Spring has officially arrived and with it blooms a new season for the Milwaukee Brewers, the three-time defending National League Central Division champions.
The Brewers open the 2026 season at home on March 26 against the Chicago White Sox. But first, fans will have a rare opportunity to see the Brewers play two exhibition games at American Family Field on March 23 and 24 against a division rival, the Cincinnati Reds, after the team headed north from its spring training home in Maryvale, Arizona.
“Baseball is upon us. It’s been a very busy and productive offseason for us,” Brewers president of business operations Rick Schlesinger says.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
The Brewers enter the 2026 campaign after finishing last season with a franchise-record 97 wins, best in the major leagues. They went on to defeat the Chicago Cubs in a tense NL Division Series before losing to the vaunted Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Championship Series.
The team’s success earned manager Pat Murphy his second straight NL Manager of the Year award while President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Matt Arnold earned 2025 MLB Executive of the Year in back-to-back years.
The Brewers return a squad that features franchise cornerstone Christian Yelich. He’s joined by a core of young and developing position players and pitchers that includes Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, Sal Frelick, Garrett Mitchell and Jacob Misiorowksi, along with seasoned veterans such as William Contreras and fan favorite Brandon Woodruff, a longtime staple of the pitching staff who has been plagued by injuries in recent seasons.
There are noticeable absences from the roster as well, including popular pitcher Freddy Peralta, the ace of last year’s rotation, who was traded to the New York Mets in January after spending the first eight seasons of his career in Milwaukee.
Schlesinger spoke with a cadre of reporters this week at American Family Field for a wide-ranging discussion about the new season, traffic updates, a shift in television coverage, winterization, food and drink, and other matters.
Traffic Updates
As the Brewers prepare to welcome a sellout crowd of about 42,000 fans for Opening Day, there’s excitement in the air as well as a level of anxiety stemming from a recently launched major, long-term I-94 construction project that affects portions of the freeway near American Family Field.
The Brewers are implementing major traffic mitigation strategies for the season due to the construction, which includes the launch of a dedicated website – to direct fans to alternate routes with a goal of easing congestion in and around the ballpark. Vital traffic info can also be found through QR codes throughout American Family Field and through the MLB Ballpark App.
They’re also investing in additional resources to help manage traffic flow. For every home game this season, the team will fund three extra-duty sheriff squads to help manage outbound traffic and will also pay for an onsite tow service to quickly clear stalled vehicles or accidents from traffic lanes.
“There’s going to be a learning curve for everybody,” Schlesinger says. “We’re working with the DOT to make sure lane closures are minimized during games. At the same time, we understand that construction has to meet a certain deadline.”
New Food and Drink Options
There are several new food and beverage options, including new vendors in both The Alley Food Truck Park and 3rd St. Market Hall Annex, as well as a new Fair Foods stand. A fourth food truck, occupied by K&L BBQ, has been added to The Alley. The Fair Foods stand will serve items with a Wisconsin State Fair flair, such as fried Kringle, cream puffs, funnel cake fries and nachos on a stick. Bebe Zito, the popular burger and ice cream vendor at 3rd Street Market Hall, will be part of the Annex and bring offerings such as its Chix’n Sammys to the ballpark. A new sweets stand will also debut in the Annex, featuring dipped treats from Drip Chocolate and candy selections from Can-D Shop.
Ballpark Winterization
The Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District has hired Janesville-based J.P. Cullen & Sons Inc. as construction manager for a project that will allow American Family Field to host a variety of events in the winter. The district board in January 2025 approved nearly $30 million in upgrades to American Family Field, including the winterization project, which initially had been expected to start after last season with a two-year target for completion.
The project will set the stage for off-season events such as monster truck shows, rodeo, wrestling, college and pro basketball and hockey. “Winterization can be done behind the scenes during the season, so I don’t see any big delay at this point. If it’s a few months delayed from original schedule, I don’t view that as a tragedy. I’d rather have it done efficiently and in the most cost-effective way we can,” Schlesinger says.
World Baseball Classic
The World Baseball Classic, which wrapped up on March 17 with Venezuela defeating the United States in front of a raucous crowd at LoanDepot Park in Miami and drew high television ratings, could be a target for American Family Field.
“The WBC has grown tremendously, and so has the fan interest,” Schlesinger said. “The good news about the WBC is we don’t need winterization because it’s in March – we have a roof and we can heat the building. If they decide to move something to winter, we’ve got winterization ready to go.”
The dramatic increase in the popularity of the WBC could also have immediate benefit for the Brewers. Three members of the Brew Crew (Chourio, Contreras and Angel Zerpa, who was acquired by the Brewers in December) were on the Team Venezuela roster and another, Brice Turang, competed for Team USA. In all, 14 players from the Brewers system played for eight teams in the WBC.
UW Credit Union Plaza
The Brewers released details and conceptual renderings for the UW Credit Union Plaza, a new outdoor social gathering and entertainment destination that will be located outside American Family adjacent to the pedestrian bridge spanning Wisconsin Highway 175/Brewers Boulevard. Set to open to the public in June, the plaza will be a free, open-access space on game days and feature an authentic Wisconsin beer garden along with a performance stage that will host pregame events, theme night celebrations and live music throughout the season. Beverage service will be available on the plaza and, for select games, food trucks and other vendors will offer light food options. The plaza is designed as a family-friendly destination with a custom-themed playground for younger children and a mini-golf course for older kids.
Upgraded Glove Playground
“This is a completely reimagined space. The area has been one of the popular destinations for kids and parents, because it’s one of the few places in Major League Baseball where the kids’ area has direct views of the field,” Schlesinger says. “The glove remains, and we have all new interactive games and a new slide.”
