Brewers' strong rotation ready to shoulder 2023 hopes

PHOENIX -- Nonstop chatter and boisterous laughs filled the Brewers' clubhouse in the wee hours of Tuesday morning, hallmarks of the palpable excitement that comes with the first full-squad workout of Spring Training. That eagerness extends to early arrivals like Corbin Burnes, who is more than ready to shoulder a heavy load this season, along with the rest of the starting rotation.

“Obviously we have a great starting five, but we feel that we’ve got a good depth of seven or eight guys that can really contribute at this level and help us out this year,” said Burnes, entering his sixth season in the Majors, all with Milwaukee. “It’s always good to get into camp to talk to these guys about what they worked on in the offseason, to see if there are any ways to help or anything you can pick up on. And if we’re going to be able to carry this team as far as we can, we’re going to have to go out and do our job."

Burnes is fresh off a solid 2022 campaign, all things considered, finishing seventh in National League Cy Young voting after going 12-8 with a 2.94 ERA. Adding on a career high in strikeouts (243) and a respectable ERA+ (134) across 202 innings, the Bakersfield, Calif., native is primed to be a workhorse for the staff once again.

The Brewers’ 86-76 record last season was good enough for second in the NL Central but left them just one game out of the final Wild Card spot, missing the postseason for the first time in five years. Early projections from FanGraphs have them finishing '23 behind the Cardinals once again, perfect bulletin board material.

“You can say there’s extra motivation,” said Burnes. “We’re still going to go about our offseason as we would any other, but once you get into camp you can kind of light that fire under guys. That’s kind of the goal that we’re striving to get to.”

The overarching feeling is that Milwaukee’s playoff hopes rest in the arms of the starting rotation. In addition to Burnes, the likes of Brandon Woodruff (13-4 with a 3.05 ERA in ‘22) and Eric Lauer (11-7 with a 3.69 ERA) are slated to build off effective campaigns. Meanwhile Aaron Ashby, Adrian Houser and Freddy Peralta will look to get back on track after tough seasons, marred by injuries and inconsistency.

“That’s the strength of our team,” said manager Craig Counsell, touching on the expectations resting on the rotation’s shoulders. “We don’t really run away from it. Our team is set up to thrive on starting pitching. Their health is really important -- they’ll perform if they’re healthy. We’re not really worried about it, they’ll get it going for sure.”

According to early PECOTA projections, the staff is slated to improve significantly, projected to give up 22 fewer runs. But the pressure to improve on the rotation’s collective 3.75 ERA in 2022 is intrinsic, as it almost feels like each member has something to prove.

“I think everybody in the rotation, we set pretty high goals for ourselves, and that’s not just the starting staff,” said Woodruff. “We got some pretty good guys. So I think it’s just going out there -- and each guy who goes out each day is just trying to be the best they can be -- and try to help win a ball game.”

Part of the encouragement stems from the rotation’s remarkable continuity, boasting a pitching core that’s been around for the better part of four years. Experience and familiarity are viewed as invaluable qualities -- there’s an increased comfort to give and receive feedback, says Woodruff -- with camaraderie cited as an underrated strength for the staff.

“With these guys, you want to match what they’re doing,” said Wade Miley, who signed a one-year deal to rejoin the club back in January. He and No. 10 Brewers prospect Robert Gasser will look to help supplement an already talented group. “Once every five days, to go out there and compete, give your team a chance to win. When you see guys like Burnes, Woodruff, Houser and Lauer go do it, you’re like, ‘I want to get in on this mix too.'"