These 2 Brewers prospects are knocking at the door

This story was excerpted from Adam McCalvy’s Brewers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

CHICAGO -- The pieces are all there for the Brewers to make significant changes in the interest of offense.

The question is when they will make a move.

Going into Monday’s showdown at Wrigley Field, no team in the National League was getting less offensively from the left side of the infield this season. The Brewers were the only NL club without a single home run from a third baseman. They were one of two NL teams (with the Cardinals) with only one home run from a shortstop. Combine the positions, and no NL team had a lower OPS from the left side of the infield than the Brewers’ .565. Only Boston ranks lower.

Meanwhile, two of MLB Pipeline’s top prospects -- Jett Williams (Brewers' No. 3, overall No. 60) and Cooper Pratt (Brewers' No. 4, overall No. 66) -- have been on fire at Triple-A. The organization has a lot riding on both players after dealing ace pitcher Freddy Peralta in the January trade that landed Williams from the Mets, and spending more than $50 million to lock up Pratt with a long-term extension in April, even though he’s yet to step foot in the big leagues. Pratt plays Major League-caliber defense at shortstop, which is critical because the incumbent, Joey Ortiz, has been delivering sensational defense. Williams can play second, third, short and the outfield. He has been playing mostly third base this season at Triple-A, and playing the position well, according to Brewers manager Pat Murphy.

But where is the tipping point between exercising patience with the players you know and taking a chance on the players you don’t know? When does a team know for sure that a prospect is ready?

Those are the questions Milwaukee officials have spent a lot of time on in recent days.

“There is no answer to that,” Murphy said. “It’s a combination of so many things, [including] the needs of the Major League club. I used to think this: I used to think it’s the point where the player is just absolutely ticked, and he’s like, ‘What else do I have to [show]? This is ridiculous.’

“When he’s at that point, maybe he’s ready. That’s what I used to think. But now I’ve seen so many young guys come up and fit in pretty well, and do well. So for me, there is no really ‘right’ time.

“They all can do it. All of those guys down there can come up here and contribute. It’s how consistent can they be? And how do they handle the mental stress? How do they handle joining a new group and fitting into the new group and understanding their role? All eyes on them. You guys [reporters] are talking to them all the time. It’s the new, shiny toy.

“It’s a lot to handle. There’s no real way to know.”

What the Brewers know for sure is they need more from Ortiz, third baseman Luis Rengifo and David Hamilton, who has played both positions on the left side of the infield.

Here’s a snapshot of all of those players’ stats from April 25 through Sunday -- with the critical caveat that there is a big difference between the pitching in Triple-A and the big leagues:

Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold declined to weigh in on whether the club was considering any callups. Notably, he was just in Nashville last week to check in with the Sounds while his son, Tyler, was playing a baseball tournament in the area.

And he wasn’t just there to see Pratt and Williams. The Brewers are also high on outfield prospect Luis Lara and some of their young pitchers like recently promoted Tyson Hardin.

So, the Brewers are looking at ways to improve the team from all angles. How would changes be received by the rest of the clubhouse? Would a callup play everyday or begin his career in a part-time role to maximize matchups? How would the players on the business end of a demotion handle that? What would it mean for the defense? What would it mean for the overall organizational depth? Ortiz and Hamilton are optionable, but Rengifo, who signed for $3.5 million, is out of Minor League options.

The simple thing to say is, “Who cares about all that? Make a change!” But it’s a lot more complicated from the GM suite than from the press box or couch. Still, it’s safe to say that with each passing day, Brewers officials are asking many of the same questions fans are asking.

“The Major League team, as it sits, it has to get better,” Murphy said. “We have to continue to work and find our rhythm a little bit.”