Steve Drumwright

In case you were having a severe case of FOMO regarding Opening Day for the Milwaukee Brewers, the team just threw you a lifeline. The Brewers announced they are putting about 1,000 tickets for the March 26 game against the Chicago White Sox at American Family Field on sale. In addition, more tickets for the second and third games of the season, March 28 and March 29, have been made available for purchase. You can buy them by visiting brewers.com/tickets. The tickets became available from what the team had previously reserved for expected or potential attendees. View full rumor

Image courtesy of © Mike De Sisti / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images The television landscape can be difficult to navigate for baseball fans, so the Milwaukee Brewers are offering 10 games this season in seven markets in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Upper Michigan. The games include Opening Day on March 26 vs. the Chicago White Sox at American Family Field. Here are the cities and the channels games will be simulcast from the Brewers.TV feed: Milwaukee: WITI Madison: WISC, TVW Duluth-Superior: KDLH, KBJR Green Bay: WGBA, WACY La Crosse-Eau Claire: WKBT Marquette, Mich.: WJMN Wausau-Rhinelander: WSAW, WZAW, WYOW Brewers Games On Local Broadcast TV Here are the games that will be telecast (all times Central): March 26: vs. Chicago White Sox, 1:10 p.m. March 31: vs. Tampa Bay Rays, 6:40 p.m. April 28: Brewers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks, 6:40 p.m. May 12: vs. San Diego Padres, 6:40 p.m. May 19: at Chicago Cubs, 6:40 p.m. June 2: vs. San Francisco Giants, 6:40 p.m. Aug. 4: vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, 6:40 p.m. Aug. 18: vs. Seattle Mariners, 6:40 p.m. Aug. 25: at New York Mets, 6:10 p.m. Sept. 8: Brewers vs. Chicago Cubs, 6:40 p.m. View full article

Image courtesy of © Matt Marton-Imagn Images Based on how some players go about their daily business, you almost take them for granted. Such is the case with Brice Turang of the Milwaukee Brewers. He routinely gobbles up grounders as the Crew's second baseman, and last year showed that he can be a big part of the team's offense. Was that power surge a flash in the pan, or is there more to get out of him with the bat? Brewers Second Basemen At A Glance Starter: Brice Turang Backup: David Hamilton Depth: Luis Rengifo Prospects: Jett Williams, Jesús Made, Cooper Pratt, Brady Ebel, Diego Frontado, Daniel Dickinson Brewers fWAR ranking last year: 5th out of 30. Brewers fWAR projection this year: 8th out of 30. THE GOOD Defense was always going to be the calling card for Turang. Even in his amateur days, he got the nod to start at shortstop over Bobby Witt Jr. with Team USA. But when Turang made his MLB debut, the Brewers had Willy Adames at shortstop, so Turang took over at second, and has proven to be an elite defender. Turang not only won the 2024 NL Gold Glove at second base, but also took home the Platinum Glove as the NL's top overall defender. But in 2025, the now-26-year-old became a more complete player, as his bat started to produce. After having a .239/.303/.328 slash line and a total of 13 homers in his first two big-league seasons, Turang was at .271/.339/.363 with 6 homers and 44 RBIs when the calendar flipped to August. Then, as everyone knew he could, he turned up the power in his game, going deep 10 times in the month, including his first two-homer game and a five-game stretch in which he homered four times. Turang finished 2025 with a slash line of .288/.359/.435, with 18 homers and 81 RBIs. There was a notable jump in his exit velocity, which went from 87 mph and the 14th percentile in MLB in 2024 to 91.1 mph and the 75th percentile in 2025. THE BAD Depending on which defensive metric you trust, Turang slipped from elite to either merely very good or fringe-average last season. Watching him on an everyday basis, the former feels closer to the mark. He was worse, but still solidly in the top third of defenders at the keystone. As for things he truly needs to work on, besides leaning into a pitch now and then, Turang could stand to cut down on his strikeouts. His 2024 strikeout rate of 17% is an outlier when compared with his 2023 showing of 21% and his 2025 number of 22.8%. While 22.5% was the MLB average in 2025, putting those extra balls in play or drawing walks is something that will benefit him and the Crew offensively. Of course, if whiffing more is the price of getting to all the power we saw late last season, it's more than worth it, so the question here is one of calibrating the approach at a very fine level. Turang didn't run as much in 2025 as he did in 2024, when he swiped 50 bases. That number dropped to 24, which was slightly below the 26 he stole as a rookie in 2023 in 19 fewer games. Turang's sprint