Ray Stuedemann

Image courtesy of © Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images Despite an extremely competitive National League Central and a wave of injuries that threatened to derail the season before it ever gained momentum, the Milwaukee Brewers have once again climbed to the top of the division standings. Now sitting with the fourth-best record in baseball, Milwaukee has leaned on its trademark pitching development, timely hitting, and organizational depth to weather the storm. But with the trade deadline approaching and the postseason picture beginning to take shape, the Brewers still have clear areas where they can improve. Whether it’s reinforcing the bullpen internally or giving a top prospect such as Jett Williams or Cooper Pratt an opportunity to spark the lineup, Milwaukee is in a position not only to hold first place but to become an even more dangerous contender down the stretch. The Brewers Bullpen Even with the Brewers now atop the division, the bullpen remains one of the biggest areas to monitor as the season progresses. Inconsistent performances from former All-Star Trevor Megill and an injury to Angel Zerpa, acquired over the offseason in the Isaac Collins trade, have left a group led in appearances by Aaron Ashby, Abner Uribe, and Grant Anderson. While that trio has managed to stabilize things for stretches, Milwaukee still lacks the consistency and proven late-inning depth that championship contenders typically rely on entering October. The Brewers could choose to address those concerns externally at the deadline, but they may also look internally toward younger arms capable of stepping into higher-leverage roles as the season unfolds. There are multiple arms on the 40-man roster who could play into the configuration of the bullpen later in the year, such as Brian Fitzpatrick, Easton McGee, Carlos Rodriguez, and Craig Yoho, the Brewers’ no. 27 prospect according to MLB.com. All those arms besides Yoho have made appearances with the Brewers already this season, and the hope is that one, if not more, can provide quality innings for the Brewers as the summer unfolds. Injuries are a part of baseball, and given that the Brewers will need to have arms ready to go from Nashville. Yoho is the most intriguing of that option with his 70-grade changeup, and so far for the Sounds, he’s had good results with a 1.38 ERA in 13 innings pitched, though that comes with an ungainly 4.60 FIP. He's striking out a little over 32% of the batters he's facing. Yoho started the season on the injured list with a right calf strain, so some more appearances would be nice before seeing some MLB action, especially given his struggles in the big leagues last year. Craig Yoho, per Prospect Savant If even one or two of those internal options emerge as reliable contributors, the Brewers could avoid overpaying for bullpen help at the deadline while continuing to lean on the organizational pitching depth that has defined their success in recent years. Furthermore, if one breaks out in a big way, there could be an opportunity for late-inning work later in the year. Third Base & Shortstop Early struggles from the left side of the infield could cause top prospects such as Williams or Pratt to move up. Both are heating up as of late: Williams is slashing .321/.473/.589 in May, while the recently extended Pratt is hitting .226/.333/.468. Luis Rengifo (47 wRC+), Joey Ortiz, (59 wRC+), and David Hamilton (88 wRC+) have all struggled offensively this year. Rengifo would likely be the first man out, given Hamilton’s speed and Ortiz’s defense, and it should be a move the Brewers consider if all these players continue their hardships at the plate. Williams would require a 40-man roster move and would likely slot in at third base, while Pratt is on the 40-man and would be a shortstop at the major league level. Neither prospect is guaranteed to immediately solve Milwaukee’s offensive inconsistencies, but both would inject upside and energy into a lineup that has leaned heavily on its pitching staff for much of the season. If the Brewers remain in first place as the trade deadline approaches, promoting one of their young infielders could be viewed as an aggressive but necessary step toward raising the ceiling of the roster for the second half. Jett Williams, per Prospect Savant Cooper Pratt, per Prospect Savant As the summer pushes toward the trade deadline at the beginning of August, the Brewers find themselves in a delicate position: leading a competitive division while still carrying clear areas for improvement. Their success to this point has been built on pitching depth, organizational flexibility, and timely contributions from unexpected sources, but sustaining that formula into October and pushing past where they’ve been in the past will require continued evolution. Whether Milwaukee chooses to lean on its internal pipeline of arms and infield talent or supplement the roster externally, the path forward is centered on maximizing the roster’s upside without disrupting the identity that has carried them this far. If the Brewers can successfully thread that needle, they could evolve into one of the most complete and dangerous teams in the National League. Not to say that they aren’t already, but next steps need to be taken to reach the ultimate goal. View full article

