It's time the Brewers give this free agent signee another shot at the big leagues

Don't look now, but the Milwaukee Brewers' offense is clicking on all cylinders, catching up to the incredible work that the pitching staff has done. Well, nearly all cylinders. Despite an incredible month of May that saw the Brewers make the leap from last place to first place in the NL Central in under three weeks, there are still some weak spots in Milwaukee's offense.

Blake Perkins has been a regular for the Brewers over the past few seasons, despite lackluster offensive production. He has more than made up for with it with his glove in the past and was still able to piece together a serviceable .240 average in 2024, when he appeared in a career-high 121 MLB games. Even in his "worst" season in terms of batting average, when he hit just .217 in 2023, he still had a .325 on-base percentage across 67 games.

This season, however, has resulted in new lows for the 29-year-old switch-hitting outfielder. Despite not being slated to make the initial 26-man roster, injuries to Jackson Chourio, Christian Yelich, and now Brandon Lockridge have kept Perkins on the big league roster for much of the early part of the season. Unfortunately, it has not worked out very well in 2026.

Perkins has a dismal .095 batting average to start the season, with just a .186 on-base percentage. He's chasing more than ever, maintaining the lowest average exit velocity of his career, and even his glove has taken a step back.

Thankfully, the Brewers are currently the healthiest they have been all season (knock on wood), and Lockridge could be back before the end of June after he sustained a scary knee injury on an attempted sliding catch against the New York Yankees in early May. However, as Milwaukee awaits Lockridge's return, they may already have a different replacement for Perkins on the 40-man roster.

Brewers should see what Akil Baddoo can bring to the table as they await Brandon Lockridge's return

Over the winter, the Brewers signed free agent Akil Baddoo, a former top prospect who was drafted by the Minnesota Twins, and plucked away by the Detroit Tigers in the 2020 Rule 5 Draft. Baddoo made the Opening Day roster after an incredible spring season in 2021 and made an immediate impact, homering on the first MLB pitch he saw. He lasted the full season with Detroit, allowing the Tigers to keep him in their organization following the 2021 campaign.

Over the next few seasons, Baddoo bounced between Triple-A and Detroit, before electing free agency at the end of the 2025 season. Milwaukee signed him in December, and a promising spring was derailed by injury. He was forced to miss the beginning of the season due to a quad strain and placed on the 60-day IL. Over the weekend, Baddoo was activated from the IL, re-joining the 40-man roster, and was optioned to Triple-A Nashville after a rocky rehab stint.

It is a small sample size, just eight games, but Baddoo is hitting for a .231 batting average, with an on-base percentage of .300. It is worth mentioning, however, that of his six hits, two of them are home runs, which could bring some much-needed pop to the Brewers' lineup when serving as a substitute outfielder.

There have been calls for Milwaukee to promote No. 5-ranked prospect Luis Lara, who is currently slashing for .340/.447/.500 with seven home runs. He would be a great option, by all accounts. However, he is not currently on the 40-man roster and the Brewers are unlikely to call him up to the big leagues without everyday opportunities available. Therefore, it's far more likely Baddoo would be called upon to replace Perkins, the Brewers' fourth outfielder, than Lara.

Regardless of whether it's Baddoo or Lara, the clock on Perkins is ticking -- something needs to change. The glove-first outfielder simply isn't doing enough to warrant a big-league roster spot.

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