speed took a slight dip in 2025 (from 29.3 to 28.9 feet per second), but he still ranked in the 88th percentile. The real problem was that he was caught more often when he did run—eight times in 32 attempts, after going 76-for-86 in his first two years. That was caused by lousy leads and jumps, though he got better about it later in the year. He batted throughout the order during the season, starting at the bottom but then becoming a regular leadoff hitter against right-handed starters. Surprisingly, Turang was nearly as good against left-handed pitchers (.305/.361/.391) as against right-handers (.280/.358/.454). In his first two seasons, he struggled more with lefties, but other than a lack of power, he licked that issue last year. THE BOTTOM LINE Turang could turn into a bigger offensive threat if he taps into that power a little more often. There is 20-homer potential, to go along with 30 (or even 40) steals. Manager Pat Murphy needs to find a way for Turang to feel free to run more than he did in 2025 and make him more dynamic. Is that batting leadoff or second? Maybe fifth? Regardless, having Turang at second base gives the Brewers one of the game's best defenders at the position. He also has shown the ability to play shortstop, his natural position, when called upon. Hamilton can fill in nicely for Turang at second, with the potential of more offense than Andruw Monasterio could provide. The future will provide some interesting challenges for the Crew, with Williams (this year) and Made (probably next year) set for their own debuts somewhere on the infield. View full article

Image courtesy of © Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images The days in Arizona are growing short for the Milwaukee Brewers. They play their final Cactus League game Sunday, before a couple of exhibition games against the Cincinnati Reds at Uecker Field. They open the season March 26, at home against the Chicago White Sox. There will be some big decisions made this week. As a reminder: Don't take anything too seriously in this recap. During spring training, exhibition games often devolve into minor-league scrimmages. The information below is meant as basic information, not necessarily hardcore analysis. The Brewers dropped to 9-12 in Cactus League play, falling to the A's 13-4, beating the Colorado Rockies 8-4 and losing to the San Francisco Giants 7-1. The Giants came within one out of a perfect game. Who's Hot? ? Sal Frelick The outfielder showed signs of breaking out of his spring slumber. Frelick went 3-for-6 with a walk against the A's and Rockies, finally poking his Cactus League average above .200. Frelick is tied for the team lead in at-bats (37) with David Hamilton. Frelick did slide back under the Mendoza Line by going 0-for-3 Sunday. He started twice in center and led off all three days. One has to wonder if manager Pat Murphy is tinkering with Frelick playing more center this season, considering he started there back-to-back days with other options available. If Christian Yelich is healthy enough to play the outfield and/or both halves of the first base timeshare hit well enough to merit everyday playing time, Jackson Chourio could end up in right field, pushing Frelick to center. Speaking of first base... Jake Bauers The top left-handed bat off the Brewers' bench went 2-for-5 in back-to-back games to raise his Cactus League average to .500, before going 0-for-3 Sunday and dropping it to .440. He has 11 hits this spring, second-most to Andrew Vaughn's 12. Bauers played left field and first base, the two spots at which he figures to be the top backup this season. His offense, as he showed off late in the season and into the postseason, will certainly be a boost for the Crew. Cooper Pratt The prospect infielder showed off his versatility by playing second against the A's. Undistracted by a change in defensive duties, he went 2-for-3 at the plate. Pratt has never played a position other than shortstop as a pro, save three times in the Arizona Complex League as he made his debut in 2023. With other shortstop candidates coming up behind him and the addition of Jett Williams to the system, Pratt doesn't have the luxury of not being versatile. He broke up the perfect game against the Giants by drawing a two-out walk on five pitches in the ninth inning, then scored on a Blake Burke double. Who's Cold? ? Luis Rengifo The probable Opening Day third baseman hasn't gotten untracked this spring. Rengifo went 0-for-5, including a two-strikeout game, as his Cactus League slash line dropped to .214/.290/.321. He will get plenty of time to begin the season at third base, but if Hamilton hits well and Rengifo struggles, it could turn out to be more of a platoon situation than what the Brewers were envisioning—or, given how high Pat Murphy is on Hamilton, exactly as much of