Image courtesy of © Wm. Glasheen/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images The future refuses to go dim for the Brewers. While the big-league club navigates the injuries and grind of the 2026 season, a wave of top prospects in the Milwaukee farm system is forcing its way into the conversation with scorching starts across the minors. This next core isn’t just developing; it’s producing. And if these early returns are any indication, the Brewers may not have to wait long for their next impact contributors to arrive at American Family Field. Let’s look at Brewer Fanatic’s top 20 prospect list and dive into who’s performing well. No. 1 – Jesus Made (MLB.com No. 3) Made is proving once again why he's one of the top prospects in the sport. He reached Double-A Biloxi last year and played in only five games, slashing .261/.292/.348 in 24 plate appearances. He has fully arrived for the Shuckers now, though, slashing .295/.398/.489 in 103 plate appearances with the club so far in 2026. Made has showcased his speed as well, stealing 11 bases while being caught once. He's walked more times (15) than he's struck out (14). There isn’t a ton to say here; Made is an exciting prospect who is performing exceptionally well for a 19-year-old in Double-A. He's a big factor in the Brewers' future, and fans should be excited about what Made can bring to the big-league club within the next few years—especially given the shortstop situation in Milwaukee right now. No. 2 – Luis Peña (MLB.com No. 21) It wouldn’t be that crazy to (essentially) copy and paste the paragraph about Made here, as Peña is slashing .372/.462/.512 in 52 plate appearances so far with the Timber Rattlers. He's stolen 6 bases while getting caught twice, and his strikeout-to-walk ratio is good, as well (10:8). A notable change for Peña is his swing rate. He is swinging the least he has in his professional career, only 44.4% of the time, down almost 5.0 percentage points from last year. This is likely correlated with his walk rate, and if he is more patient at the plate, his overall offensive outlook will improve in the long term. If that discipline holds, Peña’s blend of contact, speed, and on-base ability could quickly turn him from a top prospect into a household name. No. 6 – Logan Henderson (MLB.com No. 99) Henderson performed well for the Brewers last year in 5 starts, pitching to a 1.78 ERA (3.02 FIP) in 25 1/3 innings, striking out 33 batters. He didn’t fare as well in his lone appearance with the Brewers this year, surrendering two earned runs in two innings against the Royals, but Henderson has pitched extremely well in Nashville to start the year. The 24-year-old has thrown 17 2/3 innings so far with a 1.02 ERA. His whiff rate is in the 78th percentile, and his zone contact percentage is in the 98th percentile, demonstrating his pitches can get the batter to swing and miss even if they are in the zone. Look for Henderson, if he limits the walks, to be up with the Brewers again soon. No. 8 – Andrew Fischer (MLB.com No. 89) Fischer was one of many Brewers who participated in the WBC this year, and the Team Italy third baseman slashed .357/.438/.714 in 16 plate appearances there. Transferring that production into the minor-league season has been an easy task for Fischer, who is raking with the Timber Rattlers. Fischer is slashing .258/.358/.515 with 4 home runs already this season, and a main issue to watch would be strikeouts. He struck out around 25% of the time in a limited 2025 sample and has fanned 30 times in 81 plate appearances this year. As he climbs the ladder, he'll have to show a better feel for consistent contact. If Fischer continues to make developments at the plate, as well as improving his range at third base, he could move through the system quickly. The power will always be his calling card, though, so if the strikeouts go along with that, it’ll be interesting to see how the Brewers feel about that approach at the plate. No. 10 – Marco Dinges A former fourth-round pick in 2024 out of Florida State, Marco Dinges hit well in his