3 surprising trouble spots for Brewers that have already emerged in 2026

The Milwaukee Brewers are only a few days away from finishing the first full month of the season, which they will hopefully do with a record above .500. However, despite their solid start, they still find themselves at the bottom of the National League Central, a division that has unquestionably been the strongest in baseball so far this year.

However, the Brewers remain in a solid position to jump up a few spots, with more division games finally on the horizon over the next few weeks and the duo of Jackson Chourio and Andrew Vaughn nearing their returns. That said, there are still some concerning trends that have surfaced early and will need to be addressed if they want to stay competitive and succeed not only against tougher NL Central opponents this year but the rest of the league as well.

Three surprising trouble spots for the Milwaukee Brewers that have emerged in 2026

1. Lack of a clear set up man

Following Trevor Megill’s early-season struggles, the Brewers have, at least for now, turned to Abner Uribe as their closer moving forward. Having Uribe as a fallback option is certainly a luxury, but the arms pitching in front of him have not consistently delivered so far this year.

This inconsistency is a new concern for Milwaukee, especially for a bullpen that is typically considered one of the best in baseball. Beyond Megill’s sluggish start, Angel Zerpa has struggled to consistently keep runs off the board, while Jared Koenig, once a dependable option, has landed on the injured list after a troubling spring in which his velocity never fully returned to form.

Going forward, finding reliable options to bridge the gap to Uribe will be critical. Maybe it’s as straightforward as Megill getting back on track or Zerpa rediscovering the form he flashed in the World Baseball Classic, but there’s also the possibility that an unexpected arm emerges as this year’s go-to late-inning option.

2. Outfield depth

For the second straight season, the Brewers outfield depth is getting tested early. Last year, Isaac Collins emerged as a near-everyday contributor after a season-ending injury to Garrett Mitchell and an early-year absence for Blake Perkins. Now, Milwaukee once again finds itself short-handed, with Chourio still sidelined for the short term and Christian Yelich also unavailable.

This is forcing the team to navigate another early-season outfield shuffle, but this time with Luis Matos and Greg Jones as the options. While Matos was recently designated for assignment, Jones is just 2-for-15 since being promoted to the big leagues. To make matters worse, Perkins has just a .461 OPS on the season.

While Milwaukee believed they had helped offset the loss of Collins by signing Akil Baddoo, he is currently on the 60-day injured list, leaving the organization searching for additional outfield stability. Manager Pat Murphy has made it clear that Luis Lara will only be promoted if he’s going to receive consistent playing time, which adds another layer to the decision-making process. As a result, it will be worth watching whether the Brewers further bolster their depth beyond Brandon Lockridge to ensure they have enough reliable options available if injuries strike again.

3. Lack of power in the batting lineup

While Milwaukee is built more around contact hitting and getting on base than pure power, the lack of pop throughout the lineup has still been a noticeable concern. The Brewers currently own the third-lowest team slugging percentage in baseball at .356 and are tied for the second-fewest home runs with just 20, highlighting how little extra-base damage the offense has produced so far.

The absences of Chourio, Yelich, and Vaughn have certainly played a role in those underwhelming numbers, but some of the broader trends are still concerning. Milwaukee recently endured a seven-game stretch without a home run, which was mercifully ended last night when Sal Frelick popped his second homer of the year.

Furthermore, among Milwaukee’s healthy, near-everyday contributors, only Gary Sanchez, Brice Turang, and Jake Bauers currently own slugging percentages above .400. Meanwhile, William Contreras has seen his slugging percentage dip to .388, Garrett Mitchell sits at .375, Sal Frelick at .313, and Brandon Lockridge at .296. The Brewers have managed to manufacture runs through a relentless approach at the plate, situational hitting, and aggressive small ball, but there’s no denying the lineup badly needs more thump moving forward.

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