How will Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat factor into the 2026 Brewers?

When discussion about a Freddy Peralta trade came up during the offseason, there was one consistent message sent with any rumor: If the Brewers decide to trade Peralta, they were not just looking at prospects. They wanted MLB-ready talent that would be under team control for several years. In their trade with the Mets for Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat, they got what they wanted (even if it meant trading Tobias Myers as well). Both players are top talents who are ready to impact the major-league team immediately.

Let’s start with Williams. His natural position is shortstop, but because he was behind Francisco Lindor in the Mets organizational depth chart, he likely wasn’t going to break into the majors there. As a result, he had been splitting time between second base, shortstop, and center field in the minors. In Milwaukee, he will have a better chance to grab the shortstop job competing against Joey Ortiz. The problem is that there’s also competition behind Williams. In the Brewers’ list of MLB Pipeline prospects for 2025 (which now includes Williams), the top four prospects (Jesús Made, Luis Peña, Williams, and Cooper Pratt) all can play shortstop. Even if Williams grabs the shortstop job in 2026, he could quickly lose it as soon as Made is ready to come to the majors. Not only that, but Brice Turang has a solid grip on second base, taking a potential spot away there as well.

However, this is where his flexibility can help in the Brewers’ system. The Brewers’ outfield could use a boost as well. While Jackson Chourio and Sal Frelick are both locked in to starting jobs in the outfield, neither is a strong center fielder. Both can cover center well, but would benefit more from remaining in the corners. Blake Perkins and Garrett Mitchell are the current leaders to start in center. Perkins is an excellent defender but doesn’t offer much for offense. Meanwhile, Mitchell hasn’t shown that he can stay healthy for a full season yet. As for Christian Yelich, he’s basically a full-time designated hitter who might get a few corner outfield starts — and that’s not the ideal alignment. Jake Bauers will get more starts in the outfield than Yelich does. Outfield prospects for the Brewers are thinner, with their top two prospects being Braylon Payne and Luis Lara — both outside the Brewers’ top 10. If the Brewers need coverage in the outfield, Williams has a chance to earn playing time there.

Since Williams hasn’t debuted in the majors yet, a minor league start to the season is likely for him, if only for service-time manipulation. Once Williams debuts, his role will be dependent on what the Brewers need. If Ortiz is struggling at the plate, Williams could be a shortstop. If neither Perkins nor Mitchell step up in the outfield, he could spend time out there. Even in a worst-case scenario, we could see Williams take a role similar to Andruw Monasterio as a utility player for his first season. He could rotate between second, shortstop, and center field, racking up starts as other players get days off. The only concern in that scenario would be a backup for third base, since Williams has not spent any time there.

Meanwhile, Sproat will factor in to the Brewers’ rotation plans almost immediately. His service time is a little tougher to handle, since he recorded 22 days of major league service in 2025. That won’t matter much for the Brewers, though. Rotating through starters with options was a regular occurrence for them, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him on the shuttle between the majors and minors for at least part of the season. Where he starts will depend on what happens during spring training.

Following the departure of Peralta and Myers, here are the potential starters for the Brewers in 2026:

Of those starters, only the top three are locked into starting rotation jobs in 2026. Patrick and Henderson have the early inside track for the other two but aren’t a lock yet. Ashby and Hall are wild cards who could stick to the long-relief role or get a chance to make the rotation. Sproat, Gasser, Crow, and Rodriguez all will fight for jobs, and one or more could force their way into the rotation. I also included Zerpa, who was mentioned as a potential starter when he was acquired.

Here’s one of the most interesting parts of that list. Other than Woodruff, every player on that list has at least one minor league option remaining. Misiorowski and Priester likely won’t be optioned and will be on the team. It’s likely the same with Ashby, who has established himself as a dependable reliever at a minimum. Hall, Rodriguez, and Zerpa each have just one option left. Gasser, Henderson, and Patrick each have two options. Sproat and Crow have a full three options available. If battles are close in camp, those options will play a factor. Players with one option may have a stronger chance to make the team to avoid burning that option right away. On the other side, players with a full three options have significantly more flexibility, and using the option would not hurt it in future seasons.

What that also means is the Brewers can rotate through starters with less concern during the season. Even though that’s a deep list, it may not stay that way. Coming out of camp in 2025, the Brewers’ rotation was decimated by early injuries. Ashby, Myers, and Woodruff all opened the season on the injured list. Aaron Civale joined them a few days into the season, and Nestor Cortes a few days after that. The injuries were so deep that they had to sign Jose Quintana late in camp and then trade for Priester just a week and a half into the season. In total, 18 different pitchers started at least one game for the Brewers in 2025 (including the playoffs). That number is inflated because some were openers — at least four regular relievers (Ashby, Hall, Trevor Megill, and Rob Zastryzny) made a start. Of those 18 pitchers, 10 of them made at least four starts, and that doesn’t include Cortes, who entered the season in the rotation but only made two starts before being traded. The opportunity will be there for Sproat in 2026. Whether he earns a job in camp or starts the season in the minors and comes up to provide midseason depth, he will have a chance to prove himself.

The Brewers did what they wanted in the trade of Peralta and brought in young, MLB-ready talent. Both Williams and Sproat are already ranked high in the Brewers system and ready to play in the majors. We won’t have to wait long to see what they have to offer. They will be a part of the 2026 team, even if it doesn’t happen right away.