first sustained minor-league action in 2025. Now, Dinges is once again mashing, hitting .340/.492/.660 with 4 homers in 65 plate appearances. Dinges has a great strikeout-to-walk ratio (14 to 13), to boot. He'll look to continue producing, as either he or Jefferson Quero pushes to be the future of the position if William Contreras doesn’t sign a long-term deal. Another couple of weeks like this could compel the Brewers to promote Dinges to Biloxi. No. 11 – Luis Lara I wrote about Lara’s hot start last week, and he has kept it up. He's now hitting .347/.439/.561, with 5 home runs, 12 stolen bases, 15 walks and 15 strikeouts. From a power perspective, expect Lara to regress, but that's not his game, anyway. Good bat-to-ball skills, a disciplined approach, great speed and defense—these are his strengths. While the offensive numbers may decline as the season progresses, remember that Lara isn’t built to be a big contributor offensively. He's always been a glove-first prospect, and with his current approach at the plate, the 21-year-old should be a productive Brewer when the time comes. No. 12 - Josh Adamczewski Adamczewski was a 15th-round pick in 2023, and without a defined defensive position, the bat needs to be valuable for Adamczewski to carve out a big-league job. Thankfully, it has been superb so far. Adamczewski struggled in a limited sample at High-A in 2025, but he's dominating the Midwest League in 2026, slashing .362/.516/.723, with as many homers as he had all last season combined. Adamczewski will look to continue growing into a defensive position, which will probably be left field, and as he cuts his groundball rate (down 5 percentage points from ’24 to ’25, down another 5 from ’25 to ’26), he should merit a promotion soon. No. 14 – Blake Burke Burke was one of the Brewers’ first-round picks in 2024, and the former Tennessee Volunteer hit well in 2025 while splitting time between High-A and Double-A. Burke is off to a scorching-hot start from a slugging perspective, hitting 7 homers in 100 plate appearances so far. He's batting .256/.360/.605. He has 22 hits on the year, 15 of which have gone for extra bases. Burke has also swiped 9 bases while being caught once. His power surge from the end of 2025 has most definitely continued, so the next question is: How far can it go? His bat is passing the Double-A test with flying colors; he should get a bump to Nashville fairly soon. No. 17 – Braylon Payne Another first-rounder from 2024, Payne boasts excellent speed, with 41 stolen bases through 96 career games in the minors. Last year was a tough introduction to the rigors of a full professional season, as Payne hit .240/.354/.382 with 8 homers in 342 plate appearances. Payne has appeared to turn over a new leaf in 2026 with the Timber Rattlers, totaling 6 homeruns in only 61 plate appearances while slashing .367/.492/.796. He won't turn 20 until August, and the Brewers will probably be happy to let him spend the whole season in Appleton, but yes, if he keeps hitting quite this ferociously, he might need to be promoted, too, to find a truer test of his talent. It’s still early, and the minor-league season has a way of humbling even the hottest starts, but the underlying theme here is hard to ignore: this wave of talent looks both deep and dynamic. From polished approaches at the plate to emerging power combined with speed, the Brewers’ system is showing signs of producing impact players in bunches. If even a handful of these prospects sustain their growth, the Brewers will be able to keep up their cost-efficient ways by calling up the next Brewers of the future as capable contributors early in their careers. View full article

Image courtesy of © Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images For much of his career, Gary Sánchez has lived on the edge of controlled chaos at the plate, pairing elite raw power with a tendency to chase pitches pitchers were more than happy to offer. This year, though, that balance looks noticeably different. Sánchez is swinging hard, and he’s swinging smarter, trimming his chase rate and showing a more disciplined approach that forces pitchers back into the zone. That shift matters even more for a Milwaukee Brewers lineup currently missing key bats like Christian Yelich, Jackson Chourio, and Andrew Vaughn. With less margin for error in the lineup, his improved swing decisions are helping stabilize an offense that needs production wherever it can find it. Sánchez was reunited with the Brew Crew in the middle of February, and the 33-year-old has been a much-needed bat during this early part of the season. Sánchez is hitting .236/.391/.582 with five homeruns entering Friday’s action, which is good