Early prediction of the Milwaukee Brewers' 2026 postseason roster

As manager Pat Murphy frequently reminds the media, the Milwaukee Brewers have not yet punched their ticket to the 2026 postseason. Nothing is guaranteed in baseball, and while the Brewers have a near-100% chance of reaching the playoffs for the eighth time in the last nine years, they must continue to play as if they are chasing down a final Wild Card spot. With an NL Central title, a first-round bye, and important home-field advantage still on the table, the Brewers can't let off the gas now.

However, while Murphy and his team keep their tunnel vision on "winning tonight" as the end of the season draws closer, many Brewers fans have already begun looking to October and speculating on what Milwaukee's postseason roster could look like this year. As a reminder, rosters shrink back down to 26 for the postseason after expanding to 28 in September.

There can be some surprises on postseason rosters as teams look to optimize their matchup with their opponent in each series. For example, Brewers fans weren't expecting Robert Gasser to be a part of the NLCS roster last year, but because he was a tough matchup for several of the Los Angeles Dodgers' left-handed hitters, he was included.

Additionally, depending on whether it's a five- or seven-game series, teams will change how many pitchers they include on their roster. Teams can't carry more than 13 pitchers, but occasionally they will choose to carry less if they believe they can navigate a shorter series with 12 arms.

With those caveats in mind, let's take a first pass at what a general Brewers' roster could look like in the postseason this year.

Projecting the Milwaukee Brewers' 2026 postseason roster

Catchers (2): William Contreras, Gary Sánchez

There's certainly an argument to be made that trade deadline acquisition Bo Naylor should be included on the Brewers' postseason roster, which would mean that Milwaukee would be carrying three backstops. Naylor's inclusion on the roster would allow the Brewers to use Sánchez in more pinch-hit scenarios without having to worry about leaving themselves without a back-up catcher. However, in a seven-game series when the Brewers are presumably carrying 13 pitchers, it's difficult to justify using three of the 13 position player roster spots on catchers.

Infielders (6): Jake Bauers, Andrew Vaughn, Brice Turang, Cooper Pratt, Joey Ortiz, David Hamilton

No surprises here. The group above has been the Brewers' go-to infield group since Pratt was promoted to the big-league club in early June. Bauers is likely to earn some starts in the outfield, especially when the Brewers are facing a southpaw. The biggest question mark with this group is whether or not Hamilton will earn starts against right-handers in the postseason. Pratt and Ortiz have not only been stronger in the field throughout the season, but they are both heating up at the plate as well. Do the Brewers play matchup by having Hamilton face the righties, or do they stick with Pratt and Ortiz on the left side of the infield regardless of the opposing starting pitcher?

Outfielders (4): Jackson Chourio, Garrett Mitchell, Luis Lara, Sal Frelick

Still no surprises. As previously mentioned, Bauers will see his fair share of starts in the outfield. Mitchell and Lara have formed something of a platoon in center field, with the switch-hitting Lara facing left-handers and Mitchell earning the starts against righties. Chourio is obviously locked into left field regardless of the starter, and Frelick could get the nod in right field against a right-hander if the Brewers elect to start Bauers at first base. Between optimizing matchups throughout the game, late-game defensive replacements, and pinch-running opportunities, it's likely all four of the names listed above earn a fair share of playing time regardless of how many games they start.

Designated Hitter (1): Christian Yelich

Yelich is seemingly hitting his stride at the perfect moment this year. The Brewers' veteran leader is barreling a ton of pitches right now, maintaining a head-turning average exit velocity over the last few weeks, and has started elevating the ball more than he was earlier in the year. If Yelich can extend this stretch into October, it would significantly aid the Brewers' chances of making a deep postseason run.

Starting Pitchers (4): Jacob Misiorowski, Logan Henderson, Dustin May, Kyle Harrison

The postseason brings with it an entirely different strategy when it comes to pitching staff management, and as a result, the term "starting pitcher" can often carry less weight in October than it does during the regular season. Bullpen usage is more aggressive, and as a result, many starters won't face a lineup three times through in the postseason. That said, the group above is likely to be the Brewers' "bulk pitcher" options in October. With one less off-day during the NLDS than there was last year, the Brewers may need to rely on all four early on. The big question that will be answered over the final weeks of the regular season is: In what order will the quartet of starters pitch in the postseason?

Relief pitchers (9): Trevor Megill, Abner Uribe, Aaron Ashby, JoJo Romero, Antonio Senzatela, Chad Patrick, DL Hall, Shane Drohan, Grant Anderson

The Brewers are set to have one of the strongest relief groups in the postseason this year. Not only do they have a formidable three-headed monster at the back-end of their 'pen in Megill, Uribe, and Ashby, but trade deadline acquisitions JoJo Romero and Antonio Senzatela provide even more depth to Milwaukee's high-leverage group. Add in the Hall, who is having a career year, Patrick, and Anderson, and the Brewers can really shorten games with their excellent relief pitching staff. The outstanding question here is how many starting pitchers the Brewers elect to send to their bullpen in October. This prediction only includes Drohan, who shined in a relief role back in May, but Robert Gasser could certainly be included as a long-relief option as well.

Add us as a preferred source on Google