Why Brewers Patience with Joey Ortiz is Finally Paying Off Big

If you're a Milwaukee Brewers fan, it's hard not to be happy about infielder Joey Ortiz right now.

It's been a tough season for the 27-year-old. Ortiz is an excellent defender but really struggled out of the gate this season offensively. On top of trying to sort through the struggles, the Brewers gave young shortstop Cooper Pratt a long-term extension back in March, which immediately put the writing on the wall that Ortiz would be moved off the position at some point.

That day came on June 16. That was the day of Pratt's Major League Baseball debut. Since then, Ortiz has gotten action at third base with the 21-year-old now being the team's everyday shortstop.

Joey Ortiz Is Turning Into A Feel-Good Story

Jul 5, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Joey Ortiz against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When it comes to Ortiz, he has handled the situation like an absolute pro. He never fed into it and continued to work behind the scenes and simply tried to put himself in a better position to help the club win games. One thing that should make Brewers fans happy is that he's actually started to turn things around offensively as well. Since Pratt was promoted, Ortiz has played in 19 games and is slashing .278/.273/.426 with a .699 OPS, two homers, eight RBIs and two doubles. The Brewers are 11-8 in those 19 games. Ortiz actually has a higher batting average than Pratt since the phenom was promoted (.278 vs. .238). While this is the case, Pratt's on-base percentage is much higher (.351 vs. .273).

Ortiz's success at the plate actually extends beyond Pratt being promoted. If you look even further back to the beginning of June, Ortiz is slashing .280/.302/.415 with a .717 OPS, two homers, 11 RBIs and five doubles in 31 games since June 1.

Again, it's been a tough season for Ortiz. Knowing that a younger player who already landed an extension was coming for your position must not have been easy. But Ortiz put his head down and controlled what he could control and has put himself in a position to continue to help this club.

The Brewers have another top prospect at the top of the minors trying to break into the majors in Jett Williams. But Ortiz has done enough to fend him off so far. His bat has heated up and he's in the 98th percentile in outs above average with eight. That's the 12th-highest total in Major League Baseball. Hopefully, he's able to keep it up because he's turning into a feel-good story for the organization.

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