Harold Hutchison

He already is a semi-regular at third based on the 60-40 split we've observed in Nashville. Definitely worth a 40-man spot, and to be honest, he's eclipsed Brock Wilken by a fair margin. As for Vaughn, I'd never say never on a deal. Sometimes, the right deal comes along (say someone wants to rent a first baseman) and it'll make sense. The Brewers may also want to reload for a few prospects in the May-June timeframe just to have new options for the July trade deadline.

It's been a 60-40 split between first and third for Adams when he's on the field. Based on that, I'd venture to say he's not a terrible option defensively. Certainly no worse that Andrew Vaughn. who's not been too bad across 14 games (6 starts) for the Brewers at the hot corner. To me, the big question is whether to hold Vaughn for at least the first part of 2027 - my guess is a year removed from the hamate injury, his power will be back to normal, and if his approach remains the same... he could put together a monster first half, and the Brewers could flip him around June for a few prospects.

True, but for another $50K, the Brewers would have had Sal Stewart at the hot corner, and Stewart's looking pretty good at this point.

Image courtesy of Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images The 2022 MLB draft is a major success for the Milwaukee Brewers because of one player, but this draft could wind up being even more productive, despite the team missing on its first-round pick and a disastrous trade. How did this happen? Let’s take a look. The Spectacular Pick: RHP Jacob Misiorowski Without a doubt, the Brewers' second-round pick in 2022 is the jewel of their class—and perhaps of any class. At this point, WWE superstar and “Real World” alum Mike “The Miz” Mizanin probably should accept the fact that he’s destined for second billing under his own sobriquet. Misiorowski is an international sensation, and arguably the best pitcher in baseball. That the Brewers acquired and developed him without having to stumble into a first overall pick (the way the division-rival Pirates had to do to land Paul Skenes) makes the return on investment awesome. The Hidden Gem: 3B/1B Luke Adams It cost $282,500 for the Brewers to land 12th-round draft pick Luke Adams straight out of Hinsdale Central High School in Illinois. Right now, it looks like money well spent. Adams has shown a power bat and superb OBP skills all the way up the ladder, including being willing to be plunked for the team’s sake. He’s competent at both corner infield positions and could handle the corner outfield spots in a pinch. He's also a threat on the basepaths. Already In The Majors: LHP Brian Fitzpatrick Before he was sidelined until mid-2027 with Tommy John surgery, Brian Fitzpatrick was looking like a reliable multi-inning reliever. While he will miss time, he could make this draft look better when he does return to the mound for the Brewers, funky arm action and all. One They’d Like Back (Traded): IF Robert Moore Moore was looking like a solid utility infielder even before the Brewers dealt him and outfield prospect Hendry Mendez for infielder Oliver Dunn. Dunn was a disaster for the Brewers, while Mendez has developed into a decent corner outfield prospect. Moore would be a fine option for middle-infield depth. One Pick That Didn't Pan Out: UT Eric Brown Brown couldn’t stay healthy, and he’s struggled in the upper minors. The Brewers should have dealt him at the 2024 deadline, when it was clear Jesus Made and Luis Pena were special prospects. Worse, the Brewers could have picked either Daulton Rushing or Sal Stewart with this pick, giving them more pop in their lineup. Still Percolating (Part One): C Matthew Wood Jeferson Quero and Marco Dinges have drawn attention for their defense and power bat, respectively, but Wood has been a solid option while being under the radar; his breakout 2026 season may earn him a bit more attention. Still Percolating (Part Two): IF/OF Dylan O’Rae O’Rae’s speed has generated a lot of buzz, but his low-key OBP skills, solid bat-to-ball capability and defensive versatility could make him a bench asset for the Brewers. The question is whether he can develop power, as Luis Lara did. Still Percolating (Part Three): RHP Will Rudy Rudy started off looking like a solid pitching prospect, but has missed 2025 and 2026 with injuries. That said, he still has time to turn things around – other Brewers pitchers have done so before. Overall Grade: A- A draft that lands a generational talent is a major win, but other prospects who have flown under the radar could still turn this into a very productive draft overall. This isn’t a question of whether the draft is a success; it’s how huge of a success it can turn out to be. What do you think about the 2022 draft? Let us know in the comments below! View full article

Not bad, but I'd flip Bauers and Chourio - put Bauers in left, Chourio in right.

But a lot of doubles this season, and he's hitting over .300 - that's nothing to sneeze at.

Frelick has a Gold Glove from 2024, though. Hardware like that doesn't exactly go to a scrub. The next year, he leads the NL in outfield assists. I'd put him in a near-elite category, hampered this year by the shoulder injury he tried to play through.

