The Brewers Need To Find a New Solution at Third Base
The Brewers haven't received much production from third base to this point. It may be time for them to look for a new answer at the position.
Heading into spring training, it was unclear who was going to be the starting third baseman for the 2025 Milwaukee Brewers. With Joey Ortiz sliding over to be the full-time shortstop, there was a hole at the hot corner that the Brewers needed to plug.
Instead of filling the role externally, the Brewers elected to go with a couple of in-house options. So far this season, they have utilized a platoon of Vinny Capra and Oliver Dunn to handle the third base position.
The decision to do so made a lot of sense heading into Opening Day. Both players performed quite well this spring, and the Brewers generally prefer to give opportunities to those already within the organization before making additions from the outside.
The problem is, however, we are nearly three weeks into the season, and neither player has seized the opportunity in any way to this point.
Third base is supposed to be a position of offensive production and power, and Milwaukee has received anything but that from the two players they’re deploying at the hot corner.
Now, making rash decisions based off of such a small sample size typically isn’t how the Brewers operate. However, given what we’ve seen from the platoon thus far, a change at the position could soon be on the horizon.
Stats and rankings taken prior to play on April 15.
A Sluggish Start for the Brewers’ Third Basemen
The Brewers’ offense has been inconsistent through their first 17 games of the 2025 season, and the production they’ve received, or lack thereof, from their platoon at third base has played a big part in that.
Lefty Oliver Dunn, who gets the start against right-handed pitchers, is slashing .188/.206/.250 on the year in 35 plate appearances. While he does have two doubles and five RBIs, his 26 wRC+ and .456 OPS isn’t going to cut it.
Dunn got some run at the position in 2024, but after a hot first week of the season, he quickly hit a wall and was optioned to Triple-A in mid-May. Swing-and-miss has been a major red flag of his game, as he sported a whiff rate north of 36% and a strikeout rate of 38.5% in 104 big-league plate appearances last season.
His numbers have improved slightly in the young 2025 season (33.9% whiff rate, 25.7% strikeout rate), but those are marks that still yield a lot of concern. He has flashed some intrigue at times throughout his professional career, but he hasn’t shown enough to warrant major league playing time, even as a platoon bat, at this point in time.
Vinny Capra has been his platoon partner, and his numbers have been even more bleak to start the season.
In 12 games this year, Capra is 3-for-30 (.100) with a .329 OPS and -8 wRC+. He has yet to walk, and he’s striking out over 31% of the time. He too is whiffing at an astronomical rate (35.6%), while making contact with pitches inside the zone just 72.7% of the time (MLB average is 82%).
Capra was the Brewers’ hottest hitter this spring, and his performance earned him a roster spot. However, after his Opening Day homer against the Yankees, his numbers have come crashing back down to earth.
Both Dunn and Capra has been fine defensively, but it hasn’t been nearly enough to make up for their lack of production with the bat. While that’s obviously concerning for the outlook of each player, it’s been equally as troublesome for the Brewers’ offense.
If they wish to hang around the top of the division standings, especially considering the numerous injuries they have been delt in the pitching staff, they can’t afford to have a black hole in the lineup. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what the duo of Capra and Dunn has been.
It’s yet to be seen how long of a leash each player has as the season progresses. It’s worth noting that Dunn has minor league options remaining, whereas Capra does not.
So, if the Brewers are looking to switch things up at the hot corner, who could the ball club turn to? Let’s take a look at the most likely options.
Who Can the Brewers Turn To?
Among the Brewers’ top internal options, Caleb Durbin and Andruw Monasterio would likely be the next-men up to take over at third base. Both players are playing in Triple-A at the moment, and both players are already on the 40-man roster.
While they are far from slam-dunk options, the Brewers may have no better choice.
Monasterio has been within the organization for a couple of years, but he’s failed to capitalize on his big-league opportunity thus far. In 151 career major league games (457 plate appearances), Monasterio is slashing .243/.322/.324 with an 82 wRC+.
