Brewers reliever Hoby Milner is an unsung hero this season

With the Brewers offense picking up since the All-Star break, the pitching staff has caught a bit of a break. That said, the pitchers are still killing it. Josh Hader seems to have regained his magic and Devin Williams remains scoreless going back to May 10. Aaron Ashby proved he deserved his extension and Corbin Burnes is reminding everyone why he’s the reigning Cy Young. 

It’s not easy to stand out as a pitcher in a dugout full of Cy Young and Reliever of the Year candidates. Reliever Hoby Milner has quietly been shutting it down this season, especially in the summer months. He’s scoreless in his last 9 appearances, contributing to his 1.89 ERA. He hasn’t had this solid of a season since his rookie season back in 2017, when he recorded a 2.01 ERA across 37 appearances. 

After a few seasons of struggling between his rookie year and now, Milner has become a dependable middle innings reliever. Inherited runners are no cause for stress for Milner — he’s allowed two to score this entire season. That makes him the NL leader for fewest inherited runners to score at 9.5%. 

Milner came to the Brewers on a minor league deal with a career-worst 8.10 ERA in 2020 with the Angels, his 4th season in the bigs. After a less than stellar 2021, his performance this season has been a pleasant and necessary surprise. He’s not a free agent until 2026, so Brewers fans should have plenty of time to appreciate his pitching. 

He’s quietly become one of the most dependable relievers in the Brewers bullpen. He’s not flashy, or one of the big names, but he’s killing it and it’s high time he gets some respect in the pitching discussion.