Every hitter comes with trade-offs. In the case of Sanchez, the power is a plus, especially given how Vaughn's hamate has been an issue - although I think it may make Vaughn far more dangerous in 2027.

Image courtesy of Michael McLoone-Imagn Images The Brewers have one of the best defenses in the major leagues. Their run-prevention unit has given them chances to win as consistently as that of any other team. But teams don’t win purely by stopping the other team from scoring; they need to score runs. Milwaukee’s offense tends to run hot and cold. The team banks on its elite defense and strong pitching to push through to win every night. What would a lineup that maximized Milwaukee’s offense look like? Let’s go position by position. Catcher: William Contreras Contreras struggled for a bit after the All-Star break, but he's since heated up and delivered big for the team. Even after his slump, he could still match his 2025 totals. In fact, his batting average this season is higher than it was when he was playing through a finger injury. Contreras is the team’s best choice on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. He has two Silver Slugger awards, two top-20 MVP finishes, and two All-Star Game appearances to prove it, but it's also a choice made easy by the lack of an appealing alternative. And in this particular exercise... First Base: Gary Sánchez What? No Jake Bauers or Andrew Vaughn? Well, this is about assembling the most potent offensive lineup, and the cold corner isn't the place where either of the team's regulars provide the most relative offensive punch, adjusted for the position. Sánchez therefore gets the call at first base, where he filled in when Vaughn and Jackson Chourio were both out with hand injuries earlier this season. He's perhaps the team’s most potent threat in terms of home runs per at-bat, and the Crew may need that sudden jolt against the Dodgers in the playoffs. Second Base: Brice Turang Turang, like Contreras, is the best choice for both offense and defense at his position. Like Contreras, he’s become a complete ballplayer, after initially being seen as simply a solid starter whose main tools were speed and defense. Since the start of the 2025 season, Turang has become arguably the team’s most well-rounded offensive threat. Shortstop: Cooper Pratt Pratt is much like Turang was when he came up. There are no doubts about his defense or speed. However, he always had a higher offensive floor. Indeed, in his rookie season, he’s delivered an 88 OPS+, compared to Turang’s 61 in his rookie campaign in 2023. He’s also got some serious power potential. Third Base: Andrew Vaughn Vaughn’s made some occasional appearances at third base this season, but also saw some action at the hot corner during his first few years with the Chicago White Sox. He’s not likely to win a Gold Glove there, but in 13 games and six starts, he’s been competent, and it gets a 134 OPS+ bat into the lineup. Left Field: Jake Bauers Bauers has arguably been the team’s MVP this season, leading the Crew in home runs, RBIs and extra-base hits. In this case, where he isn’t an offensive liability, we can account a little bit for his defense. Thus, he will be in left field. Center Field: Garrett Mitchell Mitchell has shown what he can do when he’s healthy, posting career highs in many offensive categories. He’s also quite good defensively, and no liability in center field. The power and speed will help Milwaukee extend lineups; he's the kind of presence that increases the frequency of both single tallies and crooked numbers. Right Field: Jackson Chourio Chourio is seen as the Brewers’ franchise player of the 2020s, and he’s actually improved in some key stats from his first two seasons (OBP in particular), even if the counting stats are down due to his fractured hand taking him to the injured list for the first portion of the 2026 season. Lately, he's been as indispensable as any bat other than Bauers. Designated Hitter: Christian Yelich Yes, he’s having arguably the worst year of his career, but Yelich is still arguably the team’s best option at DH. The big reason: He’s posting an .806 OPS with runners on base, and like Contreras, he’s turned things around a bit in recent games (.800 OPS from August 16-22). He remains the heart and soul of this Brewers team. Overview Some of these decisions might seem out of the box, but none of these starters are entirely incompetent defensively at these positions. In addition, if the team needs to boost their defense to protect a lead, the option is always there to bring Joey Ortiz, David Hamilton, Sal Frelick or Luis Lara in. Milwaukee can field a devastating offense if it wants to. It's unlikely we'd ever see this exact configuration, no matter what, because there are context questions that have to define what a "best offensive lineup" looks like. Against lefties, Vaughn and Sánchez have to be on the field to say the best lineup is present. Against righties, it's much easier to make a case for Ortiz over Vaughn, for instance. But the thought exercise reveals the blend of depth, impact and versatility Pat Murphy has celebrated so openly, ever since spring training. View full article

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.

Bauers is two years younger than O'Hearn. It's his one chance for a big payday. I don't see him taking anything shorter than four years at the same AAV as O'Hearn, maybe a little higher.

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.

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