Unc' Woodruff: The Unlikely Leader of Milwaukee's Young Arms

Brandon Woodruff stands as the sole remaining member of the Milwaukee Brewers from the 2017 season, now serving as the veteran "dad" or "Unc" to his significantly younger teammates. He recently threw two scoreless innings against the Angels in his first spring start, marking progress after recovering from shoulder surgery and a lat strain. Woodruff is on track to surpass eight years of Major League service in April, making him an outlier on a pitching staff that is exceptionally young this year. He is focusing on his secondary pitches, including a new sweeper, and aims for a healthy season that extends into the postseason. Manager Pat Murphy is actively managing Woodruff's workload to ensure peak performance by October. Woodruff accepted a $22.05 million qualifying offer, the highest for a Brewers pitcher, and plans to pitch for another five years. The team's youngest pitchers, like Chad Patrick and Jacob Misiorowski, are set for the Opening Day rotation, with Woodruff's exact start date still to be determined.