Cooper Pratt Getting the Call

[CheezWizHed]

14 hours ago, wallus said:

Some Pratt stats to consider:

2026 Spring Training: .645 OPS

Last month: .825 OPS

AAA against LHP: .863 OPS

AAA against RHP: .685 OPS

Turang's first MLB season: .585 OPS

Other stats to consider:

Rengifo: 

205

.280

.254

.534

51

Ortiz:

.207

.299

.262

.561

59

The bar is pretty low for him to clear.

[Thurston Fluff]

Today is the day free agents on a new deal can be traded. While Renigfro isn't likely to have the phone ringing off the hook I could see him being traded in a package deal with one of the  prospects. Black seems like a possible candidate IMHO.

[Turning2]

1 hour ago, CheezWizHed said:

Other stats to consider:

Rengifo: 

205

.280

.254

.534

51

Ortiz:

.207

.299

.262

.561

59

The bar is pretty low for him to clear.

It sure is. The bigger question that can't be ignored, and often is - does Pratt clearing that low hurdle, say maybe hitting .220 with a 2-3 HRs the rest of the way out, make them any more competitive for the post season? Nope.

I've said before that I believe the front office approached this year as a season to position themselves for the potential lockout and to see how the new CBA affects their financial strategies. I usually get scoffed at. Don't care. This move supports that premise UNLESS they make a significant trade to upgrade 3B. They can absorb one lower average, developing hitter between SS and 3B. They can't seriously compete for a World Series championship with two. Moving Vaugn to 3B somewhat regularly might be an option. It would also support the premise of holding pat until after the CBA is settled. Plug an out of position guy in, rather than move assets to try and fix a hole for a championship run.

[Thurston Fluff]

14 minutes ago, Turning2 said:

It sure it. The bigger question that can't be ignored, and often is - does Pratt clearing that low hurdle, say maybe hitting .220 with a 2-3 HRs the rest of the way out, make them any more competitive for the post season? Nope.

 

It won't make them less competitive if he does slightly better plus there's a chance he adjusts to the majors like is is to AAA. Given the chances of making us less competitive is virtually nonexistent why not pull the trigger now and see if he adjusts in time for the playoffs?

[liveforoctober]

5 hours ago, Turning2 said:

That's too much to ask for from far too many fans. I fully expect him to disappoint a lot of them. Personally, I think it's a little rushed, but definitely a new story line and angle of interest to keep us entertained.  The question is how much does it help a playoff run? Solid move for the future, but feels like a lateral move offensively. 

Just curious why you view Lara differently than you view Pratt in terms of needing MLB exposure?

[Turning2]

29 minutes ago, Thurston Fluff said:

It won't make them less competitive if he does slightly better plus there's a chance he adjusts to the majors like is is to AAA. Given the chances of making us less competitive is virtually nonexistent why not pull the trigger now and see if he adjusts in time for the playoffs?

It won't make them less competitive; that's not the issue. Will it make them MORE competitive? Possible, but not likely unless they upgrade 3B. If Pratt was pounding .280 with 6-7 HRs in Nashville, he would stand a chance of pounding maybe .250 while adjusting to big league pitching. And they could make a run with that. But he's not. I fully expect him to hit no better than .230 with an odd dinger or two the rest of the way out. I don't see that as an upgrade for now but for later. 

[markedman5]

17 minutes ago, Turning2 said:

It won't make them less competitive; that's not the issue. Will it make them MORE competitive? Possible, but not likely unless they upgrade 3B. If Pratt was pounding .280 with 6-7 HRs in Nashville, he would stand a chance of pounding maybe .250 while adjusting to big league pitching. And they could make a run with that. But he's not. I fully expect him to hit no better than .230 with an odd dinger or two the rest of the way out. I don't see that as an upgrade for now but for later. 

Pratt does have 6 homers in Nashville…….not hitting 280 for season but over the last 25 games he is hitting 281…..with 4 of his 6 homers.

So after a slow start he seems to be adjusting well……..I will keep my expectations in check but don’t think it’s out of question that he can be decent offensively.

obp is also 100 points higher than his average for the season which shows decent plate discipline.

[liveforoctober]

Just now, markedman5 said:

Pratt does have 6 homers in Nashville…….not hitting 280 for season but over the last 25 games he is hitting 281…..with 4 of his 6 homers.

So after a slow start he seems to be adjusting well……..I will keep my expectations in check but don’t think it’s out of question that he can be decent offensively.

obp is also 100 points higher than his average for the season which shows decent plate discipline.

The Brewers also make a concerted effort to protect guys against offensive flaws because they hammer splits more than most.

Pratt against LHP this year (sm sample sz) is .268/.423/.439 -> OPS of .862

So if Rengifo is indeed the guy bumped out of the lineup it is hard for me to imagine we haven't improved our offering against LHP going from Ortiz/Rengifo to Ortiz/Pratt both offensively and defensively speaking.

I do expect Pratt will get plenty of playing time against RHP as well ... but in a vacuum the numbers favor the move regardless.

