Why Ángel Zerpa Might Be the Brewers’ Next Bullpen Breakout

If there’s one thing the Milwaukee Brewers have earned a reputation for, it’s turning raw arms into refined weapons. Their pitching lab in Arizona gets a lot of the headlines – and rightfully so – but just as critical is the organization’s coaching philosophy: don’t force a pitcher into a mold, find what they already do well and build from there. That approach has paid off time and again, and now it’s Ángel Zerpa’s turn to walk into the lab.

Zerpa, a 26-year-old left-hander with parts of five MLB seasons under his belt, came at a real cost – Milwaukee sent Isaac Collins and Nick Mears the other way. That’s not a throwaway deal.

That kind of price tag tells you the Brewers see something worth betting on. And when you dig into Zerpa’s profile, it’s not hard to see why.

Ground-Ball Machine with Power Stuff

Let’s start with the obvious: Zerpa’s sinker is a weapon. It averaged 96.6 mph last season – rare velocity for a lefty with that kind of movement.

When he’s on, it’s heavy, hard, and it dives. Hitters know what’s coming, but that doesn’t make it any easier to square up.

And the results speak for themselves: Zerpa posted a 63.7% ground-ball rate in 2025. That’s not just good – that’s elite.

We’re talking top 1% in the league.

For a team like the Brewers, who consistently field one of the most reliable infield defenses in the game, that’s a perfect match. Give them a ground-ball artist, and they’ll turn those bouncers into outs all day long.

The Slider: A Work in Progress with Huge Upside

Zerpa’s slider is another intriguing piece of the puzzle. It features nearly seven inches of downward movement – a pitch with real bite.

The issue? Command.

At times, he’s struggled to consistently locate it, which has limited its effectiveness as a true out pitch. But when he’s spotting it, that slider tunnels beautifully off his sinker and becomes a nightmare for hitters who have to respect the fastball.

The Brewers have a history of helping pitchers tighten up their off-speed command, and if they can get Zerpa to consistently repeat his release and shape on the slider, it could become a legitimate swing-and-miss pitch.

The Changeup Dilemma

Here’s where things get a little trickier. Zerpa’s changeup – designed to keep right-handed hitters honest – hasn’t done its job.

Not even close. Righties hit .500 against the pitch last season and .368 the year before.

Those numbers are loud, and not in a good way. It’s no surprise that he all but abandoned it in 2025, throwing it just 4% of the time.

Still, if the Brewers see Zerpa as a multi-inning option or someone who can handle full innings against mixed lineups, the changeup can’t just disappear. The challenge will be reworking it into something usable – not necessarily a go-to pitch, but something that keeps hitters guessing and prevents them from sitting on the sinker-slider combo.

What the Brewers Might Unlock

So what’s the path forward? It’s not overly complicated, but it does require precision.

• Lean into the sinker: It’s the pitch that defines him, and with Milwaukee’s infield defense, it’s a perfect fit.
• Refine the slider: If he can find consistent shape and command, it becomes a legit weapon in the zone and a chase pitch out of it.
• Rebuild the changeup: Not to dominate, but to exist – just enough to keep righties from sitting dead red.

The Brewers don’t need to reinvent Zerpa. They just need to sharpen the edges.

His raw stuff is already there. The velocity, the movement, the ability to generate weak contact – all of it plays.

What he’s missing is consistency and a reliable third pitch. That’s where Milwaukee’s development system shines.

A Familiar Blueprint

We’ve seen this before. The Brewers have a track record of finding pitchers who are close – guys with the tools but not the results – and helping them cross that final threshold.

Zerpa fits that mold. He’s not a finished product, but he’s not a project either.

He’s right in that sweet spot where the right tweaks could unlock a bullpen arm capable of handling high-leverage innings.

If the Brewers’ staff can help Zerpa harness his stuff – and history suggests they can – don’t be surprised if he becomes the next name in a long line of pitchers who’ve gone from under-the-radar to undeniable in Milwaukee.