Milwaukee Brewers: 28-Man Opening Day Roster Prediction

(Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
(Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
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CINCINNATI, OHIO – JULY 17: Omar Narvaez #10 of the Milwaukee Brewers looks on during a game between the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers at Great American Ball Park on July 17, 2021 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OHIO – JULY 17: Omar Narvaez #10 of the Milwaukee Brewers looks on during a game between the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers at Great American Ball Park on July 17, 2021 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) /

Today, marks the first off day for the Milwaukee Brewers in what will be a condensed spring training compared to previous years. It also marks the exact halfway point in Cactus League play for the Crew, meaning the regular season is right around the corner.

Because of the shortened ramp up period, MLB and the players association will reportedly agree to expand rosters from 26 to 28 for the month of April. This will help some positions more than others, but either way it means two more bodies in the clubhouse come Opening Day 2022.

Teams will be limited to a max of 14 pitchers with the expansion of rosters. So, will the Brewers indeed go with an even 14-14 split or go hitter heavy? Which players on the border will end up making the cut? For the first time this spring, let’s take a look at who will be in Chicago for that first regular season game.

Here is our prediction at who will make the 28-man Milwaukee Brewers roster for Opening Day 2022.

Brewers Projected Opening Day Catchers (2)

Omar Narvaez, Pedro Severino

Other Candidates: Mario Feliciano

There should be absolutely no surprises here. The Brewers came into the 2022 season with a specific plan at catcher and nothing that has happened so far this spring appears to have altered that plan.

Omar Narvaez still projects to be the team’s primary catcher. Though he has gotten off to a slow 1-for-10 start in Cactus League play, he is coming off a strong 2021 season that resulted in the first All-Star appearance of his career and just agreed to a $5MM deal in his final arbitration year with the team.

Pedro Severino, meanwhile, still projects to be the backup after signing a one-year free agent deal this offseason. He has impressed early this spring, hitting 5-for-13 with two doubles, a homer, and five RBIs. The Brewers will hope to shore up some of his defensive deficiencies as the season goes on, but the plan for him to back up Narvaez hasn’t changed.

The only other catcher with a remote shot at making the roster is prospect Mario Feliciano. He looked good in a few games with the Crew early this spring, collecting a double and two singles, but will almost certainly begin the season in Triple-A Nashville instead.

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – JUNE 30: Keston Hiura #18 of the Milwaukee Brewers bats against the Chicago Cubs in the second inning at American Family Field on June 30, 2021 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – JUNE 30: Keston Hiura #18 of the Milwaukee Brewers bats against the Chicago Cubs in the second inning at American Family Field on June 30, 2021 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) /

Brewers Projected Opening Day Infielders (7)

Rowdy Tellez, Kolten Wong, Willy Adames, Luis Urias, Keston Hiura, Mike Brosseau, Jace Peterson

Other Candidates: Pablo Reyes

Five spots on the infield roster are relatively set. Rowdy Tellez, Kolten Wong, Willy Adames, and Luis Urias (more on him later) are what Brewers fans have a good chance of seeing from right to left on the team’s Opening Day lineup card in 2022.

Jace Peterson is also relatively entrenched as one of the top bench players for Opening Day. He was signed to a one-year, $1.825 deal last November to buy out his final arbitration year, is coming off one of the best major league seasons of his career, and has no minor league options remaining.

After poor seasons (by his standards) in 2020 and 2021, Keston Hiura was possibly in need of a strong spring to make the Opening Day roster in 2022. Early signs are very positive for him, though, and if he continues this way, Milwaukee might not be able to afford leaving his bat in the minors.

The Brewers traded for utility infielder Mike Brosseau last offseason expecting him to fill a role similar to Peterson’s last year. Not only will he likely make the roster to do just that, with Urias’ Opening Day status in limbo, Brosseau could possibly even start at third on Opening Day.

Speaking of Urias, he’s a bit of a wild card with this part of the roster. Recent reports are that his injured quad has been feeling better lately, but in a scenario where Urias is put on the injured list to start the season, the door opens for Pablo Reyes to possibly be in the dugout come Opening Day.

Brewers Projected Opening Day Outfielders (4)

Christian Yelich, Lorenzo Cain, Hunter Renfroe, Tyrone Taylor

Other Candidates: Corey Ray

Again, few surprises appear at the top of the outfield depth chart. Former MVP Christian Yelich, Gold Glover Lorenzo Cain, and last-second, pre-lockout trade acquisition Hunter Renfroe will, barring injury, be your likely Opening Day starters from left to right field.

