4 Brewers who have impressed in Spring Training, 2 who have disappointed

Spring Training results don't matter -- to a certain extent. When the results of games are meaningless, players are not always facing big league competition, and the prioritization is to get ready for the regular season above all else, it's certainly difficult to draw accurate conclusions from Spring Training statlines.

However, to say that Spring Training results don't matter at all is an inaccurate statement -- just ask Vinny Capra, who essentially got a shot on the Milwaukee Brewers' 2025 Opening Day roster because of his scorching hot spring season last year. Therefore, while Cactus League results should absolutely be taken with a grain of salt, it's still worth highlighting which players have put together impressive numbers in Spring Training, and who is struggling as Opening Day draws nearer. As such, let's take a look at four Brewers who have impressed in Spring Training this year, and two whose performances leaves much to be desired.

4 Brewers who have impressed in Spring Training 2026

1. 1B/OF Jake Bauers

Entering his third season with the Crew, first baseman and corner outfielder Jake Bauers is absolutely raking in Spring Training. In seven games (17 at-bats), the 30-year-old Bauers is slashing .529/.667/1.176 with five extra base hits and three stolen bases. That's good for an otherworldly 1.843 OPS that makes it clear Bauers is picking up right where he left off in 2025.

In the month of September last year, Bauers slashed .360/.458/.560 while looking more locked in than ever at the plate. A strong showing in the postseason, which saw Bauers collect four hits in 13 at-bats -- one of which was a home run at Wrigley Field -- further validated the slugging lefty's hot streak and made giving him a contract in mid-November an easy decision for the Brewers' front office. Bauers is headed for a platoon with Andrew Vaughn at first base this year, but if his bat stays hot, expect Pat Murphy to make use of his versatility and get him more at-bats by frequently playing him in a corner outfield spot.

2. 1B Andrew Vaughn

Speaking of Andrew Vaughn, the Brewers' midseason trade acquisition, who was one of the hottest hitters in baseball during the second half of the 2025 season, is following up his impressive introduction to Milwaukee with a strong showing in Spring Training this year. Worries of regression with the slugging Vaughn have been quieted as the former No. 3 overall pick is slashing .370/.452/.667 with two homers and two doubles in his first 27 Cactus League at-bats.

Though Vaughn cooled off slightly after his unbelievable start with the Brewers last July, the now-27-year-old first baseman showed why the Chicago White Sox spent such high draft capital on him back in 2019. A strong performance in the postseason has carried into the spring exhibition season as Vaughn approaches his first full season in Milwaukee. As previously mentioned, it will be Vaughn and Bauers at first base for the Crew in 2026, but if the former hits like he did during the second half last year, Murph will find a way to keep his bat in the lineup most days.

3. OF Brandon Lockridge

Another midseason acquisition who is confirming the conspiracy theory that Matt Arnold and company are in possession of a crystal ball is outfielder Brandon Lockridge. The 28-year-old Lockridge, who has just 79 games of big-league experience to his name, joined the Brewers at the 2025 trade deadline, in a deal that sent Nestor Cortes and infield prospect Jorge Quintana to the San Diego Padres. Though Lockridge's speed and defensive acumen were apparent from the onset, his lack of power had Brewers fans concerned about the height of his ceiling.

However, this offseason has been a different story for Lockridge. Not only does he have two Cactus League homers, but his exit velocities are up, and it's becoming clearer what the Brewers saw in him when they acquired him last July. Though he's locked in a tight battle for Milwaukee's fourth outfield spot, whether he starts the year on the big-league roster or not, Lockridge will certainly impact the major league club at some point in 2026.

4. LHP Shane Drohan

Though fans were immediately drawn to the prospect pedigree of Kyle Harrison and the familiarity of David Hamilton when the return for Caleb Durbin was announced in the Brewers' early February trade with the Boston Red Sox, they quickly became aware of the potential that Shane Drohan -- the third piece coming to Milwaukee -- possessed. The 27-year-old left-hander possesses a strong five-pitch mix, including a nasty slider, that plays well from his low arm slot.

Drohan has lived up to his potential this spring. In three outings, he's covered 8.2 innings and allowed just three earned runs while striking out 10 batters. He was spotless before his Monday outing against the Los Angeles Dodgers, in which he allowed all three of those earned runs, but also stretched out to 63 pitches across 3.2 innings. With uncertainty surrounding the readiness of Quinn Priester, Logan Henderson, and Brandon Woodruff early in the 2026 season, Drohan could be an option that Milwaukee turns to early on in the season. If not, expect him to be one of the first names that the Brewers turn to later on in the year.

2 Brewers whose 2026 Spring Training performances have left much to be desired

1. LHP Jared Koenig

Jared Koenig has been a key high-leverage weapon in the Brewers' bullpen for the last two years. Compiling over 127 appearances over the last two seasons, Koenig has not only been someone Murphy can turn to late in games, but he's been a reliable bullpen option who is available seemingly every other day. He's looking to reprise his role as Murphy's go-to late-inning lefty in 2026, but his Spring Training numbers are concerning up to this point.

The 32-year-old left-hander is sporting a 10.80 ERA through his first four Cactus League appearances, and that's not including an outing against Great Britain when Koenig allowed five earned runs and collected just one out. The most concerning part is that Koenig's lack of effectiveness this spring has been accompanied by a dip in his velocity. That said, Koenig has now put together three consecutive scoreless appearances, and his velo has looked closer to normal in each of those three outings. Hopefully, Koenig's early Spring Training struggles were just a minor blip on his otherwise excellent Brewers resume.

2. OF Sal Frelick

It's difficult to be concerned about Sal Frelick heading into the 2026 season. After an excellent 2025 campaign, no one is picking the Brewers' consistent right fielder as a regression candidate in 2026. With a high floor, reinforced by Frelick's superb bat-to-ball skills, excellent defensive skills, and ability to impact the game in a major way on the basepaths, betting against the 25-year-old former first-round pick feels unwise. And yet, if you looked solely at Frelick's 2026 Spring Training numbers, concern would be a justifiable emotion.

In 28 at-bats, Frelick has just four hits -- three singles and one triple -- giving him a slash line of .143/.226/.214 with two weeks left before Opening Day. However, Frelick has just two strikeouts in those 28 at-bats, meaning, though he isn't collecting base hits at the rate that he surely will in the regular season, he's still put the bat on the baseball -- something he does better than most. It might be slightly jarring to see Frelick's current Cactus League numbers, depending on how much weight you give to Spring Training stats, but it's no cause for concern for the talented, young outfielder who is entering his third full season in MLB.