Joey Ortiz spent a long stretch in 2025 and the opening months of this season looking like a lineup liability every time his name popped up for the Milwaukee Brewers. A year ago, he finished with a 67 wRC+, and the struggles were especially visible in the kinds of moments that stick with fans - including his issues with the bases loaded.
That reputation only hardened early in 2026. By May 31, Ortiz had slid to a 52 wRC+, which at the time would have ranked as the third worst among qualified hitters in the majors.
But everything has shifted since the calendar flipped into June. Ortiz lost his everyday shortstop job to Cooper Pratt and moved back to third base, the position he played in his first season with the Brewers, and the change has come with a real offensive surge.
The latest step came Sunday, when Ortiz launched a two-run homer in the series finale against the Cincinnati Reds. That pushed his wRC+ to 102, a mark that puts him above league average and confirms he has climbed all the way out of the early-season crater.
The numbers since then back up the idea that this isn’t just a brief hot streak. Over the last three months, Ortiz has hit above .300 in every month, while still drawing walks and punishing mistakes.
Since the All-Star break, he owns a .331/.380/.565 slash line. His .945 OPS ranks fifth in that span, behind only Pete Crow-Armstrong (.960), Rafael Devers (.987), Fernando Tatis Jr.
(.996), and Alex Bregman (.999).
He has also driven in 22 runs in that stretch, which is half of his RBI total for the season, and his batting average has climbed to .264. Hitting near the bottom of Pat Murphy’s lineup, Ortiz has helped give Milwaukee more length by taking what pitchers give him and turning the order over.
A few months ago, it looked hard to imagine Ortiz getting back to league-average production, let alone becoming one of the Brewers’ more dangerous hitters. Now he has changed that conversation completely, and he doesn’t look like he’s slowing down. For Milwaukee, that kind of production could matter in October.
In Other News...
Brewers Fans Had One Immediate Concern After Garrett Mitchells Early Exit
Garrett Mitchells early exit in the Brewers game against the Reds sent a ripple through the fan base almost immediately, but Pat Murphy said the center fielder was pulled as a precaution after his blood sugar got too high. Mitchell, who has Type 1 diabetes and wears an insulin pump during games, left after going 0-for-2 with a walk, and the explanation was enough to calm the first wave of concern around his availability.
For Milwaukee, the episode was a reminder of how carefully Mitchells situation has to be monitored even on a routine night in the middle of the schedule. Murphy also weighed in on the bullpen and the teams recent stretch of games, but the larger focus after Mitchells departure was simply making sure this was a health issue being managed the right way, not a setback that would linger. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Suddenly Have A Luis Lara Decision That Wont Go Away
Luis Laras extended look while Sal Frelick was sidelined gave the Brewers a better read on what he can offer, and it was more than just a placeholder run. Over 125 plate appearances, Lara hit .259/.328/.375, enough to keep him in the conversation as a useful piece even after Frelick returned. Since then, his role has shifted into something more platoon-based, with the Brewers splitting his chances nearly evenly against right- and left-handed pitchers in a way that is a little unusual for a switch-hitter.
Lara has still managed to keep his on-base percentage at .333 lately, helped along by coaching decisions and the defensive value he brings to the roster. The larger takeaway is that Milwaukee keeps leaning into a merit-based approach with both Lara and Frelick, which is good process but also leaves a tricky question hanging over how much runway Lara is really going to keep getting as the roster gets healthier and the games matter more. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Trade Is Already Raising Questions About Their Catching Bet
The Brewers catching picture has shifted again after their deal with Cleveland brought Bo Naylor into the organization, a move that immediately invited scrutiny because of what Milwaukee gave up to get him. Craig Yoho and Blake Perkins went to the Guardians, with Codi Heuer later flipped to Baltimore for cash, and the early returns have only sharpened the debate around whether the Brewers made the right bet at a position that has been hard to settle.
Yoho has been productive for Cleveland, which has only added to the sense that the Guardians came out ahead in the short term. Naylor, meanwhile, has logged only limited major league time in Milwaukee but has shown enough promise in Triple-A to keep the long view alive, leaving the Brewers to wait and see whether the trade starts looking different as his role grows. [Read more 🡒]