one as he envisiond all along. Kyle Harrison Do we need to be worried about the left-hander as he makes a bid to be part of the starting rotation? Harrison surrendered six runs in his second Cactus League game. He gave up six hits against the A's, walking one and striking out four. Harrison threw 66 pitches, 44 of which were strikes. Considering his other outing was an eight-strikeout performance, Harrison probably still has a good shot at nabbing a rotation spot, but he has two more starts (including, probably, one of the two games at The Ueck) to secure that role. Here's one counterpoint: his average fastball velocity this spring is 95.2 MPH, a full 4.0 higher than last spring. Maybe he just needs time to hone his increasingly nasty stuff. Sammy Peralta While he has already been optioned to Triple-A Nashville to start the 2026 season, the left-handed reliever hasn't impressed this spring. The waiver claim from the Los Angeles Angels following last season has made five appearance in the Cactus League, allowing runs in four of them. We know he's still working to incorporat a cutter the Brewers recommended after claiming him. Peralta has averaged about a strikeout per inning in the minors, but has just one strikeout in five innings this spring. He doesn't throw hard, and missing bats has always been a struggle in the majors for him, so that's the most important thing to watch when next he gets into a game. View full article

While the decision isn't much of a surprise, we now know more about the injury sidelining Milwaukee Brewers right-handed starter Quinn Priester. The 25-year-old will begin the season on the injured list due to right wrist discomfort, manager Pat Murphy said Thursday. Murphy gave more detail on the ailment, saying it is "in that (thoracic outlet syndrome) family." Priester has not pitched in a game this spring, and beginning the season on the IL had been assumed before Murphy confirmed that move Thursday. Priester first reported discomfort in his right wrist in August. The Brewers are hoping Priester can avoid surgery, with the symptoms being addressed by treatment. Priester threw lightly off a mound Thursday, with a more rigorous session slated for March 21, which is just before the March 26 season opener. "Often, thoracic outlet requires surgery," Murphy said. "But in this case, we’re not there. We’re feeling like there’s a chance that he’s going to come through this.” Priester went 13-3 with a 4.01 FIP (3.32 ERA) in 2025 after being acquired from the Boston Red Sox in April. That included a stretch in which the Brewers won 19 straight appearances by Priester, 16 of those starts. He set a club record with a 12-game winning streak. View full rumor

Image courtesy of © Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images When the first night game of the Cactus League happens, you know spring training is starting to wind down and Opening Day is right around the corner. That night game happened Thursday. While wins and losses aren't important in spring training, player performances are. As a reminder: Don't take anything too seriously in this recap. It is only spring training, where exhibition games often devolve into minor-league scrimmages. The information below is meant as basic information, not necessarily hardcore analysis. The Brewers are now 8-10 in Cactus League play, having lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-3 Monday, the Cincinnati Reds 6-3 Wednesday and the Cleveland Guardians 1-0 Thursday. Who's Hot? ? Gary Sánchez The backup catcher, getting more playing time with William Contreras still at the World Baseball Classic, started all three games and went 3-for-6 in the last two. That included his first homer of the spring, a two-run shot against the Reds. Sánchez also doubled against the Reds. He is now hitting .267 (8-for-30) in the Cactus League. Sánchez will be around to start when Contreras gets a day off behind the plate and could see some time at designated hitter. David Hamilton The infielder started twice at shortstop and went 2-for-5. Hamilton started slow this spring following the trade from the Boston Red Sox, going 2-for-12. But he has now hit safely in five of his last six games. He also swiped a pair of bases against the Dodgers, giving him a team-leading four this spring, all in the last six games. Defense will be most important for Hamilton, as he figures to be a late-inning replacement for Luis Rengifo at third base or pinch-hitting for shortstop Joey Ortiz. Jared Koenig After a disastrous first outing this spring, allowing four runs on three hits in one-third of an inning, the left-handed setup man has notched three consecutive scoreless appearances of one inning each. That has lowered his ERA from 108.00 after the first game to 10.80 after his inning against the Reds. He has allowed three hits