Milwaukee Brewers have three All-Stars as Corbin Burnes, Josh Hader, and Brandon Woodruff all are selected

When the all-star positional poll came out this season, the Brewers didn’t look good in any of the polls. When they finished, no Brewer in the top three (or top nine in the outfield) was one of the votes. While it wasn’t all that surprising given the Brewers offensive struggled for a good portion of the season, it was disappointing not to have a single player in the top three of a poll. However, the Brewers made up for it with their pitching staff. Their pitching is so strong this season that the Brewers will send three pitchers to the All-Star Game for the first time in franchise history.

The Brewers send three pitchers to the All-Star Game for the first time. Best of all, Josh Hader, Brandon Woodruff, and Corbin Burnes were all chosen by their fellow players.

Freddy Peralta didn’t make it, but there’s always a chance he’ll become a replacement.

– Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) July 4, 2021

Not only did the Brewers get three pitchers into play, they all came from the players’ vote. All three absolutely deserve to make it as they have had incredibly strong seasons.

Between Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff, it’s hard to say who was the better thrower this season. Let’s start with woodruff. In 16 starts this season he has posted a 1.87 ERA and 2.79 FIP. His 10.60 K / 9 and 2.14 BB / 9 are exactly what he has achieved throughout his major league career, although his results keep getting better. He also sits at 47 ERA and 67 FIP and is sixth in the NL with a 2.7 fWAR, along with a 4.3 bWAR. The only unfortunate part of Woodruff’s pick is that he may not get pitching as he is supposed to start on Monday, which would put him in line for a Saturday or Sunday start and possibly not consider him to play in the game.

While Brandon Woodruff has just gotten solid and improved from year to year, Corbin Burnes has had a tougher career. Two seasons ago he was sitting at an 8.82 ERA and 6.09 FIP. His home run rate was out of control (3.12 HR / 9) and we wondered if he could adjust. Not only did he adapt, he flipped his results completely. In 2021 it fell to 2.41 ERA and 1.44 FIP. While his K / 9 rate has remained stable year after year (at 13.17 this season), his hearing rate has been drastically reduced (from 3.67 BB / 9 in 2019 to 1.65 in 2021) and HR / 9 rate is almost non-existent (0.33). He is second in the NL in fWAR among the starters on 3.8. Burnes is in better shape for an ASG appearance as he is scheduled to start on Wednesday, which should be his last start before the break.

Corbin Burnes had to completely remake his game after a tough 2019 season, to say the least. Now he’s an all-star.

He fought back tears as he talked about this transformation. pic.twitter.com/mvjlEYbska

– Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) July 4, 2021

Eventually Josh Hader makes his third all-star appearance, the same for most appearances for a Brewers’ Reliever. Hader has been as dominant as ever this season, if not more dominant. In 33 appearances this season, he has allowed a total of two runs. That’s good for 0.55 ERA and 0.89 FIP, along with 14 ERA and 20 FIP. His 15.15 K / 9 is as strong as ever, and his gait rate has dropped a bit this season (from 4.74 BB / 9 in 2020 to 3.31 in 2021). Finally, since he’s a reliever, there is no concern about whether or not he can appear in the game.

Josh Hader: “As a kid, you always think about playing in the big leagues. But being an all-star is the next level. ”

He comes to @ Plesac19 as the only helper in Brewers history making three all-star games. pic.twitter.com/rhhspNZpSH

– Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) July 4, 2021

The only question left is whether the Brewers will get a fourth player into the game. Freddy Peralta is your best bet as he was as strong as Brandon Woodruff and Corbin Burnes. He’s posted 2.17 ERA (54 ERA-) and 2.92 FIP (71 FIP-), as well as 12.62 K / 9 and 3.83 BB / 9 this season. His 2.4 fWAR is 10th among the NL starters. If the pitcher drops come, Peralta could find a spot that way, so we’ll have to wait and see.

Position players are unlikely to be seen as a substitute, but it could still happen. The best shooter could be Omar Narvaez, who has been one of their best offensive players this season. Willy Adames is also a possibility, although he suffers more from not being in the National League all season. Both are long shots, but they could still sneak in in case a replacement is needed (especially the catcher for Narvaez).

Whether or not the Brewers get additional All-Stars through replacements, there are three choices for the leading Milwaukee Brewers. It’s a great honor for a pitching team that has made this team a success all season.

Statistics courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs.