Joey Ortiz’s season looked like it was drifting off course, and then it flipped fast.
By the end of June, through 70 games, the Brewers infielder was sitting on a brutal .208/.286/.272 line with a 59 wRC+. Only five players with at least 190 plate appearances were worse in that category at that point. For a while, Brewers fans had every reason to wonder whether the version of Ortiz they saw in 2024 was the real thing or just a flash.
That concern lingered even with his glove still carrying value. But since July 1, Ortiz has looked like a completely different hitter.
In 45 games over that stretch, he’s batting .316/.362/.544 with seven doubles, three triples, six homers and 21 RBI. His .907 OPS ranks ninth in MLB among players with at least 150 plate appearances since July 1.
The timing lines up with a couple of Brewers roster changes. On June 26, Milwaukee called up shortstop Cooper Pratt, one of the team’s top five prospects.
Ortiz then moved, for the most part, over to third base. That’s the position where he found success as a rookie, before being asked to handle shortstop after Willy Adames left for San Francisco in the offseason.
Even with Ortiz’s smooth defense, the idea that a position switch would affect his bat seems like a stretch. But his career splits tell a different story, with his offensive production looking much better at one position than the other.
What’s mattered lately, though, is that the bat has stayed hot no matter where he’s lined up. When Pratt landed on the IL in the middle of August, Ortiz moved back to shortstop for a spell, and his offense didn’t miss a beat.
The Cubs saw that version of him on Tuesday night. In game two of the four-game series in Chicago, Ortiz started and went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer that helped open things up in Milwaukee’s 9-4 win, a result that tied the series.
In Other News...
Former Brewers Reliever Gets Another Shot To Test Milwaukees Decision
Easton McGees path away from Milwaukee has already taken a few turns since the Brewers designated him for assignment and shipped him to Kansas City in July. He got a brief look with the Royals, then spent most of August in Triple-A, where the results were rough enough to push him back out of the spotlight for a while.
Now he is back on Kansas Citys major league roster as a September call-up, which gives him another chance to show he belongs in an MLB bullpen. For the Brewers, it is the kind of move that keeps a former arm on the radar and quietly reopens the question of whether the organization gave up on him too soon. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers May Have Found The Tweak Antonio Senzatela Needed
Antonio Senzatelas move to the Brewers has already come with a clearer role and a different pitch mix, but the early returns were uneven. After his transition from the Rockies rotation to the bullpen, he had found more success leaning on a cutter and four-seam fastball, yet Milwaukee initially had him working more with a sinker-cutter combination that did not produce the kind of results the club was hoping for.
The good news for the Brewers is that the answer may have been less about the pitch itself than where he was throwing it from. A later adjustment to Senzatelas position on the mound helped his sinker play better, giving Milwaukee a possible path to a more effective version of the right-hander as it continues to sort out how he fits into the staff. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Deadline Gamble Is Turning Into An October Rotation Problem
When Milwaukee dealt for Dustin May at the deadline, the move was supposed to deepen a rotation the Brewers hoped would hold up into the stretch run. Instead, the right-hander has been searching for answers since arriving, and the early returns have been rough enough to change the tone around what was meant to be a stabilizing addition.
May has posted a 6.41 ERA in five appearances with Milwaukee, part of a season that has already been uneven overall. His 6-9 record and 4.69 ERA underscore why the Brewers were betting on upside when they brought him in, but the performance has not matched the ask, and it now looks unlikely the club will pick up his option for 2027. [Read more 🡒]