for a batting run value of +7, in the 91st percentile of all MLB, and 25th overall. His slugging prowess at the plate is Sánchez’s calling card, but the unique surprise so far this year has been his patience. His chase percentage is in the 92nd percentile at 19.7%, while walking 20% of the time puts him in the 98th percentile for walk rate. That walk rate is currently the 8th-best in the league, with teammates Garrett Mitchell and Brice Turang joining him inside the top ten. This change in approach demonstrates extremely uncommon levels of discipline for Sánchez, even when going back all the way to his days with the Yankees. His two best seasons in the pinstripes saw him hit 33 home runs in 2017 and 34 home runs in 2019, earning an All-Star nod each year. However, in 2017, his chase percentage was in the 17th percentile, while his walk rate was in the 39th percentile. 2019 saw similar results, but with both slightly better; his chase percentage was in the 24th percentile, while his walk rate crept above league average into the 55th percentile. This may be a change he’s made in the latter half of his career, as Sánchez’s chase rate has gotten better each season since 2024, but then again, he only played 29 games last season with the Orioles and 89 the year prior in Milwaukee. Neither of those years was a great offensive year for Sánchez (94 OPS+ in 2024 and 100 OPS+ in 2025), so Milwaukee will gladly take the level he is producing at right now. Strikeouts will always be a factor in Sánchez’s game, and those too have been down. He is currently striking out 23.1% of the time, still not great, but below his 26.7% career average. Will that number tick back up? The answer is probably; Sánchez has still been whiffing around his career average. Still, it is easier to deal with a version of Gary Sánchez that strikes out while also walking as much as he currently does. His barrel percentage is something to keep an eye on as well. It is currently way higher (19.4%) than his career mark (14.3%), and even higher than his barrel percentage in both of his all-star seasons. Expect this to go down, at least slightly, but if his quality of contact remains this good, it will be close to a career year in terms of Sánchez’s advanced metrics. It will be intriguing to see if the man Yankees general manager Brian Cashman dubbed “The Kraken” is able to keep this up. Obviously, it isn’t likely, but then again, the Brewers have often worked their magic to get the best out of players, much to the dismay of Cubs fans. Regardless, Sánchez is providing good at-bats for a team that desperately needs them right now, with three of their best bats out for the foreseeable future. Once Yelich, Chourio, and Vaughn return, Sánchez will likely return to his backup catcher role, where he is still more suited in the long run. Even though his role will shift with the team’s health, fans should enjoy these current plate appearances from Sánchez. His “three true outcomes” approach may not be the most preferred, but it is entertaining to watch, and the Brewers need all the entertainment they can get from the lineups they are rolling out on a day-to-day basis. View full article

Image courtesy of © Michael McLoone-Imagn Images The Brewers continued in their ways this winter, when they traded erstwhile ace (and impending free agent) Freddy Peralta to the New York Mets in exchange for starter Brandon Sproat and shortstop Jett Williams. Williams ended up starting his season in Nashville, but Sproat earned a spot in the rotation—a chance to build on four solid starts with the Mets in 2025. He struggled in his first Brewers start against the Chicago White Sox, giving up 7 earned runs in only three innings. The next two appearances came out of the bullpen. First, he followed Logan Henderson against the Royals, giving up 4 earned runs in 3 2/3 innings. He then followed Kyle Harrison and Grant Anderson against Washington, throwing 3 2/3 innings again but only giving up one earned run. Sproat turned in his best start for the Brewers last week against the Blue Jays, pitching 6 2/3 innings, allowing 1 run on 4 hits and a walk while striking out 6. The strikeouts and walks are his Brewers bests so far this season, so what really changed between these appearances? Well, first and foremost, he threw strikes. When you have stuff as good as Sproat's, filling up the zone is always good advice, but Sproat didn't do it over his first few outings, topping out at a 52.3% zone rate. Against the Jays, that figure climbed to almost 59%, making life tougher on opposing batters by getting the hurler ahead in counts. This is an encouraging development, and hopefully, it'll be one that carries over to future