What Brewers Saw in Cooper Pratt, Leading to Shocking Contract Extension

[Spencer Michaelis]

Image courtesy of © Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

It’s not often a player signs an eight-year deal (plus two club options), worth $50 million guaranteed, after just three games in Triple-A. It’s even more rare when that player was a sixth-round pick out of high school less than three years ago. But the Brewers aren’t betting on what Cooper Pratt has already done. They’re betting on what he’s going to do.

A Foundation Built on Instincts

To understand this move, start with some of the traits that don't show up on Pratt's FanGraphs page: his instincts, leadership qualities, and baseball IQ. Pratt is one of the most instinctive players in the organization, and that shows up everywhere. He doesn’t need top-of-the-scale tools to impact the game because his internal clock, positioning, and decision-making consistently put him in the right place on both sides of the ball.

Defensively, that translates into a player who already looks like a long-term shortstop. The range plays above the raw speed, thanks to strong first steps and advanced reads off the bat.

On the bases, it’s the same story. He went 31-for-36 on stolen bases in 2025, not because he’s a burner, but because he understands timing, pitchers, and situations. Those kinds of instincts are scalable to higher levels.

On the leadership side of things, according to Adam McCalvy, “(Pratt) spent the spring trying to learn Spanish to better communicate with Latin American teammates.” That’s the type of person and personality the Brewers are drawn to, and really appreciate in their clubhouse.

When teams hand out early extensions, they’re often paying for traits they believe will age well. Instincts, defensive value, and baseball IQ are at the top of that list, and just so happen to be the greatest strengths of Pratt. This is a profile Milwaukee has come to trust, develop, and ultimately build a large part of their team around.

Bat-to-Ball Ability

Offensively, Pratt’s profile is not built on loud power. It’s built mainly on his bat-to-ball skills.

In Double-A in 2025, he posted a 108 wRC+ in the Southern League, while spending most of the season as a 20-year-old. That matters. The raw .691 OPS doesn’t jump off the page, but the added context of the Southern League’s hitting environment clarifies the picture. He was producing above league average in one of the tougher hitting environments in the minors, against older competition.

Pratt struck out just 15.2 percent of the time, while walking at a 12.7% clip. That combination points to a hitter who controls at-bats, puts the ball in play, and doesn’t give away plate appearances. His 22.3% whiff rate reinforces that this is real bat-to-ball ability.

The Brewers have had a lot of success leaning into this archetype before, with hitters who can make consistent contact, manage the zone well enough, and let the rest of their game add value.

There’s also a level of consistency in his swing that evaluators trust. It’s controlled, repeatable, and adaptable across pitch types. That gives him a high floor offensively, even as other parts of the profile continue to develop.

Defensive Value at a Premium Position

Shortstop defense still carries weight, and Pratt checks a lot of boxes. He projects as an above-average defender at the position, with a chance to be even better. For an organization that prioritizes run prevention, that matters. The arm is a separator, too. Pratt can make throws from multiple angles with accuracy, giving him a toolset teams trust on the left side of the infield.

If Pratt can provide steady offense and plus defensive value at shortstop, that’s an everyday player. If the bat takes another step, it’s more than that.

Milwaukee has shown a willingness to invest early in up-the-middle players they believe in. Pratt fits that philosophy almost perfectly.

The Big Questions: Impact and Approach

For all the strengths in the profile, the biggest X-factor remains Pratt’s power (or lack thereof). Pratt’s 101.2-MPH 90th-percentile exit velocity points to below-average game power right now. He hit eight home runs in 527 plate appearances in 2025, and much of his offensive value came from contact and on-base ability, rather than damage.

However, that’s where some physical projection comes in. There’s room on Pratt's frame to add strength, and more importantly, there’s a path to impact through bat speed gains. If he can add even fringe-average power, the entire profile changes. Suddenly, you’re looking at a shortstop who gets on base, puts the ball in play, runs well, and does enough damage to matter.

The approach is another piece of that puzzle. Pratt’s chase tendencies, particularly against breaking balls away, can undercut his strong contact skills. Improving swing decisions would allow him to tap into more favorable counts and better pitches to drive.

Those are developmental areas for Pratt, not huge red flags, at least at this moment. And clearly, the Brewers believe in their ability to help him make the needed adjustments.

Why the Brewers Moved Now

Of course, this extension isn’t about anything the Brewers' brass saw in three games in Triple-A. It’s about taking a calculated risk on a player they view as a long-term major-league contributor.

