PHOENIX -- The equipment bags in front of every locker at American Family Fields of Phoenix on Saturday were a sign that the Cactus League season was coming to a close. There is still one game on the schedule on Sunday at the Cubs, but starting pitcher Chad Patrick will be the only big leaguer on hand. The rest will be wheels up by midday, bound for Milwaukee.
A pair of exhibition games against the Reds remain, and so do plenty of question marks. Take left-hander Shane Drohan, for example. As of 11 a.m. on Saturday, he didn’t know whether he would be on that plane.
“You have to just accept being malleable and go with the flow,” said Drohan, one of the players acquired in a swap with Boston at the start of camp. “As I’ve gotten older, I’m not so stressed out about it.”
With that zen mindset, here are some of the things we know, and some of the things we don’t know, with the regular season in sight.
What we know: Jacob Misiorowski will start Opening Day.
What we don’t know: How will the rest of the rotation shake out?
Brandon Woodruff is the wild card here. As of Saturday afternoon, Woodruff and the Brewers still had not made a decision about whether he would open the regular season at the back end of the starting rotation or be placed on the IL – not because he is currently injured, but because he is coming off last season’s right lat strain and needs more time to build endurance.
Teams can backdate IL stints to March 22, which, for a pitcher like Woodruff, would mean he’s ineligible until April 6 at Boston. If he avoids the IL, it’s probably a sign he will start during the Rays series at home from March 30-April 1.
Misiorowski, Patrick and Brandon Sproat have all made the team and are in the rotation, and could start in that order during the opening series against the White Sox. Kyle Harrison will be in the rotation, probably slated to start against the Rays, assuming he overcomes the minor blister issue on his left index finger that shortened his last Cactus League start. If Harrison or Woodruff need more time, then it would be Robert Gasser or an opener like Aaron Ashby, who is built up for multiple innings.
“There’s nothing I’m withholding from you,” manager Pat Murphy said during a discussion of the pitching picture Saturday. “There’s just so many moving parts.”
Teams must submit a 26-man roster by 11 a.m. CT on Wednesday, the day before Opening Day.
What we know: The Brewers have lots of late-inning options.
What we don’t know: Who’s the closer?
Left-hander Angel Zerpa, picked up in a December trade with the Royals and coming off a stellar showing for champion Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, has had a sizzling spring. Abner Uribe finished last season as the closer and was terrific. Trevor Megill was an All-Star closer last season and has recovered from the right forearm issue that cost him the closer’s role late last year.
Which among them will close games? All of them, Murphy said. But he did offer a hint about who would get the bulk of save chances to start the season.
“I think we’ve got guys at the end of the game that understand that Megill was pretty damn good for us last year, and there’s no reason to think he’s not going to continue to get those opportunities,” Murphy said. “Maybe not every time. We also want to be a little more mindful about how much usage those bullpen guys get, especially with such a young starting staff.”
What we know: Jake Bauers was the spring MVP and Garrett Mitchell … was not.
What we don’t know: Does it mean anything about what’s to come?
Bauers homered Friday night against the D-backs and Saturday against the Padres, giving him six home runs and a 1.728 OPS in 34 Spring Training at-bats. On the flip side was Mitchell, who went 2-for-32 (.063) with a double, a home run and 19 strikeouts in 11 Cactus League games.
What does that mean? Go look up spring stats for Vinny Capra in 2025, Mike Brosseau in 2023, Erick Almonte in 2011 or Brad Nelson in 2008, and you’ll get a hint.
Not much.
But Bauers is much more established than those other players, so maybe his spring stats mean more. He came to camp with a clear priority.
“For me this spring, I didn’t want to think about mechanics at all. That was my goal,” Bauers said. “That unlocked my mind, I think. I’m able to focus on actually playing baseball a little bit more. That goes along with the whole day-to-day approach. Trying to put that all together and carry it out through the regular season is going to be a little bit of a challenge, I’m sure. But I think I have a good base.”
What we know: The 2026 Brewers will be on TV.
What we don’t know: What cable and satellite channels will air the games?
Take it from Drohan: Go with the flow. If you are accustomed to watching the Brewers on your cable or satellite provider, the only thing expected to change with the shift away from FanDuel Sports Network to MLB-produced and distributed games is the channel number. But because MLB is negotiating with all of the individual providers, specific channels will not be announced until right before Opening Day. Have patience, baseball fans.
If you’re not in the mood for patience, you can also subscribe to stream games without blackout restrictions. For information, go to Brewers.TV.