over those last three outings, with no walks and three strikeouts. Most importantly, his average velocity was back up to 93.8 MPH Wednesday, after it sat closer to 92 in each of his first two appearances of the spring. Who's Not? ? Sal Frelick The spark plug right fielder is having a slow go of it thus far in Cactus League play. Frelick is 0-for-11 in his last three games and is just 4-for-28 (.143) on the spring campaign. Whatever the cause, he still has two weeks to shake it off and turn it around. And these are the games where players tend to lock in and continue the experiments that are working and eschew those that aren't. Certainly, Frelick is one of the first to tell you that spring results don't matter. Robert Gasser The left-hander only has another start or two to impress the Crew's decision-makers into including him in the Opening Day rotation. He certainly didn't do that in his start against the Reds, allowing four runs on five hits in 2⅔ innings. Gasser didn't walk anyone and struck out three. He came back at the end of the 2025 season following Tommy John surgery in 2024, but has allowed seven runs over 6⅓ innings in three Cactus League games. The Brewers can afford to send Gasser to Triple-A to build his confidence. Christian Yelich You tend not to worry too much about veteran hitters getting ready for the regular season. They know when to turn it on as Opening Day approaches. But after going 2-for-2 in his first game this spring, Yelich has gone hitless in his last nine at-bats to drop his average to .182, although he has drawn three walks in those four games. Yelich has struck out in each of his last five at-bats. View full article

Fans always hope that key prospects will play their way onto the major-league roster, even if in reality they might not be ready for that move. That is one way to summarize the moves the Milwaukee Brewers executed Monday. The Crew reassigned top prospect Jesus Made, an 18-year-old shortstop who is a consensus top-four prospect in all of baseball, to minor-league camp and optioned catcher Jeferson Quero, their catcher of the future, to Triple-A Nashville. Left-hander Sammy Peralta was also optioned to Nashville, while corner infielder Luke Adams, outfielder-infielder Greg Jones, infielder Eddys Leonard, and catchers Darrien Miller, Ramon Rodriguez, and Matt Wood were also reassigned to minor-league camp. All of the players reassigned were non-roster invitees to major-league camp. Made, who has rocketed through the Brewers' system since being part of the international signing class in January 2024, has posted a .320/.370/.400 slash line (8-for-25) this spring in 10 Cactus League games. After making his pro debut in 2024 in the Dominican Summer League with a .331/.458/.554 slash line with six homers, 28 RBIs, and 28 steals in 51 games. He then began 2025 at Low A Carolina and moved up to High A Wisconsin before finishing with five games at Double-A Biloxi, putting together a .285/.379/.413 with six homers, 61 RBIs, and 47 steals in 115 games. That should line him up to start 2026 at Biloxi. Quero, meanwhile, has battled injuries the last two seasons, which have sapped his status in prospect rankings. Once a top-100 prospect, the 23-year-old sustained a right labrum injury in the first game of 2024 and missed the rest of the season. In 2025, he had a hamstring and a mild left shoulder sprain. Those two injuries limited him to 69 games, but he still produced a .285/.379/.413 slash line with 11 homers and 57 RBIs. Many analysts cited that his arm strength hadn't totally recovered from his 2024 labrum injury, but the rest of his defensive skills are still elite. This is Quero's last option year, unless there is an appeal due to him missing virtually all of 2024 to get him a fourth option. View full rumor

Image courtesy of © Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Spring training battles are starting to heat up with Opening Day just a little more than two weeks away. Non-roster invitees are being sent to minor-league camp with more regularity. This won't cover the Milwaukee Brewers players who are in the World Baseball Classic; it will only focus on the players who are in camp. As a reminder, don't take anything in this recap too seriously. It is only spring training, where exhibition games often devolve into minor-league scrimmages. The information below is meant as basic information, not necessarily hardcore analysis. In Cactus League play, the Crew improved to 8-7 by sweeping all three games in this period, beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-2 Friday, the Los Angeles Angels 7-1 Saturday, and the Seattle Mariners 6-3 Sunday. Who's Hot? 