Although their record might not show it, the Milwaukee Brewers have a real issue with home run hitting this season. Somehow, they've managed to rank fifth in total runs despite sitting in last place in home runs hit so far this year. There's still enough time left to salvage that ranking for the season, but it's going to take some major changes, and for manager Pat Murphy, a couple of tough decisions in the batting rotation.
Luckily, the Brewers have a few players ripe to elevate their offensive presence with the confidence of Murphy and his staff behind them. Fresh off his first career home run against a familiar face in New York's Freddy Peralta, shortstop Cooper Pratt is coming into his own at the plate. If he can keep building his confidence and consistency in the majors, he's going to be a problem for opposing pitchers.
But he's far from the only candidate to break out down the stretch of the season. Joey Ortiz appears to have found his rhythm since switching over to third base, Garrett Mitchell is coming into his own, and a consistent role could do wonders for Andrew Vaughn, whose role has been far from predictable this year but keeps proving that he's a capable offensive player.
The same could be said of Jesús Made, whose 22 home runs in the minor leagues made him an immediate candidate to crack the rotation for the team, or Garrett Mitchell, who seems to be coming into his own. So while the MLB Trade Deadline might seem like the most obvious way to address this massive home run issue, it's also far from the only way they can smack some moonballs before the regular season comes to a close.
The Milwaukee Brewers have enough power to hit home runs. They just need to get hot enough to do it.
First baseman Jake Bauers is the only Brewers player with 15 or more home runs in the 2026 season, and even he has cooled off after an unbelievable hot streak early in the year. Besides him, it's been a relatively quiet offensive season for most of Milwaukee's top power hitters. Making contact and getting on base isn't a big issue for the Brewers, but getting over the wall hasn't been easy.
Murphy might need to adjust the Brewers' batting rotation to find the right tempo for his rotation. That means potentially sliding a struggling Christian Yelich down in the batting order, or finding a way to get some of the younger sluggers like Pratt or Jackson Chourio more involved.
A trade for a more dynamic power hitter would certainly be welcomed at this trade deadline, and rumor has it, they'll be looking wherever they can for reinforcements. But there's still a chance that Pat Murphy can solve the issue from within the dugout, and regardless of who is or isn't traded, it's time to give his team the jolt of energy needed to contend at the highest level.
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