The clock is ticking down for the Milwaukee Brewers toward Opening Day. Some guys are in a groove, while others are still looking to get untracked.
There are just three games left in Arizona before the Brewers host the Cincinnati Reds for two exhibition games at American Family Field on Monday and Tuesday.
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 11-14 in Cactus League play after beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 24-9 Monday, then dropping a pair of split-squad games Wednesday to the Seattle Mariners 7-3 and the Los Angeles Angels before beating the Texas Rangers 11-4 Thursday.
Who’s Hot? 🔥
In a game that may have locked up his spot on the Opening Day roster, the center fielder capped off a 10-run fifth inning against the Dodgers by hitting a grand slam. It was part of a 3-for-5 day with three runs scored. His fourth homer of the spring, a shot to center field, came off veteran reliever Blake Treinen. He followed that up with a 1-for-4 against the Mariners and a 1-for-2 with a double and two RBIs vs. the Rangers. The Rangers game came just hours after the Crew optioned fellow center fielder Blake Perkins to Triple-A, paving the way for Lockridge to be there on Opening Day.
The first baseman has been as consistent as any player this spring, which may be why he hasn’t appeared in this feature until now. Vaughn went 4-for-7 with a pair of RBIs in the last two games. That put him at a nice .400/.478/.625 slash line with two homers and RBIs in Cactus League play. He leads the team with 16 hits to go along with five walks, while striking out only seven times. If the Crew can get anything close to what Vaughn produced last year after coming over in a trade from the Chicago White Sox, the offense should be just fine.
It feels like the left-hander doesn’t care what role he is in; he just wants to pitch. Could the Brewers be seriously thinking of Ashby in the rotation? He has pitched at least two innings in all three of his Cactus League appearances, allowing one run, while walking four and striking out six. The latest was a two-inning effort against the Angels in which he did not allow a hit in an efficient 22 pitches. Regardless of his role, Ashby will be a big part of the Crew’s pitching staff in 2026.
Who’s Cold? 🧊
The good news was the right-handed starter made his second appearance of the spring with a scheduled four-inning outing against the Rangers. The bad news was that Woodruff only made it through three batters in the fourth as velocity took a noticeable dip. He hit 93.7 mph with his four-seamer in the first inning and was routinely at 92 mph in the second and third innings. But in the fourth, his fastest pitch was 88.8 mph, and he gave up a pair of homers. It is possible Woodruff pitches the second of two exhibition games at American Family Field, but that also depends on how he bounces back from Thursday’s outing. Getting three innings out of Woodruff to begin the season might be acceptable with the depth and length the Brewers have in their bullpen. Otherwise, the injured list could be where he begins Opening Day.
It may have been more surprising that it was Mitchell who was stuck in camp while Perkins was optioned. The talented center fielder has not gotten anything going this spring and just had back-to-back 0-for-4, three-strikeout games. Having endured a handful of injuries that have curtailed his playing time since making his MLB debut in 2022, Mitchell has now struck out a team-worst 18 times in just 29 at-bats. He has just two hits, one being a homer, that have resulted in a paltry slash line of .069/.206/.207. Mitchell could be a dynamic part of the Crew’s offense if he gets going.
Locked into the starting rotation, perhaps as the No. 2, the right-hander struggled with his control against the Dodgers. Patrick walked four and allowed five hits while surrendering six runs to a lineup featuring a number of Dodgers regulars. He threw 83 pitches, which is good as he gets ready for the season, with just 48 strikes. There might not be anything to worry about, as you never know what the pitchers might be working on in any specific spring start. Patrick feels lined up to start the second game of the season, March 28, vs. the Chicago White Sox.