Harold Hutchison

Sitting atop the National League Central with a five-game cushion, the temptation might be for Milwaukee to stand pat. But perhaps some trades are in store, especially as top prospects keep making noise at Triple-A Nashville. Dealing from the major-league roster can be a bit risky. The Josh Hader trade of 2022 (and the Crew’s near-miss in the playoff race that year) might have some people feeling a little worried about tinkering with the clubhouse chemistry. Then again, the Hader trade has been a long-term winner for Milwaukee, based solely on the return for Esteury Ruiz: William Contreras. So, which players on the active roster could be moved? Let’s take a look. OF/1B Jake Bauers Bauers has arguably been the team’s offensive MVP this season, leading them in home runs and RBIs. So why might he be on the block? The answer is all too typical for Brewers fans: Impending free agency. With the way he’s hitting, Bauers is going to get a healthy pay bump from the $2.7 million he’s receiving in 2026, and it will probably be a multi-year contract. The Brewers won't risk making a qualifying offer, which would be necessary to secure draft compensation. There is a potential partner for the Brewers in this deal: The Rays. The Tampa outfield’s offensive production has been about as problematic for them as the production at shortstop and third base has been for the Brewers. They would have to believe in Bauers's defense in the grass, because they have Jonathan Aranda and Yandy Díaz at first base. The Brewers would have to get something good in return, and have considerable faith in someone like Blake Burke or Tyler Black, but it's not entirely out of the question that they could trade Bauers. OF Garrett Mitchell Mitchell has managed to stay healthy, and he’s been reasonably productive on offense, with some excellent defense in center. So why move him? Here’s one reason: Luis Lara. Lara’s tearing it up in Nashville, and he looks to not only have Gold Glove defense, but his toolset could also take the leadoff spot. The current leadoff hitters for the Brewers are Christian Yelich and Jackson Chourio. To clear space for Lara, someone’s going to need to be moved, and Mitchell may be the guy to go. The team wouldn't trade Mitchell just to hand things off to Lara, though. Again, it depends on the return they're offtered. RHP Trevor Megill Megill has rebounded in terms of velocity, after having figured out how to get batters out without it. He’s a top-tier closer, but the Brewers have youth moving through the minors, and could land a decent return for Megill, just as they did with Devin Williams and Hader before him. This might seem counterintuitive, but the Brewers have a lot of young relief talent in Nashville (Will Childers and Blake Holub spring to mind) and some guys they could move to relief if needed. Again: the team has the luxury of waiting to see if anyone bowls them over. RHP Chad Patrick Patrick has been one of the most reliable and versatile parts of the Brewers' pitching staff since the start of the 2025 season. That said, the Brewers have a lot of pitching talent moving up, and it might behoove them to move some of the second-tier pitchers to teams in need. The goal here is to secure a higher return than might otherwise be obtained. Trading such a useful piece of pitching depth is almost unfathomable for a team with World Series aspirations, but like Megill, Mitchell and Bauers, Patrick could become available in just the right deal. After what Matt Arnold did to the Red Sox when he seemed to be innocently trying to shore up pitching depth by moving Caleb Durbin, the big risk might be that teams won't even answer his calls anymore. Which players do you think could be a surprise trade candidate? Let us know in the comments below!