🔥 Brandon Woodruff In the first start of what is probably his final spring with the Crew, the right-handed starter looked solid in his two innings vs. the Angels. Woodruff allowed two hits and no runs, walking one and striking out three. How he looks over his next two starts will go a long way to determining whether he begins the season in the rotation or perhaps with a brief stay on the injured list following his lat injury from last season. It also wouldn't be surprising for the Brewers to be creative if he is on the Opening Day roster, perhaps deploying him more as an opener, going three innings and building up over the first month or so of the season. Jesus Made At this time next year, we could be talking about Made being on the Opening Day roster somewhere on the infield. But for now, Brewers fans will have to watch as the 18-year-old shortstop puts up big numbers in the minors. That potential was evident as he went 4-for-7 in two games. He drove in four runs in those two games, scored once, and stole a base. In his first major-league spring camp, Made is batting .320 (8-for-25) with a triple and six RBIs. He has been humbled with eight strikeouts, but his eight hits are tied for second-most on the Crew this spring. Trevor Megill In his second outing this spring, Megill gave us the full experience, allowing two hits but striking out three against the Angels. He followed Woodruff by pitching the third inning, striking out Mike Trout and Jorge Soler to begin the frame. Then he surrendered a single to Vaughn Grissom and a double to Jeimer Candelario, then bore down and struck out Travis d'Arnaud with three straight 97 mph four-seamers. Who's Not? 🧊 Kyle Harrison After a splashy spring debut in which he unveiled his new kick change, Harrison took a small step back in his second outing. Very, very small. Against the Mariners, the left-handed starter did strike out eight, which was great, but he did walk two, and only 37 of his 60 pitches were strikes. He remains a top contender for a rotation job, so don't get too worried about this outing. The eight strikeouts are very encouraging. Brock Wilken The 2023 first-round draft pick hasn't had a smooth path at this point in his pro career, but the third baseman is still on track to start the season at Triple-A. He was hit in the face by a pitch in 2024 and had a knee injury in 2025. Still, he hit 22 homers in 2025 in a little more than half a season. He has gotten a long look this spring, his third in major-league camp. In two games, he went 0-for-4, dropping his Cactus League average to ,222 (4-for-18). He has gone deep once. His power is what the Brewers are banking on, in addition to his ability to play third base. Jeferson Quero Another big prospect, the catcher has had a slow spring offensively. He went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts while also scoring a run vs. the Mariners. He is just 2-for-16 (.125) in Cactus League play. This will be a big season for Quero, who has one minor-league option remaining, thus putting him as a likelihood to be on the Opening Day roster next year if not the starter, depending on whether William Contreras is still with the Crew. View full article

Sunday's move to daylight saving time not only sprang the clock ahead an hour, but also took the Milwaukee Brewers a step closer to Opening Day. And with that, another round of players being removed from major-league camp. The most notable move announced Sunday was optioning right-hander Coleman Crow to Triple-A Nashville. Two left-handers in camp as non-roster invitees, Tate Kuehner and Drew Rom, were reassigned to minor-league camp. There are 52 players left in camp. Crow, in his first big-league camp since 2023, when he was with the Los Angeles Angels, pitched six innings in three appearances, including one start this spring. He posted a 4.50 ERA with no walks and three strikeouts. The 25-year-old, acquired in December 2023 in a trade for right-hander Adrian Houser and center fielder Tyrone Taylor after having Tommy John surgery, was a long shot to make the Brewers' starting rotation this spring, but is likely to make his MLB debut at some point in 2026. Crow made 10 of his 12 starts in 2025 at Double-A Biloxi, with the other two at Triple-A Nashville. At Biloxi, he had a 2.51 ERA in 43 innings, walking eight and striking out 52. He had a 7.71 ERA in his two starts with the Sounds. Kuehner turned a few heads in his two spring appearances, striking out four over three scoreless innings. He had a 2.51 ERA in 21 starts at Biloxi in 2025, and a 5.59 ERA in two Nashville starts. Rom struck out six and walked four in 3⅓ innings over three appearances for a 2,70 ERA. View full rumor

