The Brewers don’t have an infield problem like most teams. There are bodies. There is versatility. There are multiple paths to a functional 26-man roster without the need for a single outside move.
But heading into 2026, Milwaukee’s infield feels like a classic “depth versus brightness” situation. They currently have eight infielders on the 40-man — Jake Bauers, Tyler Black, Caleb Durbin, Andruw Monasterio, Joey Ortiz, Anthony Seigler, Brice Turang and Andrew Vaughn — and that’s before you get into non-roster invites or spring surprises. The question isn’t whether they can cover innings. What matters is whether they can build a lineup that is offensively stable enough to prevent every close game from turning into a coin flip.
Let’s start with the easiest part: Brice Turang is a permanent fixture in the line-up. The defensive floor is sky-high, the athleticism is all over the place, and the Brewers have shown they’re happy with the bat being “good enough” as long as everything else remains elite. With Milwaukee’s run prevention model, a middle infielder with a glove is not a luxury; it is a roster requirement.
Then the dominoes start to wobble.
First base is busy, but has it been decided?
Milwaukee’s current options at first base come down to a combination of Andreas Vaughn And Jake Bauerof Tyler Black This threatens to turn in a positive direction if the club decides that he is ready for more than just a cup of coffee.
Vaughn is the name that stands out because he carries the clearest “this guy is a first baseman” profile of the group. If the Brewers want a stable, traditional look at first base with regular at-bats and less lineup gymnastics, Vaughn is the obvious bet. Bauers, on the other hand, is the classic Milwaukee type: roster flexibility, multiple positions and the ability to plug holes as they emerge over a long season — he played 40 games at first base and 26 in the outfield in 2025.
Black is where things get interesting. While he has struggled in the Majors thus far (.211/.357/.263 line with 12 hits in 57 at-bats), the new automated ball-strike (ABS) system could benefit no one more than him. This is a guy whose career OBP over 1,408 minor league at-bats is .399. Black will need to show some offensive prowess in spring training and early in the season if he wants any chance of playing time, as he plays below-average defense. Assuming Bauers and Vaughn both have good resources, Black appears to be a trade candidate for a team looking for an infield bat.
The left side of the infield
If you’re looking for a player who can quietly change the shape of the infield, this is it Joey Ortiz. He’s the man who can make the whole thing make sense… or make it feel redundant.
Ortiz can credibly handle multiple spots, but his offense left a lot to be desired in 2025. After hitting .239/.329/.398 with 11 home runs, 60 RBIs and 58 runs in his rookie season, he took a big step back and slashed .230/.276/.317 with seven home runs, 45 RBIs and 62 runs. The only areas where he really improved were in base paths (14-for-17 in steals) and strikeout rate (14.6% in 2025, after a 20.2% rate in 2024).
The status quo says he’ll remain the shortstop heading into 2026, but don’t be surprised if he’s on the short leash, especially with so many other options on the roster.
That’s true Caleb Durbin And Andruw Monasterio come in. Both fit the mold of the modern Brewers infielder: versatile, useful and capable of giving you competent innings at more than one position. Durbin will start the year as the everyday third baseman, but Monasterio will fill in around the diamond as needed. Does Ortiz have a bounce-back season in him?
The silent wildcards: Seigler and banking mathematics
Anthony Seigler is on the 40-man roster as yet another versatile player who can play just about anywhere (including catcher). Pat Murphy showed he was a big fan of Seigler by putting him at third base with Durbin, even though he didn’t produce at the plate (.194/.292/.210 line with just 12 hits in 62 at-bats). Still, don’t be surprised if Seigler starts the season at Triple-A but gets a chance in the Majors if Monasterio or Ortiz struggle early in the season.
What this really boils down to
With this infield group, the Brewers can absolutely go into 2026 and win the NL Central again. The floor is solid, especially defensively. But if they’re serious about widening the gap and making October less match-dependent, one of two things needs to happen:
- A clearly everyday infield is created (with Vaughn/Bauers settling for 1B and Ortiz rebounding at shortstop), or
- They add a reliable bat which reduces the chance of inconsistency.
Right now Milwaukee has answers for coverage. What they still need are answers security.
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