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 #2: Second base

Kolten Wong is out. A slew of new options are in.

With the steady veteran presence of Wong traded to Seattle, the Brewers appeared to be clearing a path for top infield prospect Brice Turang to get big league playing time. Willy Adames has shortstop locked down but Turang can smoothly transition to second base and hold down that position while he acclimates to the big leagues. However it won't be that simple for Turang.

The Brewers also acquired several players who can play second base and have prior big league experience. Owen Miller and Abraham Toro were brought in and incumbent veterans Mike Brosseau and Luis Urias all have experience at second base and could challenge for playing time at the position.

Miller and Toro are hoping that a new organization will help improve their offense. Although they have big league experience, their lack of overall success at the highest level leaves the door wide open for Turang. Urias wasn't able to build off of his strong 2021 season last year and could bounce around the infield and play a lot of third base. Brosseau was a utility option last year and may not be suited for an everyday role.

While the Brewers have several players to cover the spot, the one with the best chance to lock down an everyday job remains Turang. He's a first round pick that's coming off a career year and really has nothing left to prove in Triple-A. Miller, Toro, and Brosseau are utility types. Urias will probably spend most of his time at third base.

Another thing working in Turang's favor is that he's the only left handed hitter of this group. Toro is a switch hitter, which may help his chances of making the roster. If the Brewers opt for a platoon at second base, Turang is the only left handed choice and he'll likely bring more offense than Toro will.

In all likelihood, the Brewers will go with a mix of players at second base, but the leader in the clubhouse has to be Turang. He has the highest ceiling and likelihood to play everyday at the position. He may begin the season in a platoon as the Brewers ease him into the big leagues, but if he continues to hit, it'll be difficult to not pencil him into the lineup every day.

The Brewers didn't trade Wong to clear the deck for Owen Miller and Abraham Toro. They did it for Turang. But it'll all depend on how spring training goes. The job isn't his quite yet. He has to go out there and earn it and fend off players with big league experience. Fans should be watching Turang and the several other second base candidates very closely this spring as this battle unfolds.

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.