Way-too-early Brewers starting lineup for the 2026 season

Major League Baseball's offseason has not officially begun, as free agency opens the day after the World Series concludes, but already speculations about trades and potential landing spots for premier players have begun.

For the Milwaukee Brewers' position player group, the offseason begins with a clear question mark at shortstop. While Joey Ortiz provided strong defense, his struggles at the plate were hard to overlook last season. How newly minted President of Baseball Operations Matt Arnold chooses to address that, if at all, will be a key storyline throughout the winter, along with the ongoing trade discussions surrounding starting pitcher Freddy Peralta.

With that in mind, here’s a way-too-early projection of the Brewers’ potential 2026 starting lineup, featuring only players currently on the roster and a newly oriented infield.

Way-too-early potential Milwaukee Brewers starting lineup for the 2026 season

This projected lineup introduces a new infield alignment and is one that manager Pat Murphy could seriously consider. It moves Brice Turang over to shortstop to replace Joey Ortiz, while Isaac Collins, a former college second baseman, transitions back to the infield. It's true that the Brewers tried to move Turang back to shortstop last spring training, and it resulted in shoulder fatigue, but establishing the plan early in the offseason gives him more time to prepare his arm for the switch to shortstop.

This approach also keeps Caleb Durbin at third base, where he excelled last year, as well as Sal Frelick in right field, where his Gold Glove–caliber defense remains too valuable to lose, despite practicing extensively at third base previously. The open outfield spot, created by Collins moving to the infield, is filled by the return of Garrett Mitchell, who is hoping for a healthy 2026 season to showcase his full potential.

1) Sal Frelick - RF
2) Jackson Chourio - LF
3) Christian Yelich - DH
4) William Contreras - C
5) Brice Turang - SS
6) Andrew Vaughn - 1B
7) Garrett Mitchell - CF
8) Caleb Durbin - 3B
9) Isaac Collins - 2B

When fully healthy, this could be a realistic 2026 lineup for the Brewers, but only if they decide to have Collins move back to the infield. Batting him ninth offers several benefits: he’s the only switch hitter in the lineup, and his placement helps preserve a balanced mix of left- and right-handed bats throughout the order, including when the lineup turns over.

A lot can change between now and Opening Day, but based on the current 40-man roster, this lineup provides a preview of how the Brewers could reshape things for next season, without making a single external addition.