starts. Sproat’s pitch usage has evolved across the early season, as well. His most common pitch across his first three outings was his sinker, but in his start against the Blue Jays, he utilized cutters (32%) and sweepers (20%) more often. His sinker was still a factor (17%), but not as frequently as in his first three starts. Additionally, Sproat only threw his sinker once against lefties versus Toronto, while throwing it 11 or more times to lefties in his previous three appearances. It’ll be interesting to see whether he's simply decided to junk the sinker to opposite-handed batters. The utilization of Sproat’s cutter is eminently notable. He used it sparingly against righties through the first two games, throwing only seven of them in total in those matchups. His appearance in relief against Washington saw a 50/50 split: he threw eight of them to both lefties and righties. Against Toronto, Sproat utilized it more against righties than lefties, 15 to 9, and if it continues to be the pitch he uses the most, the splits will likely remain the same going forward. One last thing to notice about Sproat’s strategy to attack hitters: his best Brewers start saw him eschew one of his best pitches. His changeup vanished into thin air against Toronto, after throwing that 17% of the time in his prior appearance against Washington. He utilized his changeup 14% of the time in his four starts with the Mets. Given this sudden change, it isn’t a stretch to imagine that the Brewers want him to use his other pitches before his changeup—although it might also be that they want him to gain a better feel for the changeup, making it more distinct from his sinker before reintroducing it. Thursday will be a good follow-up exam after Sproat passed the test of the defending American League champions. The Tigers are middle-of-the-road in walk and strikeout rate, so look for him to attack the zone boldly again. With a solid defense behind him, Sproat should be able to produce consistent starts all season like the one he did last Thursday. After all, the Brewers have always figured out the pitching, and while there may be bumps in the road, Sproat has all the tools to figure it out in Milwaukee. View full article

Image courtesy of © Eric Canha-Imagn Images The Brewers' offense had a great start to the season despite being without Jackson Chourio and Andrew Vaughn since Opening Day, hitting .274/.379/.440 as a team, striking out 23.1% of the time, and walking at a rate of 13.9%. Their overall wOBA was at .368, good for third in the league during the stretch between Opening Day and April 6th. However, since then, the Brewers have hit .204/.304/.308, walking and striking out less than before, and their wOBA is .282. A big difference is in their BABIP: in the first stretch, the Brewers had a .352 BABIP, while this current stretch has them at .242. Regardless, the offense's sputtering wasn’t aided when Christian Yelich became sidelined with a left abductor injury on April 12th against the Nationals. This now leaves three big bats on the injured list, and it would be a good development for one of the weaker positional groups to start hitting in order for the Brewers to start scoring again. Joey Ortiz, Luis Rengifo, and David Hamilton have held down third base and shortstop so far this year, and it hasn’t been pretty to say the least. Hamilton currently leads the way out of those three in OPS, with Ortiz following and Rengifo ranking last among all Brewers batters so far this year. While Hamilton does have the highest OPS out of the three, that isn’t saying much at just .586. His advanced stats don’t show many signs of offensive improvement, as his xBA, xSLG, average exit velocity, and bat speed are all in the 7th percentile or less in MLB. One positive to be found with Hamilton’s approach is that he doesn’t whiff and strikeout, and walks a lot. His walk percentage is currently in the top 6% of all MLB players, and when he gets on, his speed is a factor, as he already has four stolen bases to his name so far. Hamilton’s defense is solid as well, with +1 OAA already this season, but unless significant offensive improvements happen, he probably should remain in a bench role. Ortiz is a whole other story. The 27-year-old has a slashline of .204/.250/.204 so far in 2026, striking out 13 times while only walking thrice. These marks are all significantly lower than his 2025 numbers, which saw him finish with a .593 OPS. Ortiz’s xSLG and average exit velocity are both in the 3rd percentile, but his xBA is .041 points higher than his actual number, while his bat speed is above league average. These indicate that there may be some luck involved, and that Ortiz could potentially find