Brewers' 2.61 ERA lefty acquired from Red Sox predicted to break out this year

Brewers' 2.61 ERA lefty acquired from Red Sox predicted to break out this year originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Milwaukee Brewers have been reshuffling their roster the last few years, but they're still routinely one of the top contenders year-in and year-out.

While the trades of Freddy Peralta and Caleb Durbin stood out this offseason, the return they got for Durbin from the Boston Red Sox cannot be ignored.

Kyle Harrison has looked good thus far, and it's why ESPN's Kiley McDaniel is predicting that Harrison will break out as a star this year.

Brewers' Kyle Harrison predicted to break out as a star

"Two former top-100 prospects will have their breakout seasons on the mound, with each posting 3-plus WAR despite never topping 1.0 WAR before, fueled by pitching-savvy orgs tweaking their arm slots, pitch mixes, and pitch grips after they'd already built up their stamina to make starts for a full season," McDaniel writes.

The two pitchers that McDaniel noted for this breakout are Seattle Mariners Emerson Hancock and the Brewers' Harrison.

Acquired from the Red Sox in the Durbin trade, Harrison has looked very solid for the Brewers so far. He has a 2.61 ERA in two starts with a 1-0 record, a 0.97 WHIP, 14 strikeouts, and just three walks in 10.1 innings pitched.

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Previously in his career, the best season he had was a 3.00 ERA in 12 innings pitched for the Red Sox last year, and a 4.04 ERA in 35.2 innings pitched in 2025 between the San Francisco Giants and Red Sox.

His WAR has never once eclipsed 1.0 in his career, and if McDaniel's prediction comes true, Harrison would have more than a breakout year; he'd turn into a true star pitcher for the Brewers.

Boston hasn't had a ton of luck with trades lately, and the Brewers could be the most recent beneficiary of such a deal, as Harrison could provide a ton of value for Milwaukee as a dominant lefty who's only 24 years old.

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