With 61 games down and 101 to go in the 2026 season, what could happen next? Well, a lot has already happened, including a rash of injuries that has the Brewers in a scramble mode. Still, there is a lot of baseball to play, and a five-game lead in the NL Central isn’t decisive in early June. Here’s one bold prediction for each month of the season that is left. June: Luis Lara forces his way to Milwaukee Sal Frelick has looked a lot more like the 2024 version (Gold Glove defense, below-average production) than the 2025 version (above-average offense with near-Gold Glove defense). The same can’t be said for Blake Perkins, who has scuffled (to put it mildly) in 2026 and 2025 after a leg injury. With Luis Lara tearing things up at Nashville, it’s getting harder not to go for a bit of a shuffle, with Lara starting in center, Garrett Mitchell moving to right, and Jackson Chourio handling left, with Frelick taking over as fourth outfielder. Lara could take the leadoff spot as well, so the Brewers aren’t wasting power bats like Chourio and Christian Yelich in the leadoff spot. July: The Brewers pull a roster-clearing blockbuster Nashville has plenty of talent, but some of them appear blocked. The Brewers will need to clear some roster space while also recharging the farm system. The way things are, there is a way for them to do both – it will be a blockbuster deal that will be one heck of a dice roll. The Brewers send Jake Bauers, Garrett Mitchell, and Jeferson Quero to the Rays, snagging utility player Taitn Gray, catcher Caden Bodine, and the Competitive Balance A pick the Rays acquired from Baltimore in return. This might seem like a huge risk, but Bauers is a free agent after 2026, and even with his offensive breakthrough, Milwaukee may not use the qualifying offer on him. In addition, Bauers and Mitchell fill a need for Tampa: In left field and center field, their current incumbents are making some good impressions of Luis Rengifo and Joey Ortiz at the plate. They also could use a long-term catcher, and Quero could fill the need for them, especially when Milwaukee has a number of talented options working their way through the system, along with very solid options on the major-league roster. August: Cooper Pratt, Tyler Black, Eddys Leonard, and Jett Williams are in Milwaukee Why might the Brewers move Bauers, Mitchell, and Quero? The answer is simple: They need the roster spots – because Rengifo and Ortiz will not be sustainable, and sooner or later, those replacements will need to happen. The Brewers will roll with their farm system, and it may actually make them better. September: The Brewers Lock Down Cornerstones The pennant race will not be the only excitement Brewers fans have. The July trade, in a sense, will set the Brewers up to meet the probable salary floor coming in the next collective bargaining agreement. Currently, they have a $139.5 million payroll, per Sportrac. The floor will likely be in the $170-175 million range, so Mark Attanasio will have to spend another $30-35 million. Assuming Brandon Woodruff departs after 2026, the team will also need to spend the $22 million QO salary. How do you spend about $50 million wisely? The obvious answer would be to lock in players who are likely cornerstones for the franchise. In this case, Jacob Misiorowski, Brice Turang, and William Contreras. Brewers fans will love it. The team execs will be okay with it. The rest of the National League? They’ll probably hate it. October: The Brewers win two playoff series The Brewers will have a good playoff run in 2026, even with the counterintuitive July trade. The big reason will be the talent of young players like Lara, Pratt, Williams, Black (who is just 25), and Leonard (also just 25). That said, this team will likely again make a NLCS exit, partially because they run out of gas, but mostly because Atlanta and Los Angeles still look like juggernauts, and Milwaukee’s path to the World Series will likely go through both of them unless the Crew gets the #1 overall seed in the playoffs, but pushing for that would only raise the question of how much more the Brewers have left in the tank. November: Jesus Made gets his extension Lockout or no lockout, there is one certainty: Jesus Made is going to be in Milwaukee come 2027, no matter when Opening Day is. It makes sense that the Brewers are going to give him a Chourio-type extension. What do you think will happen during the rest of the 2026 season? Let us know in the comments below!

The start of June always hits a baseball fan like an unexpected glimpse of a kid growing up faster than you'd noticed. Too soon, the campaign is becoming real and weighty, when we still want to tell ourselves it's early. That's true even in the minor leagues, where the season starts later but winds down sooner, too. It's a reasonable time, then, to take a look at which Brewers prospects have earned organizational All-Star status so far this year—or at least, who goes on the ballot. Catcher Darrien Miller, Double-A Biloxi: .284/.492/.614 with eight home runs and 20 RBI in 88 at-bats Marco Dinges, Advanced-A Wisconsin: .252/.380/.463 with seven home runs and 25 RBI in 123 at-bats Miller, a long-time Brewers farmhand, has had a minor offensive breakout this season, adding to his already impressive OBP skills. We could call it more than minor, even, but for his age and the fact that this is his third look at the Southern League. The negatives remain: his weak throwing arm (a career CS rate of 16%) and a high strikeout total (29 in 88 at-bats). On