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What to Expect from Brewers Shortstop Cooper Pratt

Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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What to Expect from Brewers Shortstop Cooper Pratt

Originally posted on New Baseball Media
By Chris Studley | Last updated Jun 16, 2026 11:08 AM ET

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The Brewers are expected to promote Cooper Pratt on June 16, a little more than two months after he signed a pre-MLB debut extension. Now locked up for the foreseeable future, Pratt will look to build on what’s been a solid run at the dish this season.

A Look at Pratt

When the Brewers locked up shortstop Cooper Pratt in March 2026, it made the team’s intentions at the shortstop position relatively clear. Pratt, who showed the ability to elevate the ball but didn’t put up gaudy offensive numbers in his Minor League career, was the Brewers’ guy for the long haul.

We noted at the time that Pratt’s value was going to be with the glove, as the 21-year-old flashed speed & range at the position, and also made it a habit to make great plays in the field. And while errors aren’t the best metric to gauge a defender, Pratt only made two errors across 57 contests this season — very impressive for a shortstop.

As for the bat, it’s been an interesting year. More groundballs (53% GB%) but also more home runs, as Pratt hit six over 58 contests. While he sported a 3.8% Barrel% with Nashville, Pratt is two home runs shy of a career-high as a professional.

Since the extension, Pratt’s offensive numbers have steadily climbed. The month of May was Pratt’s best, as the 21-year-old slashed .255/.364/.436 with four home runs and eight extra-base hits across 24 contests.

In terms of Pratt, he’s about as consistent as one will find in terms of contact made. So much so is a statistic that is almost impossible to believe until double-checked: across 45 pitches that Pratt swung at in the up-and-in & down-and-in this season, none resulted in a whiff.

(via New Baseball Media)

For those wondering, he can get a hold of balls on the inner half.

What Pratt also does is work counts, and more importantly for him, not expand too much out of the zone. The Brewers have made it a habit of grabbing high-discipline hitters in the MLB Draft, and Pratt is no exception. He had a 13% BB% with Nashville this season.

As one would expect, more chase on offspeed and breaking balls. However, he kept it relatively low against velocity.

(via New Baseball Media)

Lastly, Pratt also stole 17 bases this season for the Sounds.

Analysis

While Pratt’s value is heavily derived from his defense, the Brewers could use some help at the shortstop position. As of June 16, Brewers shortstops had the lowest combined OPS (.538) this season. That figure isn’t particularly close, as the team closest to Milwaukee is the Phillies (.587) with respect to shortstops.

Joey Ortiz (.263 wOBA) has not been a world-beater over the last two seasons, as his offensive numbers have dipped since his first full season in the Majors back in 2024. This season, that listed wOBA figure is among the bottom-15 in the league among players with 150 plate appearances.

But again, with a slash line of .207/.299/.262, it’s obvious that the numbers aren’t what one would like from a starting shortstop.

Now, this move was going to happen at some point this season. The Brewers didn’t sign Pratt to play in Triple-A, although he spent time at the level after the extension, which allowed him to get more work before his ultimate MLB debut. And by and large, he played well.

Now, he may very well be in line to slot in at the bottom of the Brewers’ lineup, a role that’ll allow him to set up Jackson Chourio and the top-half of the Milwaukee nine.

The potential for Pratt being a 15-20 home run hitter is still on the table, and he could very well be the type of player who A) fits in very well with a process-focused team like the Brewers, one that runs well & plays defense, and B) also chips in via multiple ways at the plate.

Which would fit the current mantra of the Brewers.

This article first appeared on New Baseball Media and was syndicated with permission.

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