Two down, three to go. Or four? Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy made official what has seemed obvious: right-handers Jacob Misiorowski and Chad Patrick will be in the Opening Day rotation. It will be the first Opening Day for Misiorowski, while it will be the second straight for Patrick. Both made their MLB debuts last season. Misiorowski, an All-Star after less than three weeks in the majors in 2025, is also the leading candidate to start Opening Day. That is because right-hander Brandon Woodruff, the likely Opening Day starter entering camp, is being brought along slowly this spring following a strained lat that ended his season early. The other top candidate is right-hander Quinn Priester, who has been dealing with inflammation in his right wrist and slowed his progress toward Opening Day. It is likely that Priester begins the season on the 15-day injured list. Woodruff is hoping to avoid the same fate, but could be limited if he is available on Opening Day. That could lead to a tandem starter situation or a six-man rotation. The Brewers have plenty of candidates for the other three spots regardless of the setup, with Kyle Harrison, Logan Henderson, Brandon Sproat, Robert Gasser, and Shane Drohan. Harrison, Gasser, and Drohan are left-handers, while Henderson and Sproat are righties. Left-handers Aaron Ashby and DL Hall can also provide multiple innings out of the bullpen. View full rumor

Image courtesy of © Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Everyone who is expected to be part of the Milwaukee Brewers' Opening Day roster has now played in at least one game. While there are minimal injury concerns at the moment, now the work to get everyone sharp is truly underway. The Brewers are without several camp regulars due to the World Baseball Classic. The absences of Jackson Chourio, William Contreras, Brice Turang, Abner Uribe, Angel Zerpa, Rob Zastryzny, Tyler Black, and Carlos Rodriguez open opportunities for others. As a reminder: Don't take anything too seriously in this recap. It is only spring training, where exhibition games often devolve into minor-league scrimmages. The information below is meant as basic news, not necessarily hardcore analysis. The Crew dropped to 5-7 in Cactus League play. After having Monday off, the Brewers lost to the rival Chicago Cubs 4-1 on Tuesday, lost to Great Britain 7-3 on Wednesday in a WBC exhibition, and beat the Colorado Rockies 10-8 on Thursday. Who's Hot? 🔥 Kyle Harrison The left-hander, acquired this spring in the six-player Caleb Durbin deal, made his exhibition debut against Great Britain and displayed a new weapon. Harrison's kick change was a rousing success, helping him get eight swings and misses during his three scoreless innings. Harrison allowed two hits and a walk while striking out a pair. Four of those eight whiffs came on his changeup, which he threw 10 times among his 40 pitches. Harrison only used three pitches, his four-seamer, changeup, and slurve, after also using a cutter and sinker last year. Perhaps those pitches come out later. But the changeup, revised following the trade, is certainly something that bodes well. Garrett Mitchell After a late start to game action and a 0-for-4 beginning, the potential Opening Day center fielder showed off the tools that have the Crew expecting big things from him if he can stay healthy. Mitchell went 2-for-3 with four RBIs, including a 462-foot homer on the first pitch of the game vs. Rockies right-hander Michael Lorenzen, then a ringing opposite-field double with the bases loaded off right-hander Davison Palmer, who finished last season at Double-A. Mitchell has been the clear-cut top center fielder in the organization for the past few years, but he has played just 113 games over the last three seasons due to a variety of injuries. Jake Bauers After missing a few days, Bauers was back in the lineup against the Rockies and went 2-for-3 with his first spring homer, a two-run shot off Palmer. Bauers, who was the starting designated hitter, also stole a base and was hit by a pitch as he raised his spring average to a robust .545 (6-for-11). He is expected to see some time in left field soon as he prepares for whatever role the Brewers need him for once Opening Day rolls around. The left-handed hitter is the backup first baseman to Andrew Vaughn and was a valuable bat down the stretch and in the postseason last year. Who's Not? 