Brewers Already Have Clear Trade Deadline Need for 2026

The Brewers are winning games, but have a hole they need to address.

Apr 5, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Milwaukee Brewers designated hitter Christian Yelich (22) reacts after striking out against the Kansas City Royals during the third inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Brewers are off to a strong start this season. They are 24-17 through their first 41 games of the year and are just 2 1/2 games back of the Chicago Cubs and the power-packed National League Central division.

This is a division the Brewers have won four of the last five years, so it wouldn't be a stretch to see them do it again. However, they could potentially use some more power in their lineup as the season progresses. Perhaps that is an area they will address at the trade deadline.

Dani Wexelman of MLB Network Radio noted that in order for the Brewers to make a deep postseason run, that more power is needed.

"They're recipe is unlike most teams, the way that they win ballgames," Wexelman said. "I will say that you've got to have somebody who can hit it out of the park, not just in the regular season. That applies to later in October. You've got to have that. Sometimes, the game comes down to moments like that where you have a guy who can run into one. They don't have that necessarily at the moment.

Brewers need more power

Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich (22) celebrates scoring against the Diamondbacks during a spring training game at Salt River Fields on March 20, 2026. | PATRICK BREEN/THE REPUBLIC / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Brewers have players that can hit home runs such as Christian Yelich, Andrew Vaughn, William Contreras and Jackson Chourio. However, they still aren't hitting for a lot of power right now.

They are last in Major League Baseball with 27 home runs. They are still able to win games without hitting a lot of home runs, so that is at least an encouraging sign. But they could still use more thump in their lineup, especially if they want to make another deep postseason run.

That is an area that should ultimately be addressed at the trade deadline. If they can add more power to their lineup, they can easily return to the top of the NL Central and unseat the Cubs.

The Brewers have won the NL Central three years in a row despite having made some trades to offload talent, but adding some to their lineup would be a good way for them to ensure they remain on top in the division.

It will be interesting to see what president of baseball operations Matt Arnold decides to do in the weeks leading up to the August 3 deadline. It's still months away, but the Brewers do have a clear need if they want to be a World Series contender.