more offense at the plate, but it isn’t likely, especially given that he is hitting the ball on the ground 68.4% of the time, a league high, and up 22.9 percent from last year. Like Hamilton, Ortiz possesses speed, and the Brewers love his defense at short, but with how shorthanded the Brewers are on offense right now, time should be ticking for Ortiz to make an adjustment to get back to his offensive numbers in 2023. A free agent signing from the offseason, Rengifo was brought on to replace Caleb Durbin, who was traded to Boston before the season began. He enters Friday with a .125/.173/.208 slash line, good for the worst OPS on the team and a 9 OPS+. It is safe to say it hasn’t worked out so far, and his advanced stats don’t show too many signs for improvement, as his xSLG, average exit velocity, and bat speed are all below or at the 21st percentile. Rengifo has been solid defensively with +1 OAA and isn’t as fast as the other two guys, so he may be the first to go if changes are made. The primary issue is that with the struggles on the left side of the dirt, there aren’t a ton of current options as to who could provide offense. Jett Williams was acquired in the Freddy Peralta trade and could factor into the Brewers lineup later in the year, but he is currently struggling in Nashville, slashing .206/.342/.238 with one extra-base hit. A similar story can be told about Brock Wilken (.113/.254/.208), and recently extended Cooper Pratt (.186/.314/.209), and neither is likely ready to contribute for Milwaukee in the next few weeks. Other prospects like Jesus Made and Luis Pena are further down in the farm system, making it even more unrealistic for them to come up soon. As for the remaining internal options, there aren’t many, but Eddys Leonard could be an option if there isn’t an improvement. Leonard was signed to a minor league deal by the Brewers back in November, and while he hasn’t appeared in a major league game yet in his career, he has 40 career home runs at Triple-A and has started a total of 112 games at shortstop and third base at the Triple-A level as well. Leonard is currently slashing .245/.317/.491, but he would need to be added to the 40-man roster if he were to be called up. As for external options, trade rumors of Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes swirled after the Durbin trade, and he could still be on the market, given Houston's infield depth. Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm could also be an intriguing one-year option as he is an unrestricted free agent after this season, although Bohm has had a very poor beginning of 2026 as well. Nonetheless, the Brewers will need to find an answer soon. Having barely any offensive production from two infield spots will not end well, the longer it progresses, and given the injuries early in the season, it may not be long before desperation kicks in and changes are made. View full article

Image courtesy of © Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images The Brewers have received a lot of national attention for their farm system, with top prospects Jesus Made, Luis Pena, Jett Williams, Cooper Pratt, Brandon Sproat and Andrew Fischer all ranking in the top 100 prospects, according to MLB.com. In addition to all the wealth the Brewers have at the top, their No. 12 prospect, Luis Lara, is having an extremely hot start to his season at Triple-A Nashville. Is it sustainable, and when could we see Lara in Milwaukee? Lara was signed by the Brewers for $1.1 million in 2022, and the native Venezuelan entered this year after spending the entirety of last season at Double-A Biloxi. In that pitcher-friendly environment, he hit .257/.369/.343, with 32 doubles, 3 triples, and 2 home runs in 612 plate appearances. Notably, Lara struck out only 99 times, while walking 86 times. His speed is also a factor: he stole 44 bases in 2025. He played in 136 games, 126 of them coming in center field, with the other 10 coming as the designated hitter. A switch-hitter, Lara has had fairly balanced splits in his brief pro career. Lacking power from both sides, he put up similar overall numbers at High-A Wisconsin in 2024, regardless of the handedness matchup. Last season, though, that changed. He hit .260/.382/.343 in 482 plate appearances as a lefty, while hitting .248/.323/.342 in 130 plate appearances as a righty. He generally shows better plate discipline from the left side, but pulls and lifts the ball more often when swinging right-handed. Unfortunately, he's always shown so little power on both sides of the plate that the more optimal contact profile from the right side didn't yield much value for him. He was much better, last season, as the more patient