🧊 Jared Koenig The reliable left-handed reliever coughed up a whopping five runs in one-third of an inning against Great Britain in his spring debut. But he came out of the appearance unconcerned about the metrics in his outing. Koenig came on to start the fifth inning against Great Britain, walking two and allowing four hits, including a two-run homer to Washington Nationals catcher Harry Ford. Only 12 of his 22 pitches were strikes, a very un-Koenig-like outing. But remember, it was his first game action this spring. Robert Gasser The left-hander, bidding for a spot in the starting rotation, gave up three runs on three hits in 2⅔ innings vs. the Rockies. It was his second start this spring. While not giving up much in the way of hard hits (82.4 mph average exit velocity), it was the three walks that were troublesome. With Quinn Priester's status now in doubt for Opening Day, Gasser and the other candidates have a little wiggle room, yet still know they have to perform with the depth of the starters vying for a job. This was not a concerning outing for Gasser, but it could knock him down a rung if you are rating the candidates on a daily basis (which we hope you aren't). Cooper Pratt The shortstop, expected to be the starter at Triple-A to begin the season, has yet to get untracked this spring. He went 1-for-5 while appearing in all three games, but did have a hit, two walks, and scored twice against the Rockies. The 21-year-old is hitting just .200 (3-for-15) this spring. Pratt had a rough 2025 at Double-A Biloxi, posting a .238/.343/.348 while playing a career-high 120 games. His defense is not a question, but he has been inconsistent offensively, a trait that will need to change to become part of the MLB equation. View full article

Image courtesy of © Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images The World Baseball Classic always throws a wrench into spring training. Chunks of teams leave camp for a couple of weeks to represent their countries, leaving those still in camp an opportunity for more playing time. With few roster battles, the Milwaukee Brewers will be keeping a close eye on who capitalizes on those chances. As a reminder: Don't take anything too seriously in this recap. It is only spring training, where exhibition games often devolve into minor-league scrimmages. The information below is meant as basic news, not necessarily hardcore analysis. The Crew saw its Cactus League record drop to 4-6 after beating the Chicago White Sox 5-2 Friday, then losing to the Cincinnati Reds 9-7 on Saturday and Kansas City Royals 3-1 on Sunday. Who's Hot? ? Joey Ortiz: Every pessimistic fan's whipping boy, the shortstop left camp for the WBC (Mexico) in a good frame of mind hitting-wise. Maybe it's because of the new beard he is sporting. Whatever it is, Ortiz went 3-for-3 with a pair of runs scored against the White Sox, then had another hit in three trips against the Reds. That boosted his spring average to .412 (7-for-17). Considering he had .239 and .230 batting averages the past two years, that shows some promising signs, even if it's just spring training. Luis Rengifo: The probable starting third baseman bounced back from an 0-for-5 start to his spring by going 3-for-6 in two starts this weekend. That began with his first hit, a homer to right leading off the third inning, against White Sox right-hander Sean Burke, the surprise Opening Day starter last year. The switch-hitting Rengifo followed that up with an infield single that deflected off right-hander Tanner McDougal, who made it up to Double-A in 2025. Against the Royals, Rengifo led off the game with a line-drive single to left off left-hander Kris Bubic. Luis Lara: I prefer giving the benefit of the doubt to the young prospects getting a shot in camp, especially guys who might be a couple years away. That's why I didn't want to knock Lara's start to Cactus League play, in which he went 3-for-16. But in playing two of the three games this weekend, the switch-hitting outfielder went 3-for-5, with a first-pitch single against Bubic. Granted, the exit velocity was a whopping 58.8 mph and dribbled to the first baseman, but everything counts, right? That came after he went 2-for-2 against the Reds, with a ground-rule double in the sixth inning and a bunt single in the eighth. It was a confidence-boosting pair of games. Who's Not? ? Jared Koenig: The durable left-handed reliever finally made his spring debut Saturday—and was rocked. Coming in to face the Reds' 2-3-4 hitters, Koenig was tagged for four runs on three hits in one-third of an inning. Matt McLain greeted Koenig with a hard-hit single to left. Elly De La Cruz lined a double to right. After striking out Sal Stewart, Koenig walked Spencer Steer to load the bases. That brought up Blake Dunn, who has 49 games of MLB experience, and he hit a bases-clearing double down the left-field line. That was it for Koenig, who threw 14 of his 22 pitches for strikes. William Contreras: While he notched hits in his last two games before joining Venezuela for the WBC, Contreras is off to a 3-for-14 (.214) start to his spring. It's nothing to be concerned about with the catcher's track record and something that could come around with the juices flowing in the WBC. He told MLB Network that he is healthy after offseason surgery to fix the broken middle finger on his catching hand, which was the primary concern coming into camp. The hits will come. Gary Sánchez: Keeping it with the catchers, Sánchez has yet to get going, either. He went 1-for-6 while getting one start at catcher and another at designated hitter. That dropped his spring showing to 3-for-15 (.200). Sánchez's spot on the roster is secure, as the No. 2 catcher who could get some DH time. He'll probably see more time now, with Contreras out of camp. View full article

