In December, the Milwaukee Brewers made a notable trade, sending Isaac Collins to the Royals. Fast forward to February, and Caleb Durbin was shipped off to the Red Sox. And let's not forget Rhys Hoskins, who once donned a Brewers jersey, now moving on via free agency.
The impact of these departures is up for debate. Hoskins' exit?
Well, Andrew Vaughn's impressive comeback had already pushed him out of the spotlight. Collins may have struggled towards the end, but his absence leaves the Brewers thin in the outfield, lacking a solid, everyday third starter.
Now, Durbin's absence? That's a tough one to swallow.
No matter how you slice it, as ESPN’s Bradford Doolittle points out, one area where the Brewers might feel the pinch is in plate discipline and on-base percentage.
Here's a look at the projected lineup:
- Jackson Chourio
- Brice Turang
- William Contreras
- Christian Yelich
- Andrew Vaughn
- Sal Frelick
- Luis Rengifo
- Garrett Mitchell
- Joey Ortiz
Will the Brewers' plate discipline take a hit in 2026? Both Collins and Hoskins had a keen eye at the plate. Durbin, in particular, was adept at drawing walks and had a knack for getting on base by any means necessary.
Here's a snapshot of their stats:
- Durbin: .256 AVG, .334 OBP
- Collins: .263 AVG, .368 OBP
- Hoskins: .237 AVG, .332 OBP
The situation at third base is particularly glaring. Doolittle projects free agent addition Luis Rengifo as the starter, but he only reached base at a .287 rate last season and holds a career OBP of .307. Vaughn may not walk as much as Hoskins, but with a .308 average for Milwaukee in 2025, he's a clear upgrade.
Garrett Mitchell's potential is another question mark. Limited by injuries, his career numbers-.254/.333/.433 in 390 at-bats-suggest promise, and the Brewers would welcome that level of production.
Overall, Doolittle ranks the lineup as the 15th-best in MLB, grading them across several categories:
- Hit: A
- Patience: D
- Power: F
- Baserunning: B
- Durability: B
- Depth: C+
- vsR: C
- vsL: C
- Stars: 3
- Holes: 1
“It’s a strange-looking profile for the Brewers’ offense,” Doolittle observes. Despite their homer-friendly ballpark, Milwaukee ranked just 22nd in home runs. Yet, their offense excelled in other ways.
The patience grade is the real surprise. The Brewers were a strong on-base team in 2025, but losing top walk contributors like Collins and Hoskins could lead to an offensive dip.
Considering their playoff struggles, where a lack of power was evident, and an offseason that saw more subtractions than additions, it's understandable why skepticism surrounds the Brewers. As it stands, the "status quo" for Milwaukee seems to spell "doubt."