version of himself, batting lefty. This couldn’t have gotten off to a better start for the 21-year-old, though. Through his first 13 games with the Sounds, Lara hit .367/.456/.551 in 57 plate appearances. He's already matched his homer total from last year (2). He has 8 walks and 8 stolen bases, and has only struck out six times. His 90th-percentile exit velocity is 102.6 MPH, and while that's still a low number, it hints at a bit more pop than he's shown in the past. He's doing all of this at a young age, given that he's playing in the highest level of the minor leagues. How much thunder he can find in the stick will determine how far Lara goes in the majors. Just 5-foot-7, he doesn’t have the prototypical build of a power hitter—or any big-league hitter, for that matter. Brewers right fielder and sparkplug Sal Frelick is famously small, but he's two inches taller and 23 pounds heavier than Lara. Any player performing well in Triple-A at such a young age is close to the major leagues. Lara feels relatively far away, because the Brewers have so much outfield depth already on their 40-man roster, but with Jackson Chourio and Christian Yelich hurt, the door is open a crack. Lara has been an elite defender throighout his climb through the minors. He won a Minor League Gold Glove Award last year in the outfield. That, too, will be subject to testing and observation once he reaches the big leagues, where size can matter more even in the field, but if he keeps playing the way he has so far and playing time opens in center field this summer, Lara could arrive in the majors ahead of schedule. He's doing everything he can to position himself for that opportunity, at the very least. View full article

Image courtesy of © Denny Medley-Imagn Images The Brewers didn’t make a lot of veteran additions to the major-league club during the offseason. One of the more surprising moves they did make was a trade with the Red Sox, sending starting third baseman Caleb Durbin to Boston. Andruw Monasterio and Anthony Seigler were also part of the deal, leaving many to wonder who the primary third baseman would be. That question was answered a few days after the trade was announced, with former Los Angeles Angels infielder Luis Rengifo signing a one-year deal with Milwaukee with a mutual option for 2027. Rengifo brought experience, with 199 career appearances at the hot corner and 567 2/3 innings there last year, and had been an above-average hitter from 2022-2024, before having a down year in 2025. Many assumed he would be the starting third baseman on Opening Day, given his significant previous playing time at the position. That wasn’t the case, though. David Hamilton, acquired in the Durbin trade, drew the start against the White Sox. Hamilton ended up going 1-2 with an RBI, two runs scored, and a walk, while Rengifo came in to pinch-hit for Joey Ortiz in the 6th inning and ended up going 0-2. Over the first six games, Rengifo looked rough. He only managed two singles and two walks over his first 15 trips to the plate. He broke through this weekend with three hits—all doubles—in Kansas City, but that still leaves his OPS at .628. His bat speed is unimpressive (especially from the left side) and he's hitting the ball on the ground too much. While his performance is not encouraging, let's look at the bright side for a second. He contributed to the Brewers’ remarkable 8th-inning comeback against the White Sox, taking a four-seam fastball from Seranthony Dominguez back up the middle past a diving Colson Montgomery to plate two runs and move the tying run to third base. Christian Yelich’s pinch-hit home run is the best moment of the Brewers’ season so far, so give Rengifo some props for getting the inning to that point. One of his doubles this weekend was in garbage time, but the other two were important, and required both solid contact and hustle out of the box. The stocky Rengifo doesn't run especially well, but he gets moving quickly and made second on two balls that other players with his speed might have allowed to become long singles. One ball didn't quite split the gap in left-center, but Rengifo took advantage of center fielder Kyle Isbel having to go a long way to cut it off there. MDRYNk5fWGw0TUFRPT1fQkZKV1ZnVUNBbFFBWFFGUlV3QUhCVk1FQUFBRFYxa0FCUVFCQndNRFV3TlZWRkZY.mp4 The other was hit down the line, but cut off well shy of the corner by left fielder Nick Loftin. Taking initiative (and benefiting from a momentary distraction, with Brice Turang heading for third and deciding not to head home), though, Rengifo just beat a good throw. Both Pat Murphy and the front office like hustle and smarts. They also like contact and plate discipline, which Rengifo has shown