A Jesús Made Position Change is Inevitable, But Not Happening Yet

Made is the Milwaukee Brewers' top prospect, but with Cooper Pratt at shortstop, the team will need to find him a different spot.

Milwaukee Brewers infielder Jesús Made (86) stretches during spring training workouts Monday, February 16, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Milwaukee Brewers are coming off their first-ever World Series win, and the team somehow has the potential to grow even stronger after this record year.

Milwaukee won 103 regular-season games, a franchise record, and dominated the postseason. Despite having a squad good enough to win the championship, the Brewers also have one of baseball's best farm systems, including the league's No. 1 prospect, Jesús Made. Made, 19, signed with the Brewers as an international free agent in 2024 and has quickly risen through the minor leagues.

Made excelled in Double-A last season, slashing .271/.344/.430 with 14 home runs and 91 runs batted in across 122 games. The 19-year-old will likely make his debut with Milwaukee in 2027, similar to how the team handled Jackson Chourio, but what will be interesting to see is what position he plays.

There's no path to Made playing shortstop for Milwaukee

Oct 28, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Cooper Pratt (12) celebrates after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays in game five of the 2026 World Series at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Made is a shortstop at heart, but the Brewers just locked down Cooper Pratt to a long-term extension this season to be their shortstop. On the other side of the infield, Milwaukee has Brice Turang, who was in the running for the National League MVP and is under team control through the 2029 season. Despite the middle infield being clogged up for the foreseeable future, Brewers general manager Matt Arnold said the team is still having Made prepare for 2027 as a shortstop.

"I think it'll be over time," Arnold said, per Brewers Fanatic's Matthew Trueblood. "I think, you know, a lot of the good players we have at the major league level started as shortstops and potentially work off of that. We’ve seen that with a lot of different profiles. So right now, he's a shortstop, but again, building in that kind of flexibility and versatility that we value is very important."

Though Made will have to transition to another position sooner rather than later, it still makes sense for Milwaukee to have him prepare for next season as a shortstop. Playing shortstop requires a wider range of motion and a strong throwing arm, making it easier to transition to another infield position like third base.

After losing Jake Bauers to the Boston Red Sox in free agency, the Brewers also have a hole at first base. However, the team has multiple internal options to replace Bauers: Andrew Vaughn and Andrew Fischer. It's far more likely Milwaukee will have Made play third base when he debuts and possibly platoon him with Joey Ortiz, who is under team control through the 2030 season.