Joey O

[Lathund]

2 hours ago, Jopal78 said:

Rengifo may be a declining player but his OBP is 30 points below where it was last year and 50 points below his career average. His slugging percentage is 60 points below where it was last year and  100 points below below his career average. His exit velocity is the same as last year and he’s hitting more balls in the air than last year. 
 

Unless Rengifo has truly hit the the wall physically at 29 which doesn’t seem likely, his statistics suggest he’s  going to  start playing better

His overall career numbers are still those of a below average hitter (88 wRC+). So even if he wasn't declining, even if he played to his career norms, he'd still be a well below average player overall. Even at his peak (2022-2024) when he put up a 111 wRC+, that still basically only made him a league average player alongside the rest of his game. And his underlying numbers this year aren't good either; a .278 xwOBA is basically in line with Ortiz (.273). Him hitting more fly balls isn't a positive either, when it comes at the cost of line drives. LDs generate significantly better outcomes than fly balls, especially for someone like Rengifo with a 21st percentile EV. 

Sure, I think he's better than his current 44 wRC+. He'll play better going forward. But for him to be worth rostering, he'll need to exceed his career averages. And I don't see anything in what he's doing to suggest he's capable of that. If he was someone with higher career highs, I'd be more patient. I just don't see the value when even the absolute best case realistic scenario is that he'll end up an average starter. And most cases significantly less than that. I don't mind them taking a chance on him on a cheap 1-year deal like this, hoping to catch a return to his better days. But nothing suggest that's going to happen, so better move on IMO. 

[BrewCrew8675309]

On 4/29/2026 at 4:32 AM, Jopal78 said:

Pratt has a whopping 3 extra base hits against AAA pitching where there isn’t a Skenes, a Mitch Keller, a Edwin Cabrera, a Chase Burns, Yamamoto, Sale, Elder, etc etc.

I’m not defending Ortiz but there’s really not many replacements who are likely to be significantly better despite how low the bar is. 

Per MiLB.com splits, Neither Pratt nor Jett are not hitting righties in the minors this year. It is not a good look. 

[Jopal78]

On 5/5/2026 at 2:05 PM, Lathund said:

His overall career numbers are still those of a below average hitter (88 wRC+). So even if he wasn't declining, even if he played to his career norms, he'd still be a well below average player overall. Even at his peak (2022-2024) when he put up a 111 wRC+, that still basically only made him a league average player alongside the rest of his game. And his underlying numbers this year aren't good either; a .278 xwOBA is basically in line with Ortiz (.273). Him hitting more fly balls isn't a positive either, when it comes at the cost of line drives. LDs generate significantly better outcomes than fly balls, especially for someone like Rengifo with a 21st percentile EV. 

Sure, I think he's better than his current 44 wRC+. He'll play better going forward. But for him to be worth rostering, he'll need to exceed his career averages. And I don't see anything in what he's doing to suggest he's capable of that. If he was someone with higher career highs, I'd be more patient. I just don't see the value when even the absolute best case realistic scenario is that he'll end up an average starter. And most cases significantly less than that. I don't mind them taking a chance on him on a cheap 1-year deal like this, hoping to catch a return to his better days. But nothing suggest that's going to happen, so better move on IMO. 

You may be right, but whether he’s worth rostering is not wholly dependent on his metrics, but is equally dependent on who else they have that could take his spot.
 

It’s unrealistic to assume they’re going to reach a breaking point and call up one of their higher ceiling prospects who has a lower floor currently than Rengifo then let that player repeatedly fail in the majors while the team has postseason ambitions. 
 

Fact is, no matter how bad their SS and 3B play offensively, they’re going to run them out there until the decision makers believe they have a player ready to take their jobs, and by all indications there isn’t right now. 

[Frisbee Slider]

On 5/5/2026 at 1:48 PM, bensheeps said:

With two 40-man spots soon to be open (Jones DFA and Zerpa to 60-day IL), how much longer until a minor league hitter snags one of them and gets the call up?  (Jett Williams, Eddys Leonard, Luis Lara)

Outfield seems full with Mitchell, Chourio, Bauers and Frelick. Probably an opportunity for ABs against LHP, though.

Williams and Leonard are RHB and Lara switch hits.

I don’t think the team has tired of Rengifo, Hamilton or Ortiz yet in the infield. Williams has the advantage of playing 3B, SS and OF.

