The statistics largely don’t count and the Brewers’ 4-6 start to Cactus League play will almost certainly be forgotten by Opening Day, but there certainly are some positives to take away from the first two weeks of spring training games.
Generally speaking, the spring training environment isn’t very conducive to player evaluation. The sample sizes are small, the hitting environment is favorable, and the competitiveness of games varies wildly, with some pitchers going all out while others are “just getting their work in” and others are struggling just trying to throw strikes. There’s not a lot of signals suggesting that a player who dominates or struggles in the Cactus League will carry that momentum into the regular season, either in a positive or negative direction.
While spring training outcomes may not matter all that much, however, there is something to be taken away from the inputs. With the expanded availability of Statcast data from spring training we know more than ever about who’s throwing harder or squaring up pitches well this spring. Here are a few of the Brewers who have had intriguing moments:
Brandon Sproat
One of the newest Brewers, Sproat joined the Crew in the Freddy Peralta trade over the winter. He made his MLB debut with the Mets last season and experienced limited success, posting a 4.79 ERA in four starts. He was in the upper quarter of MLB pitchers with an average fastball velocity of 96, however, and those pitches were logged in September after he had already thrown 121 innings in the minors.
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If the Statcast numbers are to be believed, Sproat may have even more in the tank for the start of the 2026 season. He’s only thrown 35 recorded pitches in Cactus League games but 15 of them were above 96 mph, including a 99.8 mph four seamer he threw to White Sox catcher Edgar Quero on Friday. FanGraphs already rated Sproat as the #37 prospect in baseball for this season and that was with the scouting report that “he can crest 100 but tends to live in the 95-97 range.” If that cruising velocity goes up a tick or two it could make a significant difference in his long-term outlook.
Brice Turang
If “Can Brice Turang do it again?” is one of the questions the Brewers have to answer this spring, early signs point to “yes.” Turang was highly valuable as a defense-first second baseman in 2024 but took a massive step forward offensively in 2025, raising his on-base plus slugging by 130 points and making much harder contact.
Turang came to camp this spring ready to demonstrate that he can still do that. He’s already had six batted balls this spring with an exit velocity of 100 miles per hour or more, including two home runs in a game on Wednesday (the second was a 425-foot grand slam). Turang is leaving the Brewers this week to go represent Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, and he seems ready to make an impact there and with the Brewers upon his return.
William Contreras
If “Can Brice Turang do it again?” is one of the questions of this spring, then “Can William Contreras get back to doing it?” is probably valid too. Contreras was still one of baseball’s most valuable and oft-used catchers in 2025, but his offensive numbers diminished a bit while he was playing with a broken finger that required surgery during the offseason. There’s not a track record of slow recovery from finger injuries like there is with hand injuries, but it’s still hard to tell how a player will react or how long it will take them to bounce back from something along those lines.
Contreras bounced back with one of the hardest hit balls of the spring, supplying all the power and hitting an 81 mph Aaron Sanchez offering with an exit velocity of 111.6 mph for a double on the second day of games. Getting a full healthy season from Contreras at the plate would go a long way towards pushing the Brewers into contention again in 2026, and early signs indicate he’s back to being able to drive the ball with authority.
Kyle Lobner covers the Milwaukee Brewers in the Shepherd Express’ weekly On Deck Circle column. He has written about the Brewers and Minor League Baseball since 2008.
Mar. 02, 2026
4:38 p.m.