After spending nearly a month with the Brewers as a member of their taxi squad from late September through their postseason run to the NLCS, Jeferson Quero has returned to game action in winter ball. In the hitter-friendly Venezuelan Winter League, he has slashed .269/.356/.558 with four home runs.

“He’s a great kid, and he’s a good player, and we’re seeing it in winter ball right now,” Brewers president of baseball operations and general manager Matt Arnold said earlier this week at MLB’s annual GM Meetings in Las Vegas. “He’s doing great. I feel like I get a new highlight emailed or texted to me every [day]. ‘Hey, he hit another homer.’ It’s cool.”

With veterans Eric Haase and Danny Jansen no longer in the organization, Quero is the only full-time catcher on the 40-man roster, other than William Contreras. (Anthony Seigler is there, too, but has been predominantly an infielder for the last three seasons.) The Brewers could add a veteran to the mix this offseason to bolster their depth, but barring such an acquisition, Quero is in line to make his major-league debut next year as Contreras’s backup.

“We’re always looking for depth, and competition is a good thing,” Arnold said of Milwaukee’s catching mix. “But I think Jeferson is a really special kid.”

A couple of years ago, it seemed Quero’s moment would come much sooner. He breezed through three levels in his first two years of full-season ball, despite being nearly four years younger than his average peer at High A and Double A. His strong bat-to-ball skills played just fine against older pitching, and the hope was that he could translate more of his raw power into games down the line. Defensively, his elite throwing arm and mature handling of pitching staffs turned heads.

Entering his age-21 season, Quero looked like the complete package and appeared on the cusp of reaching the majors. The Brewers selected his contract in November 2023 to protect him from that winter’s Rule 5 draft, and he began the following season in Triple-A Nashville. Unfortunately, a pair of injury-marred seasons slowed what had been a quick ascent.

Quero’s first regular-season plate appearance of 2024 would be his last, as he suffered a torn labrum in his right shoulder on a dive back into first base and underwent season-ending surgery. A hamstring injury delayed his return to play until June 2025, after which the Brewers frequently utilized him as a DH to ease him back into the rigors of catching.

When he did catch, Quero was not his usual self behind the plate. Most notably, his dominance over opposing running games (quantified by Baseball Prospectus as Swipe Runs) cratered.

Season

Framing Runs

Blocking Runs

Swipe Runs

CS%

CDA

2022

5.4

1.5

4.3

31%

12.3

2023

7.0

-0.5

4.5

35%

10.7

2025

-0.3

-0.2

-1.1

19%

-1.6

In Quero’s defense, that framing number should be taken with a grain of salt in a small sample of 34 games, and many of the successful steal attempts against him occurred on poorly-located pitches that put him in a suboptimal throwing position. Even so, it was clear that his formerly 70-grade arm was much closer to good than elite after major surgery.

After he posted a subpar 29.7% hard-hit rate with an unremarkable 90th-percentile exit velocity of 102.8 mph, Quero’s power surge in winter ball could be a sign that he’s finally closing in on full strength after two trying years. His outlook in 2026 hinges heavily on his throwing and receiving trending toward their previous levels, along with improving his plate discipline to maximize his contact skills. While his walk rate was in line with the Triple-A average, his 36.8% chase rate ranked in the 11th percentile of hitters.

Quero could still benefit from more minor-league seasoning, but the Brewers could instead work on those swing decisions at the big-league level, especially if he’s only playing in a part-time capacity. They may also be more patient with the flaws in his game, because they hold his intangibles in such high regard. Quero’s demeanor in spring training impressed Pat Murphy, who dubbed him “maybe my favorite prospect that’s ever been with the Brewers.” He’s also an excellent game caller, and he showed an impressive knack for reading swings and sequencing pitches while catching live at-bats during the team’s five-day bye before the NLDS.

Those positive first impressions (coupled with a sparse free-agent catching market) could make the backup role Quero’s to lose come spring training.

“Whether that’s on Opening Day or a couple years from now, I’m very excited about his future,” Arnold said.

DiamondCentric’s John Bonnes contributed reporting to this story.