[DonBarclay]

15 minutes ago, Turning2 said:

It won't make them less competitive; that's not the issue. Will it make them MORE competitive? Possible, but not likely unless they upgrade 3B. If Pratt was pounding .280 with 6-7 HRs in Nashville, he would stand a chance of pounding maybe .250 while adjusting to big league pitching. And they could make a run with that. But he's not. I fully expect him to hit no better than .230 with an odd dinger or two the rest of the way out. I don't see that as an upgrade for now but for later. 

He does have 6 HR in Nashville. Hes also an ascending player at only 21. Also hitting .279 over the last 5 weeks. So he’s actually doing exactly what you hope for, if you take away the first month of him trying to adjust to AAA. 

Give him a month in the bigs to sit in the low .200s and probably still outperform what he’s replacing, and I think they’ve got a good chance to have a .700+ OPS player from the all star break on. Thats not a minor upgrade at all. 

I think the Brewers are going to be a bit slow to make the changes, but they will. First step is Pratt taking Rengifos ABs, and a straight platoon at 3B. Hamilton has an OPS of .661 against righties and Ortiz is .715 against lefties for their careers. So you’re already improving both positions. Of that fails and Jett gets hot, you can give him a shot. After Pratt has established himself, if Sal is still struggling you can bring up Lara and he enters the OF rotation with Chourio, Mitchell, and Bauers. Do that at the break and he’s firing on all cylinders by early August.

There’s nothing wrong with doing these changes strategically, setting guys up for success. There’s no good reason to rush when the team is performing well. Every decision they make now should be with an eye to how it helps in October, and it’s hard to argue that Pratt doesn’t represent a good chance at a very real upgrade for both SS and 3B. 

[wiguy94]

Just now, liveforoctober said:

The Brewers also make a concerted effort to protect guys against offensive flaws because they hammer splits more than most.

Pratt against LHP this year (sm sample sz) is .268/.423/.439 -> OPS of .862

So if Rengifo is indeed the guy bumped out of the lineup it is hard for me to imagine we haven't improved our offering against LHP going from Ortiz/Rengifo to Ortiz/Pratt both offensively and defensively speaking.

I do expect Pratt will get plenty of playing time against RHP as well ... but in a vacuum the numbers favor the move regardless.

Yeah I imagine they might try and protect Pratt against some tough RHP like they did for Chourio at the start of his career.

[Turning2]

4 minutes ago, markedman5 said:

Pratt does have 6 homers in Nashville…….not hitting 280 for season but over the last 25 games he is hitting 281…..with 4 of his 6 homers.

So after a slow start he seems to be adjusting well……..I will keep my expectations in check but don’t think it’s out of question that he can be decent offensively.

obp is also 100 points higher than his average for the season which shows decent plate discipline.

Fair enough. I'm definitely pulling for him. Love his glove (I was a defensive SS with a strong arm too, so I'm biased 😁). Just hope they can do something for 3B now with a more proven offensive player at the MLB level to complement Pratt without a long-term commitment.   

[Turning2]

50 minutes ago, liveforoctober said:

Just curious why you view Lara differently than you view Pratt in terms of needing MLB exposure?

Not sure what specifically I posted previously that would make you ask that. I think they are both being rushed a season early. I'd suggest that MIL might be able to cover the offensive shortcomings of a rookie in the OF a little easier than one at SS. But it's really an either / or rather than player A versus player B. I think the team could absorb poor offense from one rookie learning the ropes at either spot, but not both - that might be the best way to put it. 

[Brewcrew82]

Let's be honest, the Brewers really need to start being better on defense if they're going to overtake the Dodgers and win a World Series, as they're highly unlikely to be able to outslug the Dodgers. 

Pratt's callup and the presumed removal of Rengifo from the roster (not to mention the likely end of Hamilton's time at SS) should be a major boost in that department irrespective of his ultimate offensive production.

The next logical area of defensive improvement is CF, where the Brewers could potentially be getting GG (even if not-PCA level) production from Luis Lara. If I were the Brewers, I would seriously explore moving Mitchell to RF in favor of Lara and then Chourio (who has been better than Mitchell in the this OF per the metrics) when Lara isn't in the lineup. 

[long ball]

I’m not all that optimistic that Pratt will be an upgrade offensively. However, I am glad they’re bringing him up to the majors. 
 

I mentioned this on Spencer’s Cooper Pratt primer, but we are going to be promoting a bunch of position players over the next 2-3 seasons. Staggering their promotions over the course of a couple seasons theoretically helps that transition to the next core of the position players. 
 

I’m thinking at least Pratt, Williams, Made, Lara, and Quero will all be in prominent roles by mid 2027 season. 

[wallus]

Chourio has not been that good in CF according to the data I've seen but Lara I'll give you

[Turning2]

38 minutes ago, DonBarclay said:

He does have 6 HR in Nashville. Hes also an ascending player at only 21. Also hitting .279 over the last 5 weeks. So he’s actually doing exactly what you hope for, if you take away the first month of him trying to adjust to AAA. 