His numbers in 2024 were less impressive than his career marks, highlighted by a 28.2% strikeout rate and a -0.3 fWAR. What’s more, he has been very slow out of the gate to open the 2025 season in the minors. In 12 Triple-A games, Monasterio is 7-for-47 (.149) with just one extra-base hit.
He’s a fine stopgap for the time being if that’s what the Brewers are looking for, and he can be a serviceable utility piece for the big league roster. However, expecting him to produce anything more than that would be wishful thinking given what we’ve seen from him to this point.
The most likely — and most exciting — option for the Brewers is Durbin.
Durbin, who was acquired this offseason in a package for Devin Williams, flashed some good this spring, but it ultimately wasn’t enough for him to break camp with the team.
But with how bleak the production at third base has been to this point in the season, the Brewers could be calling his number soon.
Durbin has played 12 games with Triple-A Nashville in 2025, and in 53 plate appearances, he is hitting .280 with two homers, five doubles, three steals, and a 125 wRC+. He’s also struck out just five times while walking three times.
While it’s inevitably a small sample size, the production is encouraging, and he appears to be ready for the challenge. He’s the type of player who fits the mold of what the Brewers want to do on offense, and it’s time for Milwaukee to see if he can translate his versatile skillset to the major leagues.
With that being said, there’s obvious risk in relying upon a rookie, who has yet to see a pitch in the majors, to take over at third base for a ball club looking to compete. While that doesn’t mean he won’t succeed, it’s not a guaranteed solution for the problem at hand for Milwaukee.
However, the Brewers put themselves in this situation, and Durbin appears to be the next-best option if they’re looking for a change.
Being a right-handed hitter, Durbin would take the spot of Capra in the platoon. As was just mentioned, Capra being out of minor league options will likely factor into how long Milwaukee waits to call upon Durbin.
Is There Any Other Help on the Way?
Milwaukee has some prospects deeper within the minor league system who could figure into the equation later down the road, but none that will factor into the major league plans in 2025.
Eric Bitonti (Brewers No. 4 prospect and No. 66 overall prospect) is currently playing in Low-A. His stock is rising, but he’s still years away from the majors at 19 years old.
Mike Boeve (Brewers No. 9 prospect), Luke Adams (Brewers No. 13 Prospect), and Brock Wilken (Brewers No. 14 prospect) are a bit closer to the big leagues and are with Double-A Biloxi to start the year. However, none of which figure to be a big-league solution at third base in 2025.
Even Tyler Black (Just Baseball’s No. 95 overall prospect), who has yet to find a defensive home in the majors, is dealing with a broken right hamate bone and will miss several weeks.
He’s received some time at third base throughout his minor league career; However, his time at the position has tapered off over the years, and he won’t be an immediate solution until he’s recovered from his injury. Even so, he’ll likely primarily play first base when the Brewers do eventually call his number again.
So, while there are exciting prospects coming through the pipeline, Brewers fans shouldn’t expect to see these names in the majors this season. You can read more about the Brewers’ third base prospects, along with their system as a whole, here:
Final Thoughts
While the Brewers could always address the third base position via trade, that is very unlikely to happen. Not only would that stray from the Brewers’ typical way of operating, but it’d be unusual to see a significant asset get moved so early into the season.
If the Brewers haven’t addressed the position externally by now, I simply don’t see it as a potential solution to their problem. Not at this point in time, at least.
Instead, Caleb Durbin is likely the next man up, and he brings plenty of intrigue for the Brewers faithful to get excited about. Don’t forget, in the Arizona Fall League, Durbin hit .312 with a .976 OPS while drawing 17 walks to just six strikeouts. He also stole a whopping 29 bases, which was an AFL single-season record.
He may not be the flashiest name on prospect lists, but he has the ability to help the ball club right now. And surely, the Brewers will take all the help they can get.
Written by
Joey Peterson is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an editor for Just Baseball. He covers the Milwaukee Brewers, along with general MLB topics…