so far. Well-applied, those things can make up for a dearth of athleticism or power. It took a while, but Rengifo gave a glimpse of that over the weekend—perhaps just in time, with Hamilton's better defense and speed (plus the fact that he bats left-handed) threatening to marginalize Rengifo in short order. That's a question the Brewers will try to answer at the hot corner all year: can they unlock something within either Rengifo or Hamilton? Hamilton was picked by Murphy to take a “quantum leap”, while Milwaukee will try to reset Rengifo to his offensive output from his time with the Angels. The interesting thing to watch will be what the split is like going forward, which will probably continue to depend mostly on matchups—but which will certainly also be influenced by the two players' production. Rengifo showed up against the Royals, but the depth of this roster means you have to keep showing up to keep getting chances. View full article

Image courtesy of © Michael McLoone-Imagn Images The Rays jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third inning on Wednesday, when Yandy Diaz hit a 2-run home run to right field off Jacob Misiorowski. An answer wasn’t long in coming, though, as Brice Turang launched his first homer of the year after David Hamilton reached on an error. Turang finished the day 1-2 with 2 RBIs and a walk, bringing his overall line this year to .409/.500/.727 through six games. Additionally, as of Thursday, he leads the league in bWAR and doubles. It's an amazing start to the season, but how much of it is sustainable? First, let's honor just how much Turang has improved over his career in Milwaukee thus far. He made his debut in 2023, slashing .218/.285/.300 over 448 plate appearances, well below league average. He improved the following year, slashing .254/.316/.349 in 615 plate appearances, still below-average, but within shouting distance. Last year was his breakout. Turang hit 18 home runs, more than his previous two seasons combined, while slashing .288/.359/.435, achieving an above-average OPS+ (122) for the first time in his career and finishing 14th in MVP voting, just two spots behind teammate Christian Yelich. Turang has been one of the amazing developmental stories in baseball lately, and was one of the best overall players in MLB last year, but what is his ceiling? Is there still room for improvement with his offensive output, or will he sit at a similar level to what he produced in 2025? The 2026 season has just started, and the sample sizes are small, but there are a few key areas to keep an eye on. First, Turang’s bat speed isn’t great, but it's already improved a lot. He tapped into more bat speed as last season went along, and is back at his 2025 level (a couple ticks faster than in 2023 or 2024) to begin 2026. Because he's always had a plus feel for hitting, as he's begun to swing harder, he's also hit the ball harder. So far in 2026, Turang is hitting the ball even harder than in 2025, ranking in the 97th percentile of the league at 96.0 MPH. That number may not be sustainable, but it's a good initial sign for Turang to continue to produce extra-base hits. Turang is overperforming his expected numbers so far in 2026. His expected batting average is .316, while his expected slugging is .656, which is below his current number. Additionally, his wOBA (.527) is slightly higher than xwOBA (.455). Obviously, his numbers won’t be this high throughout the year, but it isn’t unrealistic to say that Turang could finish with an OPS above .800 and 20 home runs. Looking at the big picture, Turang will likely receive MVP votes once again, if he’s healthy and performs similarly to last year, but a win of that award would be extremely difficult in a league with Shohei Ohtani, Paul Skenes, Juan Soto, and other superstars. However, the better Turang does, the more he might feed into the club's long-term success. Given the Brewers’ spending habits, Turang isn’t likely to receive an extension like the one recently given by the rival Cubs to fellow second baseman Nico Hoerner. Top prospects Jesus Made and Jett Williams are pushing towards infield spots in the big leagues, while Cooper Pratt just signed an eight-year extension a few days ago. Turang won’t be a free agent until the 2030 season, but the Brewers could look to move him as early as this offseason, as their top prospects develop. However, if Turang were to take another leap this year and finish within the top 10 of MVP voting, it would take a rare and extraordinary return for them to move him. Only time will tell what Turang will do over a full season, but with such a great first week in the books, expectations are rightfully high. View full article