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? ?
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…
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.
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? ?
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.
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.
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.