Brewers: The 4 Biggest Roster Battles To Watch At 2023 Spring Training

Jobs are there for the taking every spring. The Milwaukee Brewers are no different when it comes to their roster. As spring training continues, the roster battles begin to take shape as the candidates for open roster spots begin to get whittled down.

Being a team that missed the playoffs last season, there should be plenty of jobs open for the taking as the Brewers are looking to improve in 2023. The front office acquired several options over the course of the offseason. Some new faces have their jobs locked in. William Contreras, for example, isn't really battling anyone for a roster spot or the starting job. Others, meanwhile, are fighting for a spot on the 26 man roster while some players know they'll make the team but are fighting for the everyday starting job.

Competition will bring out the best in players and whoever rises to the occasion will earn the spots. But which jobs are being battled for and who are the contenders?

Let's break down the four biggest Brewers position battles to watch at spring training this year.

Brewers spring training roster battle #1: Right field

The Brewers acquired Hunter Renfroe shortly before the lockout in 2021. He proceeded to be the Crew's best hitter in 2022 and then they subsequently traded him to the Los Angeles Angels this offseason with one year left on his contract.

With three top outfield prospects hitting Triple-A late last season, including one getting promoted to MLB in Garrett Mitchell, it's clear the Brewers are about to go very young in the outfield. The team needed to open some playing time for them and with Christian Yelich under a long term deal with a no trade clause, Renfroe was the odd man out.

Of the outfield prospects, Garrett Mitchell and Sal Frelick are centerfielders and while they could play right field, the one best suited for that position is Joey Wiemer. Wiemer has the cannon throwing arm and the massive raw power that's expected of a right fielder. He's a perfect fit.

However, he's not quite ready.

Given the slump and strikeout issues he dealt with in 2022, Wiemer likely needs some more seasoning in the minor leagues before the Brewers can feel comfortable calling him up. Until he's ready, the Brewers will need to figure out a way to cover right field.

Tyrone Taylor would seem to be the favorite for the bulk of the playing time, but he's dealing with a sprained elbow and will miss the early part of spring training. He should be ready to go by Opening Day, though. Nevertheless, the door is open for other outfielders to prove their case.

Brian Anderson figures to see some time in right field this year on a part time basis. He'll also see plenty of time at third base. Anderson and Taylor are both right handed hitters, which doesn't make for an ideal platoon situation. The Brewers don't have to make it a strict platoon but they do like their platoons.

There's Frelick, who seems just about major league ready. He tore up Triple-A last season and he stands a chance to crack the Opening Day roster. He's also playing for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic. That'll take him away from Brewers camp for a few weeks, and it's unclear how that might impact his chances to make the team. While left handed, Frelick isn't a great platoon option because they'll want him playing every day.

Then there's outfielders like the switch hitting Blake Perkins and the lefty hitting Tyler Naquin. Naquin is a non-roster invitee but has several years of big league experience and would fit easily into a platoon with Taylor or Anderson. That is if he plays well enough to earn a roster spot. Perkins, although he doesn't have MLB experience, is on the 40 man roster, which helps his cause but doesn't guarantee a 26 man spot.

Taylor and Anderson are virtual locks to make the roster provided they're healthy. Could Tyler Naquin sneak his way on? Could Sal Frelick hit his way into an Opening Day job? Perhaps Blake Perkins surprises with a strong spring and gets a spot. There's room for a left handed (or switch) hitting third option behind Taylor and Anderson. Spring training will decide who claims it.

Brewers spring training roster battle #3: Utility infielder

The Brewers let their previous utility infielder Jace Peterson walk in free agency this offseason and sign with the Oakland A's. Mike Brosseau also handled some utility duties last season as well. Now Peterson's old job is up for grabs.

The Brewers will need coverage at third base and second base and probably a little help at first base on occasion as well. Jace Peterson could play any spot the Brewers asked him to, including the outfield. With Brian Anderson in the fold, they may not need their next utility man to handle outfield duties, but it's nevertheless a very important job.

Mike Brosseau is bidding to move up into that role but he has competition from Abraham Toro and Owen Miller. Brosseau and Miller are right handed hitters while Toro is a switch hitter.

If the Brewers want to play matchups, a switch hitting Toro gives them an advantage. However, Toro has struggled to consistently make hard contact. He doesn't whiff much and puts the ball in play, but can't do damage and usually pops it up or beats it into the ground. When he does make hard contact, he can do some damage and has some power. If he can make some adjustments and hit the ball hard more often, Toro could be a sneaky good bat.

Working in Brosseau's favor is that he was with the team last year and was one of their best hitters against left handed pitchers, which was something the rest of the team struggled against. He filled in as the utility man last year when Peterson was hurt and did well. He didn't do anything to lose the job in that time, but it comes down to spring training now.

Owen Miller doesn't have a ton of power, but in his time in the minor leagues, he never had a season where he hit below .290 or a season with an OBP below .355. That on-base ability hasn't translated to the big leagues so far, but the talent is there. Perhaps being with his hometown team, the Fredonia native can turn things around at the plate. He can play every infield spot and is a solid defender.

All three of these players have minor league options. Brosseau may have entered spring training as the leader in the clubhouse, but not by a lot. He doesn't have a firm grip on the job and it'll be a battle between these three to earn the utility job. There may only be room for one of the three to make the team, although there's a chance two of them could make it, depending on what the Brewers decide to do with Keston Hiura. Speaking of...

Brewers spring training roster battles #4: Backup 1B

Rowdy Tellez has a firm grip on the starting first baseman job. He's coming off a career year and is poised for a bigger year with the ban on extreme shifts. The backup first base job is more of a toss up however.

Keston Hiura has been struggling for three years now. He hasn't found the magic that he had in his rookie year in 2019 and now he's out of minor league options. He's striking out 40% of the time and selling out for power and not getting enough of it. He's a defensive liability and limited to first base only or DH, but doesn't hit enough to be trusted as the DH. His roster spot is in peril and he's fighting to keep it this spring training.

Battling Hiura for his roster spot are non-roster invitees Luke Voit and Jon Singleton. They, too, are first base/DH only types. Singleton was added to the 40 man roster earlier in the offseason but then put on waivers as the roster took shape. He came back on a minors deal but the Brewers clearly saw enough in him to add him before. Voit, meanwhile, has had a lot of success at the big league level and is coming off a bit of a down year.

The 32 year old Voit has hit 20+ home runs in three of the last four seasons. He brings power from the right side and has the potential to hit for a solid average. Voit hit .263 in 2019 and .277 in 2020 before his average dipped the past two seasons.

Voit strikes out a fair amount as well with a career 28.5% K rate, but he's still around 10% lower than Keston Hiura's strikeout rate. Voit and Hiura have similar profiles in terms of the role they play but Voit has a longer track record of success at the big league level while Hiura does not. He fills the role better than Hiura on paper.

This will be a truly fascinating battle to watch. Hiura is the first round pick the Brewers were hanging a lot of hopes on. He had so much value and the Brewers held on, believing he'd come through and he just hasn't. Luke Voit has a track record of success and seems to be a good fit, but is a non-roster invite. To add Voit, they have to admit defeat with Hiura and cut their losses with him, allowing the talent they know is in there to leave, likely for nothing in return. These two can't coexist on the same roster.

Which direction will the Brewers go? It all depends on how these two guys play during spring training. Voit is the one without a roster spot yet Hiura is the one fighting not only for his current job, but potentially his career.