MILWAUKEE -- Cooper Pratt has reached the major leagues 2½ months after the Milwaukee Brewers signed the shortstop prospect to an eight-year, $50.75 million contract.
The Brewers called the 21-year-old Pratt up from Triple-A Nashville before their Tuesday night game with the Cleveland Guardians while designating third baseman Luis Rengifo for assignment.
Pratt was the Brewers' starting shortstop on Tuesday. He should start getting accustomed to that assignment.
"This is a kid we've signed for the long term," Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. "We feel confident he will be our shortstop of the future. He's going to play."
Pratt found out he was going to the big leagues when Nashville manager Rick Sweet notified him during the Sounds' game on Sunday.
"It was magical, man," Pratt said. "It didn't quite feel real."
The news came at an ideal time for Pratt because the Brewers were off Monday, enabling his family to make it to Milwaukee for his Tuesday debut. Pratt's father, Russell Pratt, doesn't travel by airplane.
That meant a 700-mile drive from the Pratt's family home in Oxford, Mississippi. Those long-distance drives were common during Pratt's road to the big leagues.
"We drove in travel ball for like 20 hours sometimes, from like Mississippi to Arizona," Pratt said. "Arizona to Texas. We drove all over."
Pratt signed an eight-year deal on April 3 that includes club options for 2034 and 2035. The $50.75 million contract includes escalators that could raise the value by $10 million if he repeatedly finishes high in MVP voting and the team exercises those two options.
In the weeks after agreeing to that deal, Pratt felt pressure to live up to that contract. His batting average in Nashville didn't climb above .200 until April 26.
He has performed better lately. He was hitting .241 with a .349 on-base percentage, six homers, 32 RBIs and 17 steals in 58 games with Nashville at the time of his promotion.
Pratt's defense is ahead of his offense at this point in his development. He won a Gold Glove as the top shortstop in the minor leagues in 2024.
"Now, we're well aware of a guy making his first trip to the big leagues, it could go many different ways," Murphy said. "When are they ready? When is it a perfect time? Right now, in my opinion, it doesn't really matter. It matters he gets comfortable in the big leagues, understands it, starts to make his adjustments he needs to make, and then we roll from there."
Murphy has a connection to Pratt's family. Pratt is the nephew of BYU coach Trent Pratt, who played for Murphy at Arizona State from 1999-2000.
The Brewers can afford to be patient with Pratt's bat as long as he fields the way he did in the minor leagues.
Milwaukee has received little offensive production from the left side of its infield all season, yet the Brewers still entered Tuesday leading the NL Central by 4 ½ games over St. Louis as they chase their fourth straight division title. The versatile David Hamilton had been splitting time with Joey Ortiz at shortstop and with Rengifo at third base.
Hamilton is batting .231 with a .316 on-base percentage, .320 slugging percentage, three homers, 11 RBIs and 14 steals in 58 games. Ortiz is hitting .207 with a .299 on-base percentage, .262 slugging percentage, one homer, 14 RBIs and five steals in 60 games.
Rengifo was hitting .205 with a .280 on-base percentage, .254 slugging percentage, no homers, 19 RBIs and three steals in 57 games.
Murphy mentioned that he now might have Hamilton and Ortiz splitting time at third base, with Hamilton primarily starting against right-handers and Ortiz getting the call against lefties. Ortiz was Milwaukee's starting third baseman in 2024.
"I've had many meetings with Joey, and he totally understands what's happening," Murphy said. "Six weeks ago, I sat with Joey and said, 'Joey, this has happened. They signed this guy. Do you understand that? ... But it doesn't mean you can't have an incredible career in the big leagues, including playing shortstop for us at times.'"
Pratt was one of two Brewers prospects to sign a lucrative long-term deal this year while still in the minors. Luis Lara, a 21-year-old outfielder playing for Nashville, signed a seven-year deal worth $31 million last week.