[Klantz27]

On 5/5/2026 at 11:02 AM, shanedog19 said:

This team's ceiling is currently limited by its below average offensive capability. I don't think they really have anything to lose by calling up Pratt. I guess you could make an argument he isn't ready yet, but they must have felt he was close by the contract they gave him. This team has a high upside starting rotation that will likely be wasted by an offense with too many holes unless it can be improved upon.

I feel like pratt has to be called up here at some point soon if they leave him in the minors this year and lose next season to lockout its essentially a 6 year deal for 47.25 million thats a terrible deal in my opinion 

[GAME05]

All else being equal, wouldn't Jett get first priority since there's room to play him across the infield? Wouldn't you hold Pratt back a little until you know he'd be able to get consistent time specifically at SS? Or is it wrong to assume that among the three that he's the top choice for SS?

Or better to call up the guy on contract and hold Jett back a while to get Super 2 status?

[umphrey]

I thought things were looking kind of ok with Hamilton as the primary SS and Ortiz the backup. Definitely not a situation that demands rushing up an under performing prospect anyway. 

 

3b is another story. I am a believer that Rengifo will turn it around soon, but if not then calling up a prospect to push Hamilton to 3B is a pretty marginal change offensively. Plus we probably have to trade/DFA Ortiz at that point to avoid carrying 3 SS with no offensive upside. 

[DonBarclay]

1 hour ago, umphrey said:

Plus we probably have to trade/DFA Ortiz at that point to avoid carrying 3 SS with no offensive upside. 

Joey O has two options remaining, so there would be no reason to DFA him. Option him to AAA or trade. Probably best to option him and work on the bat to regain value either in a trade or as a utility guy on the Brewers big league bench next year. 

[Jopal78]

17 hours ago, Klantz27 said:

I feel like pratt has to be called up here at some point soon if they leave him in the minors this year and lose next season to lockout its essentially a 6 year deal for 47.25 million thats a terrible deal in my opinion 

 He signed an 8 year contract with a 50 million dollar guarantee. By your comment above, I take it you’re not a fan of that event in the first place. 

The reality is Pratt signed a cut-rate extension with the Brewers where he’s going to have an AAV of 6.3 million dollars. With the price of even mediocre free agents reaching 10 million AAV, Pratt will have to fail almost completely for the Brewers to not have a bargain on their hands. Keep in mind the biggest money for Pratt is in the club options, where he does not get a buy out if the Brewers decline them. 
 

True they are paying him more than they have to this year, but that’s no reason to throw him in the major league lineup when he hasn’t yet mastered AAA pitching 

[liveforoctober]

18 hours ago, Klantz27 said:

I feel like pratt has to be called up here at some point soon if they leave him in the minors this year and lose next season to lockout its essentially a 6 year deal for 47.25 million thats a terrible deal in my opinion 

If anything, the contract gives the Brewers more time to let him season in AAA. We are paying him regardless, let's make sure we bring him up correctly. If they think he is ready to learn against MLB pitching, then he comes up. If they think he needs to get a few hundred more at bats in AAA ... then he stays down.  Panicking because an 8 year deal might become a 6 year deal and rushing him up when he isn't ready is not the right answer IMO.

[jay87shot]

Jett has been playing better, I would maybe give it another week to make Jett prove it and give Rengifo and Ortiz a chance to turn things around. The nice part is that Jett can take Blacks spot and since he can play SS/3B/OF Ortiz and Rengifo can still get a little playing time and then if one get hot play everyday while Jett still get AB's.

I am hopeful that by the end of the year of left side will be Jett/Cooper SS, Made 3B, and Hamilton utility. Obviously thing would need to go really well for Made.

[liveforoctober]

3 hours ago, jay87shot said:

Jett has been playing better, I would maybe give it another week to make Jett prove it and give Rengifo and Ortiz a chance to turn things around. The nice part is that Jett can take Blacks spot and since he can play SS/3B/OF Ortiz and Rengifo can still get a little playing time and then if one get hot play everyday while Jett still get AB's.

I am hopeful that by the end of the year of left side will be Jett/Cooper SS, Made 3B, and Hamilton utility. Obviously thing would need to go really well for Made.

With a pending lockout next year I really hope Made doesn't get called up. If we lose a year of development next year for both he and Pratt because they get locked out that will stunt us.