The Brewers love carrying plenty of outfielders on the roster, even when it caps at 26 players, so even though there’s a non-zero chance he starts the year in the minors, Tyrone Taylor should make the roster as well. It helps that he’s been absolutely on fire this spring, though that hasn’t helped him catch a break with regards to cracking the regular starting lineup.

While Corey Ray is still on the 40-man roster, there are no indications that he will be anything more than a possible injury call up later in the season.

Brewers Projected Opening Day Designated Hitter (1)

Andrew McCutchen

Other Candidates: None

Just a few days after the MLB lockout was lifted, the Brewers brought in an old Pirates nemesis in signing free agent Andrew McCutchen to a one-year deal. And despite his extensive background as an outfielder, the team has said he was signed with the intent to be their primary DH in 2022.

That said, McCutchen will surely receive some starts in the outfield here and there. As a result, other players such as Yelich, Tellez, and Hiura will probably see some games at DH. It could also be a way for the Crew to work Taylor’s bat into the lineup if it stays hot.

Sep 11, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Corbin Burnes (39) and relief pitcher Josh Hader (71) pose for a picture after they threw a combined no-hitter in a win against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 11, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Corbin Burnes (39) and relief pitcher Josh Hader (71) pose for a picture after they threw a combined no-hitter in a win against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /

Brewers Projected Opening Day Starting Rotation (5)

Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, Freddy Peralta, Adrian Houser, Eric Lauer

Other Candidates: Aaron Ashby, Ethan Small

Do we even need to go into detail when it comes to the Brewers projected starting rotation? The five players who are expected to toe the rubber to open the first five games of Milwaukee’s regular season rate among the best in all of baseball.

Reigning NL Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, and Freddy Peralta combine to form a three-headed monster atop the rotation that will strike fear into opposing lineups. And each coming off career years, Adrian Houser and Eric Lauer won’t make things any easier.

The big question is whether the Crew starts the season with a six-man rotation or not, at which point Aaron Ashby likely joins the group. For now, though, we’ll assume he begins the season in the bullpen until we hear otherwise.

Brewers manager Craig Counsell has stated this spring that top 10 Milwaukee prospect Ethan Small will likely see starts for the team this season. That will probably be later in the year, though, so he is predicted to be off the roster for now.

Brewers Projected Opening Day Bullpen (9)

Josh Hader, Devin Williams, Brad Boxberger, Jake Cousins, Brent Suter, Aaron Ashby, Jandel Gustave, Trevor Gott, Miguel Sanchez

Other Candidates: J.C. Mejia, Hoby Milner, Angel Perdomo, Luis Perdomo

The 2022 Milwaukee Brewers bullpen actually has a few spots possibly up for grabs this year. So, let’s take a look at which players are locks first.

The back end of the bullpen is set. Closer Josh Hader and setup man Devin Williams, winners of the last four NL Reliever of the Year awards, are back. The Crew’s 2021 leader in appearances, Brad Boxberger, also returns after signing a new deal in free agency.

Ashby also claims a bullpen spot, as was previously mentioned. You can also pencil in two more on to the roster in long-time Brewers reliever Brent Suter as well as Jake Cousins, who was quite impressive in his first year in the majors in 2021.

The final three bullpen spots (assuming the Brewers go with the 14-14 split in hitters to pitchers) will arguably the toughest to project on the entire roster. The most likely pitcher to snag one of them is probably newcomer Trevor Gott, due to the fact that he has no minor league options remaining.

We’ll give the next one to Jandel Gustave. While he didn’t always pitch in the highest leverage of situations in 2021, he had some of the better 2021 numbers of the remaining pitchers on the list (14 games, 3.44 ERA, 1.091 WHIP).

For the final spot, we’ll go with Miguel Sanchez. While he was average in 2021, he saw the mound 28 times for the Crew last season. He’s also thrown three scoreless innings this spring and given up just a single walk, which is a pretty good start to an audition for a roster spot.

Hoby Milner saw plenty of time last year and will have a good chance to be the first man up when the Brewers need to shuffle relievers. Angel Perdomo and J.C. Mejia appear to need a little more seasoning. Keep an eye on Luis Perdomo as well, who has looked good early this spring and could claim one of the final spots if he continues to do so.

Next. 6 Key Brewers to Watch During Spring Training. dark

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Even though just nine Cactus League games remain on the schedule, there is still plenty that could happen between now and the beginning of the regular season. We’ll see if these projections hold strong, or if some strong spring training performances decide to shake things up.

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