3 Brewers players its already fair to worry about in 2026

The Milwaukee Brewers broke free of their six-game losing streak that sunk them toward the bottom of the NL Central standings, but for one of the league's biggest underperformers through mid-April, it's impossible not to start pointing the finger at individuals who have disappointed.

There's a lot of nuance that goes into divvying up blame for a stretch like this. Pat Murphy is is working with an overtaxed and heavily relied-upon bullpen group. Trevor Megill was shaky in the closers role before being removed from it earlier this week. Jackson Chourio, Christian Yelich, and Andrew Vaughn are all tending to injuries, sapping the lineup of some of its best producers. The list goes on and on.

Still, we'll single out three players in particular that have done more harm than good this year when it comes to putting a winning product on the field.

3 Brewers who have contributed to Milwaukee's mediocre start

INF Luis Rengifo

To say Rengifo has been the biggest disappointment on the team is not an overstatement. Signed with the intention of replacing Caleb Durbin at the hot corner -- who, in fairness, is also off to a rough start this year -- the 29-year-old is in quite the slump at the plate.

Rengifo's 3 wRC+ is the worst mark on the roster by a significant margin. He's rarely walking, hitting for zero power, and hitting the ball on the ground more than half the time. It's no wonder that he's struggling more than he ever has before.

If there is a bright side, it's that Brewers' infield coach Matt Erickson has appeared to have worked his magic yet again. Rengifo has become an above-average defender at the hot corner, contributing +1 Out Above Average with his glove.

OF Sal Frelick

Among Brewers players with 50 or more plate appearances on the season, two are currently providing the team with negative value (fWAR): Rengifo and Sal Frelick.

That's a precipitous fall from grace for one of the team's biggest breakout stars from a year ago. In 2025, the right fielder posted a 114 wRC+, stole 19 bases, and +9 Defensive Runs Saved en route to 3.6 fWAR. This year, those figures are down to 71, one, and -1, respectively.

The good news is his plate discipline remains elite, as Frelick is practically immune to chasing outside the zone or whiffing, hence his above-average walk (13.4%) and strikeout rates (17.9%). However, like last year, his contact quality metrics are in the toilet, making it fair to wonder if his breakout was nothing more than smoke and mirrors.

RHP Trevor Megill

Initially given the chance to prove that he belongs at the back-end of the Brewers' bullpen group, 2025 All-Star closer Trevor Megill has lost the role by the halfway point of the first month of the season. The flame-throwing right-hander currently boasts a 12.00 ERA through his first seven appearances of the 2026 season and blew a save to the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night.

Megill's blown save followed a rough outing against the Washington Nationals, during which he entered a tie game in the top of the ninth inning and proceeded to allow four runs in large part due to his inability to field a bunt. The back-to-back outings led Milwaukee to turn to Abner Uribe and Ángel Zerpa in their next two save opportunities.

The most concerning aspect of Megill's slow start to the season is that his velocity is down, and worries exist about his ability to have the same success in the zone with his four-seamer if it doesn't hover around 99-100 mph like it did last year. That said, Megill did put together a strong eighth-inning outing in yesterday's series finale against the Blue Jays, which could be an indication of brighter days ahead.

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