Logan Henderson doesn’t need much of a menu right now. For the Brewers right-hander, two pitches are doing almost all the work, and that’s exactly how he’s been pitching again lately.
When Henderson was trying to lock down a spot in Milwaukee’s rotation this spring, he leaned more on a cutter and added a sweeper to give hitters something extra to think about. The logic was simple enough: make batters cover the full plate, show them a pitch that moves glove side, and keep building out the arsenal. But that version of Henderson has faded for the moment.
Since the beginning of August - and especially in his September starts, capped by five dazzling innings against the Phillies on Wednesday night - Henderson has gone back to what he does best. He’s thrown either his four-seam fastball or his changeup about 90% of the time, with almost nothing left over for the cutter or sweeper.
That kind of pitch mix would be a tough sell for most starters. Henderson can make it work because the changeup is so unusual.
The separation between his arm speed and the pitch’s velocity is what makes it so nasty, and he’s somehow holding about a 10-MPH gap even while keeping the delivery looking the same. The result is a pitch that can miss bats even when it’s in the strike zone.
He did exactly that Wednesday night against Kyle Schwarber, throwing one right down the middle and still getting a swing and miss by more than a foot and a half.
The changeup’s effectiveness isn’t just about movement, either. A lot of changeups earn their value by diving under the bat.
Henderson gets plenty of that, but the bigger weapon is how often hitters commit too early. Even among changeups, his is doing that at a remarkable rate.
The fastball doesn’t win the same way. Hitters aren’t as badly fooled by its timing, but it still plays up because of Henderson’s low release height and the way it comes in on a flatter angle.
More than anything, though, the heater works because he puts it exactly where he wants it. Bryce Harper got a taste of that Wednesday night, too.
That’s the key to why Henderson can get away with so little in the arsenal right now. His mechanics and command give him a path to dominate, even against elite hitters. He’s long had the control to live in the zone; what’s been striking is how effective that approach has been at this level.
At some point, Henderson will need a third pitch, and maybe a fourth. If he’s going to grow into an ace who can keep this up over 30 starts instead of 20, he’ll need more ways to keep hitters guessing. That day hasn’t arrived yet, and it doesn’t look like it will before the end of 2026, even if the Brewers’ 2026 runs all the way to Halloween.
For now, though, he can keep carving through lineups with just the fastball and changeup. The cutter and sweeper may have a future, but Henderson is back in his comfort zone, and the results are eye-popping.
In Other News...
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Hendersons run has been the kind that matters when October starts to come into focus. He has set a rookie mark for the lowest WHIP among pitchers with at least 15 starts and matched a streak of consecutive outings in which he allowed three runs or fewer, giving Milwaukee even more depth at a time when the club has already clinched a first-round playoff bye and is closing in on a franchise first 100-win season. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Have A New Reason To Watch Chicago's October Slide
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From Milwaukees standpoint, the timing is hard to ignore. The Cubs have slipped out of the top Wild Card spot while trying to navigate the stretch without one of their most important lineup pieces, and the standings pressure only grows from here. If Bregman remains out, Chicago has to keep juggling both its roster and its place in the postseason race, which is exactly the kind of October stress the Brewers will be watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Are One Win From A Milestone Fans Have Never Seen
The Brewers keep piling up wins in a season that already feels different from the usual late-September script. Milwaukees 4-1 victory over the Phillies pushed the club to 99 wins, with Brice Turang and Christian Yelich providing the power and Logan Henderson doing his part on the mound in a steady five-inning outing that helped keep the Phillies in check.
Aaron Nola lasted six innings but gave up four runs, and the loss left Milwaukee sitting one win away from a milestone the franchise has never reached. For a team that has spent the summer winning in a lot of different ways, the final stretch now carries a little extra weight, with the next victory standing to mean more than just another mark in the standings. [Read more 🡒]