Milwaukee’s patience with Joey Ortiz is starting to look like the right call.
The 27-year-old infielder has had a rough season at the plate, but the Brewers have kept giving him a path to contribute, and Ortiz has responded by settling in offensively while continuing to do the job defensively. He’s still the kind of player who can make a difference with the glove, and now the bat is finally giving Milwaukee something to work with, too.
The position change came on June 16, when Cooper Pratt made his Major League Baseball debut and took over as the team’s everyday shortstop. Milwaukee had already signaled that shift back in March when it gave the 21-year-old a long-term extension, and that left Ortiz moving over to third base.
For a player trying to find his footing, that could have easily become a distraction. Instead, Ortiz handled it like an absolute pro.
He didn’t make noise about it and kept grinding behind the scenes.
Since Pratt’s promotion, Ortiz has appeared in 19 games and is hitting .278/.273/.426 with a .699 OPS, two homers, eight RBIs and two doubles. The Brewers have gone 11-8 in those games. Ortiz has even out-hit Pratt in batting average over that stretch, .278 to .238, though Pratt’s on-base percentage is much better at .351 compared with .273.
Zoom out a little farther, and the improvement looks even better. Since June 1, Ortiz is slashing .280/.302/.415 with a .717 OPS, two homers, 11 RBIs and five doubles across 31 games. That’s a real step forward after a slow start, especially with the pressure of knowing a younger player who already had an extension was coming for his spot.
Ortiz has also done enough to hold off another name in the pipeline, top prospect Jett Williams, who is trying to force his way into the majors from the top of the minors. And while the offense has come around, the defense has remained a major selling point. Ortiz is in the 98th percentile in outs above average with eight, which ranks 12th in Major League Baseball.
For a Brewers team that needed him to steady himself, Ortiz is starting to look like a feel-good story that’s actually sticking.
In Other News...
Brewers Top Prospect Jess Made Just Delivered A Huge Reminder
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Made has still been carrying the kind of profile that keeps evaluators interested even when the hits do not always come in bunches. He has stayed productive in 2026 with a high batting average, a low strikeout rate and enough run production to rank second in RBIs in the Southern League, so a night like this only reinforces the sense that the Brewers top prospect is keeping himself in the middle of the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Draft Haul Comes With One Concerning Twist Fans Should Note
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Milwaukees haul still gives it plenty of chances to find another impact player, but the shape of the class is not quite as clean as it first appears. The Brewers are working without the extra cushion of a supplemental-round selection after moving that pick in a recent deal with Boston, a reminder that every draft asset matters for a team built around development and value. [Read more 🡒]
Jake Bauers Sparks Another Brewers Win Over Cardinals Before The Break
Jake Bauers kept finding ways to tilt the game in Milwaukees favor at Busch Stadium, helping the Brewers beat the Cardinals 8-4 in another strong finish to the series. His second-inning baserunning play helped extend an inning, and he later delivered the big swing with a three-run homer that gave the Brewers the kind of cushion they have been building on during this road trip.
Milwaukee took four of five from St. Louis and has continued to stack wins as the All-Star break approaches, a stretch that has kept the club moving in the right direction even with the grind of the schedule. The Brewers have handled the first part of their longest road trip of the season well, and Bauers night was another reminder of how much little plays and timely power have mattered in that run. [Read more 🡒]