Why Brewers Shortstop Position Battle isn't as Open as it Looks

The Milwaukee Brewers were one of the best teams in the league last season, but they fell short of the World Series and swung a few trades to focus on the future of their franchise.

The Brewers traded Caleb Durbin, Freddy Peralta, and Isaac Collins over the course of the offseason, which opened up a few potential position battles this offseason.

Just Baseball's Jay Staph recently suggested the Brewers had a position battle going on at shortstop, noting Jett Williams could look to steal the starting job away from Joey Ortiz in spring training.

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"As it currently stands, according to RosterResource, the Brewers’ shortstop is projected to be Joey Ortiz. However, this position could certainly be contested," Staph wrote. "Ortiz played 149 games for the 2025 Brewers and was undoubtedly the weakest hitter in their lineup. 11 hitters in the Brewers lineup registered at least 200 plate appearances, and of these hitters, Ortiz was the only one to post a wRC+ below 100.

Brewers don't have a SS battle, they have a 3B battle

Milwaukee Brewers infielder Jett William — Milwaukee Brewers infielder/outfielder Jett Williams rounds third base during spring training workouts Monday, February 16, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona. | Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Although Ortiz’s bat may not stack up against the rest of the lineup, the Brewers would be sacrificing elite defense by choosing to go with Williams. Ortiz posted an OAA of 13 last season, which was the fifth-best mark in baseball by a shortstop. With the Brewers recently trading Caleb Durbin, Andruw Monasterio, and Anthony Seigler to the Boston Red Sox, they suddenly have a lot of open space on their depth chart at third base. As a result of this, Williams is reportedly getting reps at third base this spring."

Ortiz's spot at shortstop might be at risk, but his spot in the lineup isn't something he is going to lose. Let me explain.

With the trade of Durbin, the Brewers have a huge hole at third base. The position battle for the team will be at third base, not shortstop. But Ortiz could find himself moved from shortstop if the team wants to slot him in at third base while bringing in Williams to play shortstop.

Still, it shouldn't be portrayed as though Ortiz is at risk of losing his job. He was a very capable infielder last year who ranked as one of the better defensive shortstops in the National League. Milwaukee's third base position battle will be an intriguing one to watch, though.

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