the other hand, at 25, Miller may have put it all together. Dinges has been a huge bat the Brewers are trying to develop into a catcher, with some success. He has a 30% CS rate in 2026, but most of his work will need to focus on receiving skills. Honorable Mentions: Jeferson Quero, Triple-A Nashville; Matthew Wood, Double-A Biloxi First Base Blake Burke, Double-A Biloxi: .247/.333/.511 with 12 home runs and 33 RBI in 182 at-bats Burke was the guy the Brewers selected with the competitive-balance pick they acquired in the Corbin Burnes trade. His lefty power bat looks like an excellent fit for Uecker Field, and he's also a threat on the basepaths—although the Brewers sometimes let their big, slugging corner infielders run a bit in the minors, only to have them naturally rein it in as they get closer to the bigs. Honorable Mention: Jonathan Rangel, Rookie ACL Brewers Second Base Dylan O’Rae, Double-A Biloxi: .317/.437/.389 with one home run and 13 RBI in 167 at-bats O’Rae’s big tools are speed and OBP skills. Think of long-time Marlins player Luis Castillo. O’Rae currently appears blocked by Brice Turang, but his speed and a bit of versatility—he's also played decently in center field—could make him a valuable role player down the road. Honorable Mention: Juan Ortuno, Single-A Wilson Third Base Andrew Fischer, Advanced-A Wisconsin: .275/.409/.621 with 14 home runs and 36 RBI in 153 at-bats The only real knock on Fischer is that he’s striking out a lot. Otherwise, he’s looked ready to force his way to Double-A Biloxi, and soon. When you draft a polished collegiate hitter, this is what you hope will happen in their first full season. Honorable Mention: Jett Williams, Triple-A Nashville Shortstop Jesus Made, Double-A Biloxi: .271/.350/.442 with six home runs and 36 RBI in 181 at-bats Made, like Jackson Chourio before him, is looking every bit the potential franchise cornerstone. The real question will be when the Brewers elect to bump him to third base to get reps in there, because his bat certainly seems ready for Triple-A. It's not too early to call him an organizational All-Star, but it's too early to rule out a 2026 big-league debut. Honorable Mention: Cooper Pratt, Triple-A Nashville Outfield Luis Lara, Triple-A Nashville: .359/.481/.518 with seven home runs and 26 RBI in 195 at-bats Braylon Payne, Advanced-A Wisconsin: .280/.368/.569 with 10 home runs and 19 RBI in 123 at-bats Josh Adamczewski, Advanced-A Wisconsin: .310/.448/.550 with seven home runs and 27 RBI in 129 at-bats Lara has been forcefully making his case for a promotion to Milwaukee, particularly given the struggles of Sal Frelick and Blake Perkins. Payne and Adamczewski have been powering a potent Timber Rattlers team, and each is probably happy to move gradually through the system for now; it would be hard to find room for either in the majors anytime soon. In the big picture, it's a big deal that Payne, in particular, is starting to look like he'll pan out, after initially looking like the rare Brewers first-round pick that might go amiss. Honorable Mentions: Handelfy Encarnacion, Single-A Wilson; Josiah Ragsdale, Advanced-A Wisconsin Utility Eddys Leonard, Triple-A Nashville: .298/.354/.534 with eight home runs and 33 RBI in 161 at-bats Leonard was picked up as a minor-league free agent, but he’s hit very well and played multiple positions. He’s making the case for a long look to be on the 40-man, much as Isaac Collins did. He even seems to have more pop than Collins, based on the numbers—though this year, in the minors, the numbers are all liars. Honorable Mentions: Mike Boeve and Eduardo Garcia, Double-A Biloxi Designated Hitter Tayden Hall, Advanced-A Wisconsin/Double-A Biloxi: .259/.425/.481 with four home runs and 24 RBI in 81 at-bats Hall’s been a solid hitter with power potential, but no real defensive home, shuffling between catcher, first base, designated hitter, and left field, with some playing time in right field this season. Honorable Mention: Jadyn Fielder, Single-A Wilson Who do you think should be on this all-farm system team? Let us know in the comments below!

Offense has been an issue at times for the major-league club, and for the various affiliates. However, despite an arduous April, some Brewers farmhands did very well, indeed. Let’s look over these players who have delivered amazing Aprils for the organization. C Darrien Miller, Biloxi Shuckers (Double-A) .257/.552/.429 in 35 ABs with 1 HR and 5 RBIs I’ve been high on Miller as a below-the-radar prospect before, but there was nothing below the radar about his April. Miller drew 17 walks and was plunked six times, while striking out only 15 times. Miller didn’t just get on base more than half the time. He displayed some potency at the plate, too, with three doubles and a solo homer. Miller could force his way to Nashville if he keeps this performance up, though at 25 years old and after needing so much time to achieve competence in Double-A, the majors still seem far away. 1B Blake Burke, Biloxi Shuckers (Double-A) .242/.342/.586 in 99 ABs with 8 home runs and 20 RBIs Burke is arguably the best power prospect in the Brewers system, and arguably the team’s first baseman of the future. His April was about power, with a total of 17 extra-base hits. Burke, though, isn’t a one-dimensional three-true-outcomes player. When he gets on base, he is a threat to run, going 9-for-10 in stolen bases. Like Miller, he could be forcing his way to Nashville before long, and he's younger and toolsier. SS Jesus Made, Biloxi Shuckers (Double-A) .290/.385/.460 in 100 ABs with 2 home runs and 16 RBIs Made, the top prospect in the Milwaukee organization, had an excellent April for the Shuckers, providing an all-around offensive package of power, speed, hitting for average, and getting on base. While it is an open question whether he or recently-extended Cooper Pratt will be the Brewers’ Shortstop of the Future, Made’s offense could make him viable at multiple positions on the diamond. He may not be long for Biloxi if he keeps this up. LF/2B Josh Adamczewski, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Advanced-A) .305/.446/.593 in 59 ABs with 5 homers and 14 RBIs Adamczewski has erupted as a pure hitter in 2025, and it’s included a power surge that could send him up the ladder. Like current Brewer Tyler Black, Adamczewski could always hit; the question was finding him a defensive home that could keep him in the lineup. However, his amazing April stats could see him flying south to Biloxi before summer. CF Luis Lara, Nashville Sounds (Triple-A) .324/.416/.519 in 108 ABs with 5 homers and 13 RBIs Lara has had a breakout year with the Sounds. Too early to say that? Well, his five home runs in March and April already set a career high for the 21-year-old, who’s already established excellent hit-for-contact skills, defense, and speed. His OBP skills are up a notch, too, as he’s walked more than he struck out. This is a quantum leap in the power department, and Lara is making a case to head to American Family Field sooner, rather than later. Overview While Burke and Made have been adding to their top prospect resumes, and Adamczewski and Miller are showing some real signs of having offensive breakouts, it’s really impossible to argue against the leveling up that Luis Lara’s shown while playing as a 21-year-old in Nashville. Already having a floor as a reliable fourth outfielder in the Blake Perkins mold, Lara’s now making the case as a potential future regular. Congratulations to Luis Lara, Brewer Fanatic’s Minor League Hitter of the Month for April 2026. Offense has been an issue at times for the major-league club, and for the various affiliates. However, despite an arduous April, some Brewers farmhands did very well, indeed. Let’s look over these players who have delivered amazing Aprils for the organization. C Darrien Miller, Biloxi Shuckers (Double-A) .257/.552/.429 in 35 ABs with 1 HR and 5 RBIs I’ve been high on Miller as a below-the-radar prospect before, but there was nothing below the radar about his April. Miller drew 17 walks and was plunked six times, while striking out only 15 times. Miller didn’t just get on base more than half the time. He displayed some potency at the plate, too, with three doubles and a solo homer. Miller could force his way to Nashville if he keeps this performance up, though at 25 years old and after needing so much time to achieve competence in Double-A, the majors still seem far away. 1B Blake Burke, Biloxi Shuckers (Double-A) .242/.342/.586 in 99 ABs with 8 home runs and 20 RBIs Burke is arguably the best power prospect in the Brewers system, and arguably the team’s first baseman of the future. His April was about power, with a total of 17 extra-base hits. Burke, though, isn’t a one-dimensional three-true-outcomes player. When he gets on base, he is a threat to run, going 9-for-10 in stolen bases. Like Miller, he could be forcing his way to Nashville before long, and he's younger and toolsier. SS Jesus Made, Biloxi Shuckers (Double-A) .290/.385/.460 in 100 ABs with 2 home runs and 16 RBIs Made, the top prospect in the Milwaukee organization, had an excellent April for the Shuckers, providing an all-around offensive package of power, speed, hitting for average, and getting on base. While it is an open question whether he or recently-extended Cooper Pratt will be the Brewers’ Shortstop of the Future, Made’s offense could make him viable at multiple positions on the diamond. He may not be long for Biloxi if he keeps this up. LF/2B Josh Adamczewski, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Advanced-A) .305/.446/.593 in 59 ABs with 5 homers and 14 RBIs Adamczewski has erupted as a pure hitter in 2025, and it’s included a power surge that could send him up the ladder. Like current Brewer Tyler Black, Adamczewski could always hit; the question was finding him a defensive home that could keep him in the lineup. However, his amazing April stats could see him flying south to Biloxi before summer. CF Luis Lara, Nashville Sounds (Triple-A) .324/.416/.519 in 108 ABs with 5 homers and 13 RBIs Lara has had a breakout year with the Sounds. Too early to say that? Well, his five home runs in March and April already set a career high for the 21-year-old, who’s already established excellent hit-for-contact skills, defense, and speed. His OBP skills are up a notch, too, as he’s walked more than he struck out. This is a quantum leap in the power department, and Lara is making a case to head to American Family Field sooner, rather than later. Overview While Burke and Made have been adding to their top prospect resumes, and Adamczewski and Miller are showing some real signs of having offensive breakouts, it’s really impossible to argue against the leveling up that Luis Lara’s shown while playing as a 21-year-old in Nashville. Already having a floor as a reliable fourth outfielder in the Blake Perkins mold, Lara’s now making the case as a potential future regular. Congratulations to Luis Lara, Brewer Fanatic’s Minor League Hitter of the Month for April 2026.