Brewers Have A Battle Royale Brewing In Center Field

[Harold Hutchison]

When a team notches four division titles in five years, you would expect that they have the key positions locked down tight. The Brewers, though, have had five different players as their primary starter in center field in each of the last five seasons.

Jackie Bradley Jr., Tyrone Taylor, Joey Wiemer, Blake Perkins, and Jackson Chourio have each been primary starters at the position since Opening Day 2021. That’s a lot of turnover, but there’s been a lot of quality there. Bradley was the only flop, and the Brewers turned him into Hunter Renfroe, and Renfroe became some pitching help. Taylor and Wiemer also were dealt for new assets by the Crew.

Could another different player be the primary starter in 2026? In one sense, the Brewers hope so. Chourio starting the bulk of the games in center field was actually a worst-case scenario for the Brewers. This was due to a rash of injuries in the outfield that resulted in the worst-case scenario of Jake Bauers seeing significant time in a corner outfield spot.

The organization would like to see Garrett Mitchell handle the bulk of the starts in center, largely due to his dynamic bat. In his 141 total games, he’s racked up 3.6 WAR, with a 112 OPS+ according to Baseball Reference. Mitchell has 30-30 potential and could be a left-handed version of Carlos Gomez at his 2013-2014 peak. If, that is, he is on the field and not on the injured list. That’s been a big if the last three seasons.

Blake Perkins was the primary center fielder in 2024 and was a Gold Glove finalist. He missed a lot of 2025 due to an injury suffered in spring training, but his style of hitting has been more productive despite a lack of pop, and he contributes on the basepaths as well.

Chourio has posted two 20-20 seasons to start off his major-league career and is seen as the franchise player for the late 2020s and into the 2030s.

Mitchell, Perkins, and Chourio are the best three center fielders on the 40-man roster, but there are now others. Perhaps the most notable is free-agent pickup Akil Baddoo, whose offensive profile has been like another former Brewer, Keon Broxton, albeit Baddoo’s left-handed.

Sal Frelick, who’s primarily played right field, is a natural center fielder, and he has a Gold Glove from 2024. His bat’s taken a step up, although he arguably ran out of gas late in the season. But he’s a viable option there.

Behind those five, the Brewers have Brandon Lockridge and Steward Berroa, mid-season acquisitions in 2025 due to the injuries that hit the outfield. There is also Christian Yelich, who’s had some experience in center during his major-league career, although he’s arguably limited to corner outfield at this stage of his career.

However, there are some other players in the organization who might see time in center. Both Tyler Black and Brice Turang played center in the minors. Minor-league prospect Luis Lara will likely be in Triple-A Nashville, while Braylon Payne will patrol center in Advanced-A Wisconsin. The Brewers could also move prospects like Jesus Made and Luis Pena to center to accommodate other prospects.

In short, center field could be in flux for a long time in Milwaukee, but in this case, it’s a sign of the immense depth and drafting success the team has had.

Who should be in center field for the Brewers in 2026? Let us know in the comments below!

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[Sugarrayray]

I would love a Mitchell/Perkins left right platoon in general.

[MattK]

I always thought the long term plan is Chourio in CF, as he is only 21, and is likely to take a step or two yet defensively. This any time he spends out there is growth time for him. This is great unless it could cost them ballgames in the short term in a tight division/pennant race. 

If Chourio shows longer term that it isn't going to work or if Mitchell plays there short term and shows it is his best position, that is a different story. 

[JohnBriggs12]

Mitchell has played so little the last 5 years, that it's ridiculous to assume he can step right in a major league lineup and hit well enough to be a regular in the major leagues.  I'd feel a lot better about him if he were playing winter ball somewhere, but no, he's still rehabbing.  That's not even factoring in his inability to stay healthy.   What he did at the start of the 2025 season is about what I would expect and that's not what they need in their lineup.  I feel bad for the guy but he faces a longer road back than a few weeks in Arizona,

[Snoebird]

I wouldn't downgrade Mitchell, a first-round draft pick, unless he forces the issue. Give him a runway like the team gave Oliver Dunn and Brian Anderson at third base, but keep sorting through the other candidates for a month or so. A trade for a slugging corner outfielder would change the dynamic greatly because the team would be less dependent on Mitchell's slugging ability. So, Frelick would become the primary CF candidate and Mitchell a spot player along with Perkins. Lockridge would come into play if Mitchell fails to launch. 

 

[Turning2]

Should have kept Collins, not added Baddoo and replaced Perkins with a bigger bat.