Give him a month in the bigs to sit in the low .200s and probably still outperform what he’s replacing, and I think they’ve got a good chance to have a .700+ OPS player from the all star break on. Thats not a minor upgrade at all. 

I think the Brewers are going to be a bit slow to make the changes, but they will. First step is Pratt taking Rengifos ABs, and a straight platoon at 3B. Hamilton has an OPS of .661 against righties and Ortiz is .715 against lefties for their careers. So you’re already improving both positions. Of that fails and Jett gets hot, you can give him a shot. After Pratt has established himself, if Sal is still struggling you can bring up Lara and he enters the OF rotation with Chourio, Mitchell, and Bauers. Do that at the break and he’s firing on all cylinders by early August.

There’s nothing wrong with doing these changes strategically, setting guys up for success. There’s no good reason to rush when the team is performing well. Every decision they make now should be with an eye to how it helps in October, and it’s hard to argue that Pratt doesn’t represent a good chance at a very real upgrade for both SS and 3B. 

Fair points. My instinct leans towards players with proven MLB ability versus projection and potential.  However, that depends on if the solution is desired now or later. And of course, nothing is certain either way. They could bring in a proven vet (whoever that might be??) and he could fall flat too at much greater expense. I'm excited to see Pratt, Been keeping an eye on him since he hit AA. Took some flak for declaring he, not Made, is the SS of the future, or at least.. the most gifted defensive SS among the farm prospects. 

[Frisbee Slider]

Most shortstops the Brewers called up to begin their career were not ready, at least during their first ten games.
source

[Brewcrew82]

13 minutes ago, wallus said:

Chourio has not been that good in CF according to the data I've seen but Lara I'll give you

I'm talking about the OF in general. Chourio hasn't seen enough time in CF this year for the data to be particularly useful. Mitchell has pretty clearly taken a step back, though. 

Chourio's range in the OF is elite wherever he plays and is still fresh enough to CF and young enough that there's potentially more upside than Mitchell with comparatively little downside at this point. 

Lara would ultimately take precedence when he's in the lineup. 

[rickh150]

Bring back the Coooop! Chants….something so right and good about that!  Bring back Cecil to throw out Tuesday night’s first pitch!

[wallus]

8 minutes ago, Brewcrew82 said:

I'm talking about the OF in general. Chourio hasn't seen enough time in CF this year for the data to be particularly useful. Mitchell has pretty clearly taken a step back, though. 

Chourio's range in the OF is elite wherever he plays and is still fresh enough to CF and young enough that there's potentially more upside than Mitchell with comparatively little downside at this point. 

Lara would ultimately take precedence when he's in the lineup. 

Savant has Garrett with the better range and sprint speed. I still would prefer Garrett in RF but for Lara, not Jackson

[Brewcrew82]

14 minutes ago, wallus said:

Savant has Garrett with the better range and sprint speed. I still would prefer Garrett in RF but for Lara, not Jackson

Jackson Chourio has the same OAA in significantly less defensive innings and averages more feet per average in terms of his jump than Garrett....

https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/leaderboard/outfield_jump?year=2026&min=10

[OldSchoolSnapper]

I'm expecting him to not play particularly well, go back down, and read a few posts that he may not be what we paid for.

[Turning2]

Regarding Mitchell's defense, I recall an interview where he was asked about mitigating injury. The response was taking an approach to defense that was a little more mindful of potential injury - essentially, playing a tad less aggressive. Perhaps that might address the data or perception of a defensive drop off.

His lack of power is highly disappointing, but I'm glad he's been healthy and available so far. Probably a fair tradeoff for a dip in defense. 

[Turning2]

1 hour ago, long ball said:

I’m not all that optimistic that Pratt will be an upgrade offensively. However, I am glad they’re bringing him up to the majors. 
 

I mentioned this on Spencer’s Cooper Pratt primer, but we are going to be promoting a bunch of position players over the next 2-3 seasons. Staggering their promotions over the course of a couple seasons theoretically helps that transition to the next core of the position players. 
 

I’m thinking at least Pratt, Williams, Made, Lara, and Quero will all be in prominent roles by mid 2027 season. 

That view aligns somewhat with my suggestion that this year is for positioning for the future, i.e. - post lock out, rather than making aggressive moves and going for it this year. Some people were howling that, after a 97 win season, that they didn't make any upgrade moves in the offseason for a serious push this season. I kept telling them, that they are not making moves for this year, but beyond. 

[Brewcrew82]

10 minutes ago, Turning2 said:

Regarding Mitchell's defense, I recall an interview where he was asked about mitigating injury. The response was taking an approach to defense that was a little more mindful of potential injury - essentially, playing a tad less aggressive. Perhaps that might address the data or perception of a defensive drop off.

His lack of power is highly disappointing, but I'm glad he's been healthy and available so far. Probably a fair tradeoff for a dip in defense. 

That's definitely a fair enough tradeoff, but then he should be placed in a corner and not a position that is as important defensively as CF. 

Our lack of defensive production from CF is hurting our metrics overall.