Taking a look at Brewers' potential Opening Day roster

March 22nd, 2026

PHOENIX – It’s not over until 11 a.m. CT on Wednesday, when teams’ 26-man rosters are due. But after optioning left-handers Robert Gasser and Shane Drohan to Triple-A Nashville on Sunday, the Brewers departed the desert on Sunday with their Opening Day roster in much clearer focus.

Here’s our latest attempt at predicting the roster, which can’t include more than 13 pitchers:

Catchers (2): ,
Contreras is fully healthy again after undergoing surgery for the fractured left middle finger that bothered him the past two years. Sánchez is the backup and Jeferson Quero (Brewers No. 8 prospect) is the clear No. 1 at Triple-A Nashville with Saturday’s news that veteran non-roster invitee Reese McGuire had triggered a release clause in his contract.

First basemen (2): ,
Bauers’ standout spring showed why manager Pat Murphy doesn’t think of this as a straight platoon. Both Vaughn and Bauers had big camps, combining to hit .416 (32-for-77) with exactly half of their hits for extra bases – including six homers for Bauers and two for Vaughn.

Second baseman (1):
An international audience learned what Turang means to the Brewers during the World Baseball Classic. He’s poised for another big step after posting a .585 OPS in 2023, .665 in '24 and .794 in '25.

Shortstop (1):
Since the 2024 All-Star break, Ortiz’s .609 OPS ranks 228th out of MLB’s 232 hitters with at least 500 plate appearances. But the Brewers are sticking with him because he plays great defense and they believe there’s more in there offensively.

Third baseman (1):
Caleb Durbin, Andruw Monasterio and Anthony Seigler all played third for the Brewers last season but were traded to Boston eight days before the first full-squad workout. That preceded a one-year deal for Rengifo, a threat against left-handed pitching whom the Brewers had coveted for years. Lefty-hitting David Hamilton is the leading candidate to share time here, and could even draw the start at third base on Opening Day against White Sox righty Shane Smith.

Outfielders (4): , , ,
There’s a lot of depth when you include a handful of outfield starts for Christian Yelich and Bauers, and the presence of former Gold Glove Award finalist Blake Perkins at Triple-A Nashville after Lockridge won the final spot. Health will be especially important for Mitchell (left shoulder), Chourio (right hamstring) and Frelick (left knee) after they dealt with injuries last year.

Designated hitter (1):
Of his 146 starts in the 2025 regular season, 128 were as the DH. It kept him healthy and productive to the tune of 29 homers and a .795 OPS.

Utility (1):
Newly acquired prospect Jett Williams (Brewers' No. 3 prospect, overall No. 51) impressed in camp but was optioned to Triple-A to start the year. Hamilton got extensive reps at shortstop during the spring and was manager Pat Murphy’s pick to take a “quantum leap” in 2026. As needs arise, will there be an in-season lane to the Majors for Cooper Pratt (Brewers No. 4 prospect, overall No. 64)?

Starting pitchers (5): , , , ,
Woodruff’s status was still a wild card as the Brewers lifted off. Will he open on the injured list, which would sideline him until April 6 in Boston at the earliest? Or will he be at the back end of the opening rotation? Either way, he needs at least one more outing to build endurance coming off last year’s lat injury.

Sproat (Brewers No. 5 prospect, overall No. 100) was not in our earlier projections, but he made the team and will be in the rotation. Gasser (Brewers' No. 17) is the leading candidate to start should Woodruff or Harrison (blister) need more time (the Brewers could reverse his option to replace a player on the IL). Among the reserves to know are Drohan (Brewers No. 25), who made it all the way to the end of camp, and Logan Henderson (Brewers No. 7), who was earlier optioned to Triple-A. Carlos Rodriguez, Coleman Crow (Brewers No. 27) and non-roster invitee Tate Kuehner are all in the mix for later in the year.

Relief pitchers (8): , , , , , , ,
Ashby will make some starts as soon as the opening homestand as a multi-inning opener, and could even make a series of starts if needed in place of Harrison or Woodruff. At the back end of the ‘pen, the Brewers have four relievers capable of closing in Megill, Uribe, Zerpa and Koenig, but Murphy has hinted that Megill will get the bulk of save opportunities early.

Injured list (5): RHP , RHP , LHP , OF , OF
The Brewers hope Priester is back by late April or early May as he recovers from symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome. Remember, you can always find the latest injury information in our running account of injuries and roster moves throughout the season at Brewers.com.