Pratt offers a relatively high floor built on contact, defense, high baseball IQ, and instincts. He brings a high likelihood of high-level defense at a premium defensive position. He also still has youth on his side, which means physical development can still be part of the equation. Finally, he has clear and attainable paths to achieving some of the offensive growth that the team will be looking for.

If the power comes, the deal looks like a bargain for Milwaukee. If it doesn’t fully arrive, there’s still a realistic outcome where Pratt is an everyday shortstop who contributes in multiple ways, and this deal is more than reasonable for an everyday infielder in the prime of his career.

What Comes Next

Pratt will continue to face upper-level pitching in Triple-A, where he will look to translate the same underlying skills against better arms, and hopefully start to tap into some of the power. This could expedite his promotion to MLB a bit, but it doesn't seem like that's the main impetus for the deal—as it often is, with extensions like these.

Still, if the contact quality ticks up and the approach tightens, he could push his way into Milwaukee sooner, rather than later. The defensive value gives him a path to the majors even without major offensive gains, but the ceiling will be determined by how much impact the bat develops.

The Brewers didn’t wait for an answer on the bat. They decided they already had enough to go off of to make Cooper Pratt a core member of the big-league team for the next 8-10 years.

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What do you think of the Cooper Pratt extension? Let us know!

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[jay87shot]

When drafted he was compared to Gunnar Henderson, he definitely hasn't been on that level with the bat but I have been impressed with his approach and defense. I kind of look at him more as JJ Hardy with better speed, which is probably a borderline all-star for most of this contract if he can hit .260-.280. My guess is that when the details of the signing come out there will be a couple parts in there that help reduce the risk of this signing that we will all like.   

[keephopealive]

My guess is that the development of Turang had some influence on this signing.  Pratt has a lot of Turang in him: excellent glove, instinctive player, contact approach at the plate but some questions about his bat and especially power. (It's a bit like JJ as well.) Turang has clearly figured it out, and I think Pratt will as well. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

37 minutes ago, jay87shot said:

When drafted he was compared to Gunnar Henderson, he definitely hasn't been on that level with the bat but I have been impressed with his approach and defense. I kind of look at him more as JJ Hardy with better speed, which is probably a borderline all-star for most of this contract if he can hit .260-.280. My guess is that when the details of the signing come out there will be a couple parts in there that help reduce the risk of this signing that we will all like.   

JJ Hardy ended his career with over 25 WAR. That's an incredible outcome for Pratt, one I take 11 times out of 10.

[eklinka]

I can certainly see why they are high on him. On top of what was stated, he's a 6'3" SS with elite defense. He has the physical stature of a Yelich, Ohtani, etc. It gives him such a high ceiling if that bat comes around. Dude's still only 21.

[Snoebird]

It is more than likely that the Brewers' corner infield positions will soon be manned by young sluggers, such as Fischer, Wilken and/or Burke. That will put more of an onus on the shortstop to be elite defensively on this run prevention team. And, with uncertainty rising over the defensive range of the team's next second baseman, I'm good with Pratt long term if his teammates supply the bulk of the slugging. 

[Trax]

Made will likely also be extended in near years as well.   I like it, it is what the small market team who has all the numbers against them in favor of the big market teams must do.  Along with trading for quality young arms who you can control for years because these small market teams can not afford them once they are free.  It is a big market team game.

 

Now I would like Frelick and Turang addressed, but that may not be possible.

[Snoebird]

7 minutes ago, Trax said:

Made will likely also be extended in near years as well.   I like it, it is what the small market team who has all the numbers against them in favor of the big market teams must do.  Along with trading for quality young arms who you can control for years because these small market teams can not afford them once they are free.  It is a big market team game.

 

Now I would like Frelick and Turang addressed, but that may not be possible.

I think we would have to assume that Made and Pena will occupy second base and right field when they hit the majors. The veterans likely will be traded one by one, starting with Contreras, as they approach free agency. Mark Attanasio said in a recent Q&A that the team is "working around an age curve of 28." 

[Trax]

I figured between Pratt and Made we were looking at 3B and SS.

I do believe a serious attempt will be made to retain at least one of Frelick and Turang. 

[Snoebird]

1 hour ago, Trax said:

I figured between Pratt and Made we were looking at 3B and SS.

I do believe a serious attempt will be made to retain at least one of Frelick and Turang. 

Wilken and Fischer were drafted as third basemen. Add in Burke, Adams, Boeve and Bitonti, and that would be quite a surplus of first basemen/DHs. 

