Predicting what Jett Williams' role will be on the Brewers in 2026

The Milwaukee Brewers were finally offered their desired return for Freddy Peralta, agreeing to send him and right-hander Tobias Myers to the New York Mets in exchange for right-hander Brandon Sproat and utility prospect Jett Williams.

For New York, the deal adds two more arms to an already deep pitching group that includes Clay Holmes, Kodai Senga, Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong, and Tylor Megill. It also reunites Peralta with executive David Stearns, who signed Peralta to a contract extension early in his career, and now has another opportunity to do so again before he reaches free agency next winter.

From Milwaukee’s perspective, they part ways with two starters, most notably their ace and rotation anchor Peralta, but bring in Sproat, who has all of his minor-league options remaining and six full years of team control. They also acquire the Mets’ third-ranked prospect and former 14th overall pick Williams, a player whose profile fits the Brewers’ mold while offering several elite traits.

Here, we take a deeper dive as to what role Williams might have on the Brewers in 2026.

Predicting what Jett Williams' role will be on the Milwaukee Brewers in 2026

Williams, who was not on New York's 40-man roster at the time of the trade, is by no means a lock to be added to Milwaukee's roster by Opening Day, meaning there is a strong possibility he opens the year in Triple-A with the Nashville Sounds. A season ago, he received a promotion to Triple-A late in the year, but ended up playing just 34 games at the level. Paired with the six games he played at the top level of the minor leagues in 2024, Williams has just 40 Triple-A games under his belt.

Depending on how Williams looks during Spring Training, he could very well open the season back in Triple-A. Milwaukee took a similar approach last spring with Caleb Durbin, opting to start him in the minors after determining he wasn’t quite ready for the big leagues. The team instead went with a platoon of Vinny Capra and Oliver Dunn to start the season -- which turned out to be a mistake.

For Williams, the path to the Opening Day roster could be much clearer, as his athleticism allows him to move all over the field. While most of his reps have come at shortstop, he also has extensive experience in center field and some at second base. His versatility makes his inclusion on the Opening Day roster a real possibility.

Offensively, Williams already excels in many of the areas the Brewers emphasize and value. His elite plate discipline has produced walk rates ranging from 13 to 19 percent annually. In addition, he’s a legitimate threat on the basepaths, stealing more than 30 bases in each of his two fully healthy minor-league seasons, topping out at 45 last season.

What gives the 5-foot-7 Williams a notable edge is that while excelling in those areas, he also hits for a solid average and has sneaky power. Scouts have graded his power as a 60 (on the 20-80 scale), and he slugged 17 home runs last season while posting a .465 slugging percentage.

In short, Williams has the offensive upside and defensive versatility to not only make his big league debut in 2026, but also have a significant role on the team. The bigger question is when and where that will happen.

Right now, the infield certainly appears to be a possibility; the Brewers could view him as a potential replacement for Joey Ortiz if the latter's offensive struggles continue. However, injuries in the outfield, like those that sidelined Garrett Mitchell and Blake Perkins last year, could also open a path for Williams to man center field, allowing Jackson Chourio and Sal Frelick to remain in the corners.

Long-term, given the Brewers' swath of middle infield prospects rising through the farm system and the dearth of outfield talent they have in the upper levels of the minor leagues, it's likely Williams finds a home in the outfield in Milwaukee. Such a reality makes it more likely that Williams will man an outfield spot in 2026, but the current need on their roster is in the infield. Therefore, the most likely scenario, especially given the Brewers' love of defensive versatility, is that Williams continues to develop as a super-utility player, knowing that his short-term home may be in Milwaukee's infield, while his long-term place is on the outfield grass.