Welcome back to regular season baseball! The Milwaukee Brewers are set to kick off their 2026 season with a visit from the White Sox in Milwaukee beginning Thursday afternoon. Coming off another busy offseason, the Brewers’ biggest change comes in the rotation, with Freddy Peralta with the Mets. Other key subtractions include Caleb Durbin in Boston, and Isaac Collins and Nick Mears in Kansas City. They’ve also added plenty of young talent, including new pitchers Brandon Sproat and Kyle Harrison,
acquired from the Mets and Red Sox, respectively.
The lowly White Sox did make a few offseason moves to try to improve on their 102-loss season in 2025. They added pitchers Seranthony Domínguez, Erick Fedde, and Jordan Hicks, as well as position players in Luisangel Acuña, Munetaka Murakami, and Austin Hays (though they did lose Luis Robert Jr. in the trade for Acuña). The White Sox regulars also include Edgar Quero behind the plate, youngsters Chase Meidroth and Colson Montgomery up the middle, Miguel Vargas at third, and Andrew Benintendi with Hays and Acuña in the outfield. Murakami is presumably their everyday first baseman after signing this offseason — the Japanese star slugged 246 homers over 892 games with the Yakult Swallows, including a 56-homer season in 2022 as he won his second MVP award (his first coming in 2021).
Probable Pitchers
Thursday, March 26 @ 1:10 p.m.: Jacob Misiorowski (5.40 spring ERA, 4.36 2025 ERA, 3.62 2025 FIP) vs. Shane Smith (10.13 spring ERA, 3.81 2025 ERA, 4.10 2025 FIP)
Milwaukee’s young star Jacob Misiorowski will be on the hill to open the season Thursday afternoon, as he’ll make his first Opening Day roster. Miz made 15 appearances (14 starts) in 2025, pitching to a 4.36 ERA and 3.62 FIP with 87 strikeouts in just 66 innings. He also had a strong postseason in a long-relief role, appearing in three games spanning 12 innings with three runs allowed (two earned) and 16 strikeouts. Given that he debuted after Milwaukee’s series with the White Sox last year, this will mark his first career start against them.
Opposite Misiorowski will be another Brewer farmhand in Shane Smith. Smith, an undrafted free agent by Milwaukee out of Wake Forest back in 2021, was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the December 2024 Rule 5 Draft. He spent all of last season in the majors with the White Sox, making 29 starts with a solid 3.81 ERA, 4.10 FIP, and 145 strikeouts over 146 1/3 innings as he was selected to the AL All-Star team. He did make a start against Milwaukee last season, spanning five innings with three runs allowed (one earned) and four strikeouts in a no-decision.
Saturday, March 28 @ 6:10 p.m.: Chad Patrick (11.68 spring ERA, 3.53 2025 ERA, 3.53 2025 FIP) vs. Sean Burke (4.58 spring ERA, 4.22 2025 ERA, 4.92 2025 FIP)
Patrick, another pitcher coming off a solid rookie season, will get the ball in the second game of the series. After a myriad of injuries hit the Brewers’ pitching staff early in the season, Patrick stepped into the rotation, making 27 appearances (23 starts) with a 3.53 ERA and a matching 3.53 FIP. He struck out 127 across 119 2/3 innings, ultimately finishing in seventh in NL Rookie of the Year voting. He took a loss against the White Sox last season, allowing three runs and striking out four over 5 2/3 innings.
Burke was a third-round pick out of Maryland by the White Sox in 2021, debuting in 2024 and finding a regular spot in the rotation last season. Over 28 appearances (22 starts) in 2025, Burke totaled 134 1/3 innings with a 4.22 ERA, 4.92 FIP, and 133 strikeouts. He started opposite Patrick last season, picking up the win with six scoreless frames and five strikeouts.
Sunday, March 29 @ 1:10 p.m.: Brandon Sproat (3.46 spring ERA, 4.79 2025 ERA, 2.80 2025 FIP) vs. Anthony Kay (4.95 spring ERA, 1.74 2025 ERA in Japan)
Sunday’s series finale should be a fun one, as we’ll get to see Brandon Sproat make his Brewer debut opposite Anthony Kay, who hasn’t made an MLB appearance since 2023. Sproat, 25, was acquired in the Freddy Peralta trade this offseason. He made four starts with the Mets last year, pitching to a 4.79 ERA and 2.80 FIP with 17 strikeouts in 20 2/3 innings. This will mark his first career appearance against Chicago.
Kay, 31, spent four seasons with the Blue Jays before splitting 2023 between the Cubs and Mets. He then went overseas to Japan, making 50 appearances over two seasons, pitching to a 2.79 ERA with 259 strikeouts over 303 1/3 innings. He’s struggled in MLB though, pitching to a career 5.59 ERA, 4.86 FIP, and 88 strikeouts over 85 1/3 innings as a reliever (he made 44 appearances with seven starts). Kay made just one appearance against Milwaukee, coming in 2023 while with the Cubs. He didn’t record any outs but didn’t allow any runs as he gave up a hit and a walk in that one.
How to Watch & Listen
Thursday, March 26: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Saturday, March 28: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Sunday, March 29: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Prediction
It’ll be a fun weekend as we get to see three Brewers youngsters on the mound. Anything less than a 2-1 series win would be a disappointment, but I think the Brewers will get the sweep to begin the season.
