PHOTO CREDIT: IAN D'ANDREA
The Brewers’ busy offseason was on full display Sunday at the annual Brewers On Deck event held at the Wisconsin Center. It was the first time most of the team has been together since coming home from the Wild Card game in October. The Brewers had some introductions to make: Dozens of players attended the event, but just 11 of them were a part of the 2019 postseason roster.
That turnover leaves some returning players in new roles. With Chase Anderson and Zach Davies both leaving the organization this winter, Brandon Woodruff is now the team’s longest tenured starting pitcher.
“I don’t know about that. I’m still young,” Woodruff told the assembled media at On Deck when asked about taking a position of seniority in the Brewers rotation. “I feel like I’m still a baby as far as learning this game. I try to come in every day and learn from guys. [Offseason addition] Brett Anderson, he’s got what, 10+ years in the big leagues? So obviously, there’s a lot of knowledge there. I’m looking forward to talking to him and seeing what he goes about. But, I don’t feel like a veteran at all. I just feel like I’m still trying to learn and trying to get better.”
Despite not seeing himself as a veteran, however, Woodruff is in position to lead the Brewers’ rotation into the 2020 season. When the team reports to Maryvale Baseball Park in February, he’ll be a likely candidate to serve as the team’s Opening Day starter.
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“It would mean everything,” Woodruff said of the possible start. “Just my journey and making it to the big leagues was a big deal; having the honor to take the mound on Opening Day would mean everything. All the hard work you’ve put in just to get to that point. So, it definitely would be a huge honor, and I’d love to do that.”
In the meantime, however, Woodruff has some work to do to prepare for what he hopes will be his first full MLB season as a starter. He was limited to 22 starts due to an oblique injury in 2019 and split time between the rotation and bullpen in 2018.
“Every year is a different learning experience. In 2018, going through that September and the playoffs really helped me out going into last year. I think now, having all those starts there (in 2019) and then ending up having the injury, it’s all about learning yourself and learning your body and what I can do to last that full season and not have to deal with an injury like that. That’s going to be the challenge, that’s going to be one of my number one goals: making every start. But you learn from it, you learn what you can do better,” Woodruff said.
In addition to finding ways to remain active and healthy, Woodruff will have work to do this spring to get comfortable with a new catcher. Yasmani Grandal caught Woodruff for all but nine of his 121 ⅔ innings in 2019 but moved on to the White Sox as a free agent this winter. The Brewers responded by acquiring former Mariners and White Sox catcher Omar Narvaez.
“I met him yesterday, briefly,” Woodruff said of his new battery-mate. “I’m looking to get to know him and obviously work with Manny [Piña] a lot. It’s just getting there, talking, getting comfortable with what I like to do and how he likes to do things. The quicker you can get comfortable with someone coming in new like that, the more it’s going to help. So, I’m just looking forward to getting to spring and sitting down, having some talks and getting ready.”
The Brewers added veterans to fill in their starting rotation this winter, trading for Eric Lauer and signing Brett Anderson and Josh Lindblom. Their hopes of reaching the postseason for the third consecutive season, however, likely depend upon Woodruff taking another big step forward.
