What is the Milwaukee Brewers' Best Defensive Lineup for October?

[Harold Hutchison]

Image courtesy of Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

October baseball isn't far away, and the Brewers are likely to be in the thick of it again. One thing fueling their MLB-best record of 81-50 after their series victory over visitors from the South this weekend: their shutdown defense. They always catch the ball well; this year is no exception.

Yet, the team isn't elite in the field this season, as they've been in the past. Their .710 Defensive Efficiency (outs per ball in play) ranks eighth in the big leagues. How can the Brewers double down on this strength in October and become their most suffocating selves on defense? It’s not so hard, when you think about it. Let’s go over each of the positions in question.

Catcher: William Contreras
Contreras was a bat-first catcher when he was acquired by the Brewers, after David Stearns inserted himself into negotiations between Atlanta and Oakland. That's no longer the case. Contreras (like Jonathan Lucroy, Omar Narvaez and Victor Caratini before him) has emerged as a very solid defensive backstop. This year, he’s thrown out 39% of would-be basestealers. This was an easy choice.

First Base: Jake Bauers
Bauers has gotten attention for his massive offensive breakout in 2026, but in his two previous seasons with Milwaukee, he also provided above-average defense at first base with his athleticism, giving him a clear edge over Andrew Vaughn on the defensive side of the ledger. He's not a defensive ace there, at this point, but he doesn't hurt you.

Second Base: Brice Turang
He’s got a Gold Glove and Platinum Glove from 2024, and is still arguably the best defender among Brewers infielders. This one doesn't take much hand-wringing or worrying. Turang anchors this defense at its best.

Shortstop: Cooper Pratt
The rookie has hardware from the minors (a Minor League Gold Glove for the 2024 season), but he’s also made only two errors in 46 games. Any ball hit in his vicinity is pretty much a guaranteed out. The smoothness of his transition to the majors at a young age and a demanding position has been profoundly impressive.

Third Base: Joey Ortiz
Ortiz has come alive since he began platooning with David Hamilton at the hot corner. He’s got a slight edge in terms of defense, although he and Hamilton are tied for the team lead in errors at eight apiece. As we all know, defense is about much more than error rates; Ortiz shows good range and a strong arm at the hot corner.

Left Field: Jackson Chourio
Chourio has improved at tracking and getting jumps on fly balls, and his arm has become more of a weapon this season, to boot. Considering that he competently held down center field for the Brewers in 2025, he’s likely the best choice for left field, particularly given whom they have in center and right.

Center Field: Luis Lara
The Brewers obviously see Lara as a key part of the future. They committed $31 million over seven years, and could end up paying him more than double that amount. His rookie season has already delivered some highlight-reel catches, and he’s also shown quite the arm in just 34 games, gunning down two runners with no errors. Pitchers can feel very good knowing Lara has their back.

Right Field: Sal Frelick
Frelick won a Gold Glove in 2024, and if he proves he's fully healthy again before the start of the postseason, he should be that caliber of defender once more. This year, playing through a shoulder malady, he was both more tentative in pursuit of difficult fly balls and much less able to control the running game with his arm. If a prolonged stint on the IL fixes that, though, he's the best right fielder on the team.

Overview
This lineup maximizes the Brewers defense, but have no fear, none of these guys are automatic outs at the plate, either. This exact lineup could take the field a few times, but it's more likely that Garrett Mitchell holds onto the bulk of the playing time in center. Lara might soak up Frelick's time in right, unless and until the older of the two diminutive stars proves his shoulder trouble is behind him. In any case, this is how the team can best stifle offense when opponents put the ball in play. Of course, they also benefit hugely when Jacob Misiorowski or Kyle Harrison is on the mound, because then, they don't have as many balls in play to worry about, anyway.

View full article

[wiguy94]

Mitchell in CF is the Brewers best defensive setup.

[Harold Hutchison]

Mitchell's not bad, but Lara is something special out there on defense. Prior to 2026, I saw him as Blake Perkins with a higher offensive floor. If the power surge is for real, though... then he becomes a potential leadoff option.

But defensively, I think Lara is the best. The Brewers certainly seem willing to commit big bucks to him over seven years. He's not replacing Frelick in right, he's going to anchor the outfield defense, and there's a play or two every day that shows why.

[wiguy94]

5 minutes ago, Harold Hutchison said:

Mitchell's not bad, but Lara is something special out there on defense. Prior to 2026, I saw him as Blake Perkins with a higher offensive floor. If the power surge is for real, though... then he becomes a potential leadoff option.

But defensively, I think Lara is the best. The Brewers certainly seem willing to commit big bucks to him over seven years. He's not replacing Frelick in right, he's going to anchor the outfield defense, and there's a play or two every day that shows why.

Yet Lara has never played CF over Mitchell. Lara has made some nice defensive plays but he consistently has made plays look tougher than they actually are which in turn makes fans think his defense is better than it is.

[Harold Hutchison]

4 minutes ago, wiguy94 said:

Yet Lara has never played CF over Mitchell. Lara has made some nice defensive plays but he consistently has made plays look tougher than they actually are which in turn makes fans think his defense is better than it is.

I agree, Mitchell is not horrible in center field and he is the best offensive option in center (unless you want Chourio in there). On defense, he's third of four CF-capable players on defense, ahead of Chourio, but behind Lara and Frelick.

[wiguy94]

1 minute ago, Harold Hutchison said:

I agree, Mitchell is not horrible in center field and he is the best offensive option in center (unless you want Chourio in there). On defense, he's third of four CF-capable players on defense, ahead of Chourio, but behind Lara and Frelick.

Mitchell is far better defensively than both Lara and Frelick because he's far more athletic than them. Lara has fringe-average speed if you compare him to CF as he's only 77th percentile at 28.3 ft/sec while Mitchell is 98th percentile at 29.9 ft/sec. That's a huge gap and it's a big reason why Lara makes plays look tougher defensively than they actually are.