Brewers' Problems Can Be Tied to One Position Group Above All Others

Major League Baseball teams win and lose as one, but sometimes, we have to call out when a particular position group isn't pulling its weight.

For the Milwaukee Brewers this season, the left side of the infield has become a serious problem. The right side figures to be solved with Brice Turang making a bid for the All-Star Game, Gary Snchez and Jake Bauers putting together a nice month, and Andrew Vaughn returning soon from a hamate bone surgery. The left side, however, is an offensive abyss.

It starts with shortstop Joey Ortiz, whose opportunities have to be running out as a Brewer. After finishing dead last among qualified hitters in OPS last season, he's challenging for the same dubious honor this year. But third base is an equally serious problem.

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Who could Brewers slot in at 3B, SS the rest of the way?

Though David Hamilton has had some nice moments in his brief Brewers tenure, his skill set is best utilized off the bench. Start him every day, and you see why the bat didn't play for the Boston Red Sox . It's not like his .612 OPS is anything to write home about, and he's nearing 100 plate appearances.

Luis Rengifo, meanwhile, has been the Brewers' biggest disappointment of all the newcomers. Milwaukee hoped he could hold down third base at least until a top prospect like Jett Williams or Cooper Pratt proved they were ready for the majors, but he's instead been their worst all-around position player.

That's a complicating factor, by the way: Williams and Pratt have both been lackluster in Triple-A. Pratt has begun to find his on-base groove a bit as of late, but of the two, it's likely Williams who is more ready to handle big-league pitching.

Eventually, No. 1 prospect Jess Made will force his way into the equation. But the 18-year-old, who turns 19 this month, is in Double-A, so at the earliest, the Brewers are probably looking at an August debut. And if he runs into any struggles, that could be delayed until next season.

Someone has to step up. If they don't, there will be a ton of pressure on the Brewers to find an infield bat at the trade deadline.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/brewers/onsi as Brewers' Problems Can Be Tied to One Position Group Above All Others .