The battle for the Brewers' 2026 fourth outfield spot is wide open

It's the time of year for Opening Day roster predictions: Cactus League games are underway, players are starting to prove their worth on the field, and before you know it, teams will have to make difficult decisions regarding the 26 players that they will ultimately carry on their initial rosters of the 2026 season.

When it comes to the Milwaukee Brewers, the most interesting position battle is certainly the fight for a spot in the Opening Day rotation. The Brewers have a plethora of starting pitching options, but with only five rotation spots -- three of which will presumably be filled by Brandon Woodruff, Quinn Priester, and Jacob Misiorowski -- it will be interesting to see which arms grab the last two spots.

That said, the clash for a spot in the rotation isn't the only position battle that the Brewers have to sort out this spring; there's also a very close race forming for the fourth outfield spot in Milwaukee. Sal Frelick and Jackson Chourio are locked into starting roles in the Brewers' outfield. Assuming he stays healthy through the spring exhibition season, Garrett Mitchell appears likely to grab an Opening Day roster spot as well. However, with Christian Yelich set to reprise his role as the primary DH this year, a question still remains as to who will be the fourth outfielder the Brewers carry on the Opening Day roster. As things currently stand, the race is wide open.

Early Spring Training performances reveal that battle for Brewers' fourth outfield spot could be closer than initially thought

Heading into Spring Training, Blake Perkins was the clear favorite to assume the fourth outfielder duties in 2026. Not only has Perkins been the Brewers' choice for the role over the last three years, but he's also the perfect fourth outfielder. He's an elite defender, a versatile switch-hitter, and he adds value on the basepaths.

However, Milwaukee has added some competition to their outfield group over the last year. At the 2025 trade deadline, the Brewers acquired outfielder Brandon Lockridge from the San Diego Padres for Nestor Cortes and intriguing shortstop prospect Jorge Quintana. Then, this past December, the front office signed bounce-back candidate Akil Baddoo, who is also in the mix for the fourth outfielder position. On top of that, former top prospect Tyler Black is still searching for a defensive home and profiles best as a corner outfielder.

All three of Lockridge, Baddoo, and Black are all off to very hot starts in Spring Training. Lockridge crushed home runs in each of his first two Cactus League games, the first of which was a 440-foot bomb, and added a double in his third game this afternoon. The biggest concern with Lockridge, who is an excellent defender and one of the fastest players in the sport, was his lack of power, but if the former Padre continues to display some pop this spring, his candidacy for the Opening Day roster will look more appealing.

Meanwhile, Baddoo, who Reviewing the Brew's Tyler Koerth picked to be the Brewers' Cactus League MVP this year, is also crushing baseballs in his first few Spring Training games. Baddoo has hit safely in each of his three Cactus League appearances this year, crushing a 430-foot homer against the Chicago White Sox on Sunday. Yesterday afternoon, Baddoo slugged a 434-foot double that would have been a homerun in most ballparks, but the batter's eye at Hohokam Stadium -- the Athletics' Spring Training home -- kept it in play. Baddoo had an impressive rookie campaign back in 2021, slashing .259/.330/.436, with 13 home runs and 55 RBI. If he can tap back into that potential, he could be a big part of the Brewers' 2026 plans.

In addition to Lockridge and Baddoo's strong starts to the spring season, Black had an impressive day yesterday. The former first-round pick was 3-for-3 with a homer, a double, and 6 RBI. Black has struggled to find his footing in MLB over the last two seasons, but his potential is greater than any of the other options.

All four of Perkins, Lockridge, Baddoo, and Black have minor league options remaining, meaning the Brewers wouldn't have to worry about sending any of them through waivers regardless of who wins the position battle. Though Perkins still feels like the favorite, given his history with the club, who ultimately earns the fourth outfielder role on Opening Day could come down to who has the best performance in Spring Training.