2026 Brewers Positional Analysis: Designated Hitter

[Ray Stuedemann]

Image courtesy of © Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Brewers didn’t use much variation at designated hitter in 2025, with only 12 players recording an appearance at DH. However, only two hitters had more than 20 appearances at the position, and both are still on the roster as Milwaukee heads towards Opening Day at American Family Field.

Brewers Designated Hitters At A Glance

Starter: Christian Yelich
Backup: William Contreras
Depth: Jake Bauers, Gary Sanchez 
Prospects: Luke Adams, Brock Wilken

Brewers fWAR Ranking Last Year: 10th out of 30
Brewers fWAR Projection This Year: 9th out of 30

The Good

Yelich still led the team in home runs in 2025 with 29, but the main positive was his health. The former MVP appeared in 150 games for the Brewers, which is his most since 2022. Yelich slashed .264/.343/.452 in 2025, and while his OPS was his lowest since 2022, Yelich is still the most dangerous bat in the Brewers lineup, day in and day out, even if he isn’t an MVP-caliber player anymore. The highest-paid player on the Brewers will look to continue his stretch of success with the club in 2026.

William Contreras is the other hitter who got significant time at DH in 2025, starting 22 games. This lineup construction usually appeared when Contreras needed time off behind the plate, opting to keep his bat in the lineup to give Yelich a day off. Contreras slashed .260/.355/.399 in 2025, and his OPS was down overall from his past three seasons. However, the two-time all-star is a mainstay in the Brewers lineup, and he will look for a bounce-back year in 2026.

Jake Bauers and Gary Sanchez are two bench bats that could provide value for the Brewers in 2026, and both should see appearances at DH during stretches this season, depending on matchups or injuries. Bauers appeared in seven games at DH for the Brewers this past season, slashing .235/.353/.399 in 85 total games. Sanchez returns to Milwaukee after his short stint with Baltimore in 2024, only appearing in 29 games for the Orioles.

The Bad

The main problem with this group would be health, primarily Christian Yelich. If Yelich isn’t in the lineup at DH for the majority of 2026, something has gone wrong with his health, and the Brewers will have a significantly worse lineup without him. Not to say that Contreras, Bauers, or Sanchez wouldn’t be adequate fill-ins, but much of the Brewers’ success relies on Yelich, his performance, and his leadership on and off the field. Contreras is an everyday contributor for the Brewers, but Bauers and Sanchez will contribute in a matchup-based role from their respective bench spots. Sanchez has more sustained major-league success than Bauers, and the team could look for an outside addition if this duo struggles. However, if Bauers and Sanchez were forced into a more significant role, the Brewers would be worse off for it, but the two of them could potentially form a serviceable duo at DH if Yelich goes down. 

The other thing Yelich contributes from the DH spot is competent base running, stealing 16 bases this past season. None of the backup options would be able to contribute to the ground game like Yelich can, even though he is a year older. However, this is mainly a secondary contribution from Yelich’s game, and Milwaukee will be able to find speed from Brice Turang, Sal Frelick, and Jackson Chourio, among others. 

The Bottom Line

This may be the most boring position analysis for the Brewers this year, but it may be the most important. The designated hitter spot will primarily be split between two players, and both players' health will be crucial this year, especially Yelich’s. Additionally, while all of us truly believe in the coaching staff to produce sufficient pitching out of seemingly nowhere, Milwaukee traded away its ace, Freddy Peralta, to the Mets earlier in the offseason. Assuming the pitching will be worse, the Brewers will need to score more runs this year, period. This comes down not only to the younger players stepping up but also to Yelich continuing his consistent production for the Brewers in the designated hitter role, with Contreras still providing meaningful at-bats on days when he isn’t behind the plate.

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[Snoebird]

The Brewers could get by without Yelich for a couple of weeks by calling up Tyler Black and letting him share DH duties with Bauers and Contreras -- plus Chourio when Black or Bauers plays left field. But any kind of a long-term Yelich absence would have to be treated as career threatening and prompt a prospects-for-slugger trade.