Reddit AMA: How many HRs for Turang? Made coming in '26?

With half of the Spring Training schedule in the books, MLB.com Brewers beat reporter Adam McCalvy held an Ask Me Anything on Reddit with fans at r/brewers during Sunday’s game against the Mariners. This mailbag features questions and answers from there, lightly edited for clarity. The full AMA can be read here.

What can we legitimately expect power-wise from Brice Turang this season? Over 25 home runs?
Short answer: Yes, absolutely.

Brice Turang's SLG/OPS/HR by season:

• 2023 - .300/.585/6
• 2024 - .349/.665/7
• 2025 - .435/.794/18

A 25-plus homer season is absolutely possible. But it was interesting to hear Brewers manager Pat Murphy explain what he told Turang in a one-on-one meeting before Turang departed to play for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.

"Some players are better at the Major League level than they are at the Minor League level because they have that other element that allows them to adjust and know where they fit. That’s going to be Turang’s thing this year,” Murphy said. “Can he be more of a hitter than a slugger? Because the slug’s in there. It’s out of the bag. So now people are going to pitch around him – or, pitch more carefully. Can he strike/ball?”

If he does keep that type of discipline, Murphy said, there’s another quantum leap in there.

“Because of what team he’s on, the players he’s around, I’m just so freaking happy for him,” Murphy said. “He can rub elbows with the best of the best, and, like, look around and go, ‘I belong.’ It’s a thrill.”

Who will be the starting third baseman on Opening Day, who will play the most there in April, who will be the starting there by the end of the year?
Opening Day: David Hamilton (because White Sox right-hander Shane Smith is starting)

April: Luis Rengifo

End of year: Luis Rengifo

The Brewers really like Rengifo and had been trying to acquire him from the Angels for years. Maybe they would have gotten him at the 2024 Trade Deadline had Rengifo not suffered a right wrist injury that took him off the market (and ended his season after Aug. 2 that year). He's particularly potent against lefty pitchers (.909 OPS vs. LHP in 2022, .928 in '23 and .897 in '24 before a dip to .626 last season). And Brewers infield coach Matt Erickson has shown a knack for bringing out the best in infielders during recent years. See Caleb Durbin last season.

Which prospect is getting more talk about them than their ranking (or lack of ranking) would suggest?
MLB Pipeline prospect guru Sam Dykstra happens to be visiting Brewers camp today and is sitting right behind me in the press box. Much better to have him answer than me.

From Sam:

The Brewers acquired Kyle Harrison and Brandon Sproat -- a former and current Top 100 prospect, respectively -- as potential back-end rotation options this offseason, but don't overlook Shane Drohan (picked up from the Red Sox in the same Caleb Durbin trade as Harrison) as another starting contributor in '26. Ranked No. 25 on the Brewers' Top 30, Drohan is the oldest-ranked Milwaukee prospect at 27 years old, but his 93-96 mph fastball and low-80s slider both have whiff rates above 45 percent through his first two Cactus League outings. The southpaw had some of the best swing-and-miss on the four-seamer in Triple-A last year (37.7 percent) because of stellar deception that makes it play above its velo and movement profile, and it's been promising that the results have carried over in his first spring as a Brewer, albeit in a small sample.

After catching some Spring Training games this week, which rookies/prospects are you eyeing as future All-Stars? Who stood out with star potential?
Bishop Letson (Milwaukee’s No. 9 prospect) opened eyes when he pitched for the Brewers early in the Cactus League. The extension is special, and something you can't teach. Dykstra spent some time with him Sunday morning at American Family Fields of Phoenix and will have a full report next weekend.

Will Jesús Made start the season in Triple-A Nashville?
No. But Double-A Biloxi is a strong possibility, and would represent a huge test. Made -- MLB Pipeline's No. 3 overall prospect -- has shown incredibly impressive bat speed in his first big-league camp, but is still working to develop a plan at-bat to at-bat. This time with the Major League players and coaches is so valuable for a talented player like that.

When can we logically expect to see Made in the bigs?
I say mid-2027. The guys around me in the press box just scoffed at that and say late 2026 (!!) or, following the Jackson Chourio timeline, 2027 Opening Day. How Made handles Double-A will help determine who's right.