[nathanj42]

Guessing the rough value per year is: $1mm for the first 3 years, $4mm, $7mm, $10mm for the arb years, then 2 years of free agency ~$14mm. If he develops into a league average bat with above average SS defense, that's a huge discount for a 3-4 WAR player.

[MattK]

6 hours ago, Trax said:

I figured between Pratt and Made we were looking at 3B and SS.

I do believe a serious attempt will be made to retain at least one of Frelick and Turang. 

Unfortunately, more and more, it feels that Turang has priced himself out of the MKE market. If Hoerner extended for $141MM, and is both older and not as good of hitter, the writing seems to be on the wall.  

[MattK]

6 hours ago, Trax said:

I figured between Pratt and Made we were looking at 3B and SS.

I do believe a serious attempt will be made to retain at least one of Frelick and Turang. 

I think the hiccup with extending Sal is that he doesn't hit arbitration for a couple of seasons, so he will be pretty cheap until he is already 30. 

[tomoohka]

Not to be a negative Nancy, but this article has nearly all the hallmarks of being LLM-generated. 

[nate82]

Pratt physically is closer to Tulowitzki than he is to Hardy or Turang.  If Pratt fills out physically he would be at a similar size as Tulo and Gunnar Henderson.  Cal Ripken Jr. is another name who Pratt would be physically like.

Pratt doesn't have the power of any of them right now but that doesn't mean he won't fill out and add power to his game.  

[Spencer Michaelis]

1 hour ago, tomoohka said:

Not to be a negative Nancy, but this article has nearly all the hallmarks of being LLM-generated. 

Well, I can absolutely assure you that is not the case, haha. I always use Grammarly to clean up some of the grammar before submitting my articles, and I have noticed that it can sound a bit less personal when I do that, but I would never use *anything* else to write an article. Now, I did try using the headers as a means of breaking it down in a different way than I normally do. Perhaps that’s not a great way for me to do it moving forward, if it reads like that.

[Rick Daltons Flamethrower]

Great article. Really enjoyed the info about Pratt trying to learn Spanish to better communicate with his Latin American team mates. The Brewers are indeed loaded in their minor league system. 

[Seth Stohs]

When I did the two-part interview with him after his draft season, you could tell he was going to be special. 

When I talked to the scout that signed him, Scott Nichols, you could hear and feel the conviction of his thoughts. 

Quote

Regarding Pratt, it’s clear that admiration goes both ways. When he first saw him play, he thought, “This kid is different. Loved him from the get-go. He’s a humble man, and he works really hard.”

Nichols said, “He just kept doing things that…” 

He paused. “I put him in a category. Three people, including him.” 

“In my three decades of scouting, I put Cooper Pratt into the same category as Austin Riley and Gunnar Henderson.” 

 

 

[Seth Stohs]

7 hours ago, MattK said:

I think the hiccup with extending Sal is that he doesn't hit arbitration for a couple of seasons, so he will be pretty cheap until he is already 30. 

And he doesn't put up the numbers that cost a lot of money. 

[Seth Stohs]

15 hours ago, Trax said:

Now I would like Frelick and Turang addressed, but that may not be possible.

Might be a bit late for the Brewers to lock up Turang. That said, now would be the time to do it. Like Hoerner, Turang is in his Year 1 of 4 arbitration seasons. Hoerner made $2.525 million in 2023. Turang is making $4.15 million in 2026. 

Hoerner's previous extension was three years and $35 million and covered those final three years of arbitration. ($11.5M, $11.5M, $12M). Brewers could/should offer him three years and $41 million ($12M, $14M, $15M). 

Hoerner's six-year extension is worth $141 million. ($23M, $23M, $22.5M, $22.5M, $22.5M, $22.5M)

I think Turang is a little better (IMO) than Hoerner, so he should get a little bit more. So as not to overthink, I'll say six years and $150 million for those six free agent seasons. ($26M, $26M, $25M, $25M, $24M, $24M)*

*If you believe that Turang is worth more than Hoerner by more than that $9M difference over six years. You could add another $4-10 million in a signing bonus. But I think that could also be limited somewhat by trying to get Turang to take a bit of a discount to stay in Milwaukee. 

I'm sure the Brewers would be happy to sign him to a three year, $41 million to cover his arbitration years. Turang would probably be good with that as well since he'd still be a free agent at age 29. 

Would the Brewers and/or Turang be willing to put the two deals together into one nine-year deal? Combined, it'd be nine years and $191 million. That's just over $20 million annually. I can't imagine the Brewers locking him up through age 35.