The Milwaukee Brewers, to the surprise of many outside of the smallest market in baseball, were one Major League Baseball’s best teams in 2025. They finished the year with a 97-65 record, setting a franchise mark for the most wins in any regular season. They also won their first postseason series since 2018, defeating the hated Chicago Cubs (and former Brewers manager Craig Counsell) 3-2 in the NLDS.
And while they were swept out of the NLCS by the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, there likely will be far fewer people sleeping on them in 2026. Make no mistake, no one expects the Brewers to suddenly have a potent offense following their light-hitting year last season. However, their pitching staff carried them in 2025 and many expect them to do the same in 2026.
And while the future of ace Freddy Peralta is uncertain as trade rumors persist, one forgotten acquired pitcher from last season could be a big factor in 2026.
The Milwaukee Brewers may bring back Jordan Montgomery in 2026
Last season, the Brewers made several moves ahead of the MLB trade deadline to help improve their roster. One of these was the acquisition of reliever Shelby Miller from the Arizona Diamondbacks. Unfortunately, Miller suffered an injury and only appeared in 11 games for Milwaukee.
The good news, though, was that the Brewers did not have to give up any players to get him. They were able to accomplish this by agreeing to also take on Jordan Montgomery and the remainder of his contract for 2025, which amount to around $7.5 million.
Montgomery was unable to pitch in 2025 due to Tommy John surgery.
And while nearly everyone did not expect him to ever don a Brewers uniform, Adam McCalvy reports that the two sides have not closed the door on a return to the club in 2026:
“As thorny as his relationship with the D-backs had become, the Brewers found Montgomery to be great, to the point he came into American Family Field in September to make a donation to Brewers Community Foundation. (And why not? Montgomery was thrilled and surprised to learn that he landed a $500,000 bonus for being traded.)
“At last word, Montgomery was expected to begin throwing bullpens in January, which means his availability for the very start of the season would be tight. But if the sides can work out a deal that covers the Brewers’ risk, a return seems a strong possibility.”
In eight Major League seasons, Montgomery is 46-41 with a 4.03 ERA. In his last full Major League season (in which he made 30+ starts), he was 10-11 with a 3.20 ERA. This happened in 2023 when he split time between the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers.
As it stands, Milwaukee does not have a left-handed starter projected in their rotation, unless they plan on using Aaron Ashby, DL Hall, or the newly acquired Angel Zerpa. All three pitched out of the bullpen last season, but all three also have experience starting.
Montgomery, a left-handed pitcher, could compete for such a spot if he were to be re-signed.
More Milwaukee Brewers news from Wisconsin Sports Heroics
- Brewers’ 2026 Caleb Durbin announcement has fans going wild
- Former Brewers manager Craig Counsell mourns loss of his father
- Former Brewers 1B named among top free agent targets for AL powerhouse
For More Great Wisconsin Sports Content
Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19 and follow us @WiSportsHeroics for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in Wisconsin sports, click here!