Image courtesy of © Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images With a full week of Cactus League games now under their belt, Milwaukee Brewers players are starting to settle into routines. The fake games can beget unrealistic enthusiasm, as starters play a few innings, then give way to the minor-leaguers trying to see if they can hang. The Brewers finally allowed a pitcher to go more than one inning, but they continue to take it slow to begin the exhibition season. As a reminder: Don't take anything too seriously in this recap. It is only spring training, where exhibition games often devolve into minor-league scrimmages. The information below is meant as basic news, not necessarily hardcore analysis. For the Brewers as a whole, they won three of the four games to improve to 3-4. They fell to 0-4 after dropping a 7-5 decision to the Padres on Monday, before bouncing back by beating the A's 10-0 Tuesday, the San Francisco Giants 13-12 Wednesday and the Texas Rangers 5-1 Thursday. Who's Hot? ? Brandon Lockridge: Could he be making a push to start Opening Day in center field? If he continues to hit this way, you have to consider it. Lockridge went 4-for-8 while starting three games in center and right. He homered, doubled, was hit by a pitch and scored four times. Lockridge figured to be a lock as a backup outfielder, but depending on how Garrett Mitchell and Blake Perkins do, he could have a bigger role come Opening Day. Tyler Black: I like to distribute the kudos evenly whenever possible, but when you have two games like Black did, it is impossible to set him aside. Black went 3-for-3 with a double, a homer, a stolen base and six RBIs vs. the A's, then followed that up two days later by going 3-for-4 with a double, a triple and two more RBIs. That made him 8-for-12 this spring, a sizzling .667. He started at first base in both games. Black's homer came off A's right-hander Mason Barnett, who has five games of MLB experience. Black, who does have a minor-league option remaining, is competing for a bench spot and is a younger version of Jake Bauers, a left-handed hitter able to play first base and left field. Craig Yoho: After being a cult figure as a prospect, Yoho lost a little luster with one really bad inning in his debut season, in which he made eight appearances in four call-ups. But after two Cactus League appearances, the changeup specialist is off to a good beginning to his spring. He faced the minimum three hitters in a perfect inning against the Giants, throwing 12 pitches (nine strikes), then facing five batters against the Rangers, allowing a single and a walk on 16 pitches (seven strikes). Who's Not? ? Jackson Chourio: This is actually a mixed result. Chourio went 0-for-5 in two games to drop his spring performance to 2-for-12 (.167). But Chourio, who famously hasn't shown enough patience to draw walks, earned three free passes in those two games, all against pitchers with MLB experience, two of whom are veterans. Pat Murphy was "excited" about one of those walks, a 10-pitch grind that showed real engagement. Chourio is set to depart for the World Baseball Classic to play for Venezuela, so his bat is likely to get going while representing his country. David Hamilton: It's impossible to know the upheaval a player goes through when traded during spring training. But Hamilton, expected to be the top backup infielder after coming over from the Boston Red Sox in the Caleb Durbin deal, has yet to find his groove. He went 1-for-9 in three games, getting a double, driving in a run and scoring once, while walking twice and striking out just once. He started twice at third base and once more at short, positions he figures to see a lot of time at this season. Hamilton, who is now 2-for-12 this spring, is known more for his defense anyway, so no reason to hit panic here. Peter Strzelecki: You never can make a judgment on one outing, and I am not doing that here. Just chalk this one up to a bad game. Strzelecki, who has made 66 of his 77 MLB appearances out of the Crew's bullpen, is back after bouncing between three teams last season, all spent in the minors. He was the second pitcher in the Giants game and allowed two runs in his one inning. He hit the first batter he faced, struck out the next, then got Harrison Bader to pop out in foul territory before his second four-seam fastball to top Giants prospect Bryce Eldridge was drilled for a homer. He gave up a single to Jung Hoo Lee before striking out former Brewers catcher Eric Haase to end the third inning. View full article