With Opening Day beginning this week, the Milwaukee Brewers have yet to commit to a clear center field solution, and some believe the best fix is sliding Jackson Chourio ot center and handing Jake Bauers the left field job on a full-time basis.
Chourio has spent most of his young career in left field, but is no stranger to center, logging 89 appearances in 131 games in 2025. The argument for moving him is simple: it unlocks Jake Bauers, one of Milwaukee's hottest bats, into an everyday role without displacing anyone from the lineup.
Bauers has made the case impossible to ignore this spring. In 14 games, he batted .457/.578/1.114, emerging as arguably the team's Spring Training MVP. His production has been there as he closed the 2025 regular season on a tear and carried that momentum into the postseason.
The problem is what currently stands in center. Garett Mitchell and Brandon Lockridge enter as the top two positions at the position, but neither fits the profile as an impact offensive player.
Mitchell, returning from shoulder surgery, has four hits and 20 strikeouts in 12 games this spring. Lockridge offers more athleticism and had a stronger showing with 13 hits and four home runs in 15 games, but his bat is not projecting more than complementary.
Both players offer a strong glove, but defense alone doesn't solve Milwaukee's need for more consistent run production from the outfield.
Chourio's spring with the Brewers was limited after winning the World Baseball Classic with Venezuela. Appearing in nine games this spring, Chourio had eight hits, with a .296 batting average. His bat is undenaible though, with back-to-back 20/20 seasons. The question is whether the Brewers are willing to optimize the lineup around him by shifting him up the middle.
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Moving Chourio to center would allow Bauers to settle into left field, push Mitchell and Lockridge into depth roles where their gloves are assets rather than carrying responsibilities they can't fully meet, and give Milwaukee a more dangerous lineup heading into a season with real playoff expectations.
The Brewers haven't made any decisions yet, and manager Pat Murphy has not tipped his hand on how he plans to deploy his outfield once the regular season begins. With Bauers having an amazing spring, while Mitchell has had a frustrating one, the pressure to field a creative solution is only growing. Moving Chourio could be the answer that's been in front of Milwaukee all along.
