Brewers: Projecting the Ideal 2023 Opening Day Starting Lineup

Here is our projection for the Opening Day starting lineup for the 2023 Milwaukee Brewers.

Batting 6th: 3B Luis Urias

The Brewers could use another player getting back to his old hitting ways in third baseman Luis Urias. After a breakout 2021 season that saw him blast a surprising 23 home runs while knocking in an equally surprising 75 runs, he took a step back in 2022.

Injuries probably didn't help. Urias didn't even get to make his season debut until early May as a quad injury suffered during spring training kept him sidelined until then. He actually got off to a fairly decent start after that, but a thumb injury in early June started to bring his numbers down.

Urias finished the season slashing .239/.335/.404, not terrible but not as good as the previous year either. He also put up just 17 doubles, 16 homers, and 47 RBIs, a far cry from his production a year prior.

Urias will be just 25 when the season begins, though, so there is plenty of hope that he can return to form. If he does, the six hole is perfect for him in the batting order.

Batting 7th: RF Tyrone Taylor

With plenty of time left in the offseason, this is the least certain spot in the batting order. The Brewers love to bring in outfielders in free agency and could still do so here, or they could promote another one of their young outfield prospects if they have a solid showing in spring training.

But based on the roster as it stands, we'll give the right field spot, and in turn the seventh spot in the batting order, to Tyrone Taylor. By no means will this spot, or his spot on the roster spot in general, be a guarantee, though.

Taylor got his first chance at extended playing time after the Brewers designated veteran Lorenzo Cain for assignment. But with all that opportunity in front of him, the results didn't end up being there as he had career worsts across the slash line at .233/.286/.442.

Taylor is still pre-arbitration eligible, which means the Brewers only have to pay him the league minimum. So while fans might prefer to see the team go with a prospect like Sal Frelick or Joey Wiemer at the position, Taylor and his experience might get one more shot to show whether he deserves to stick around.