability in the World Series, he could offer a huge boost to the Brewers' bullpen when they need it most.
But if he's not playing up to par, and still isn't ready for a return, the Brewers can't afford to play him. It's as simple as that.
Add us as a preferred source on Google