Once again, the Milwaukee Brewers are the best team in baseball. They currently sit atop the NL Central with a record of 95-57 and are 2.5 games up on the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best record in the MLB. If they can hold on, it will be the second straight season the Brewers have led the league in wins. A large reason for this sustained success has been their ability to find diamonds in the rough. They have been great at picking up struggling veterans and turning their careers around. This season’s version of that is Jake Bauers. The 30-year-old first baseman is currently having the best season of his career. But how has he become so productive?
How Jake Bauers Became One of the Brewers’ Most Trusted Bats
As mentioned before, Bauers is currently in the middle of a career season. In 136 games this season, he has slashed .269/.394/.497 with 26 home runs, 121 RBIs, and an OPS+ of 145. His on-base percentage leads the National League. If the season ended today, he would set career highs in every stat listed. While his play improved in 2025, this season was a massive jump. He went from a nice guy to have in the bottom of the order to a reliable middle-of-the-order bat.
A big reason for his growth has been the type of contact he’s been making. Back in 2024, when he struggled in his first season with the Brewers, he had only a 10.3 Barrel% and a 42.9 Hard-Hit%. But this season has seen Bauers make some sort of adjustments and make much better contact with the ball. He has a 14.1 Barrel% (92nd percentile) and a 52.8 Hard-Hit% (95th percentile). This has led to a high exit velocity and balls going to extra-base hits.
Bauers has done a much better job against off-speed pitches this season. From 2018-2025, he averaged .165 with a slugging percentage of .213. However, this season he has a .310 average and a .414 slugging percentage against offspeed. His wOBA has also improved significantly, going from .220 in his previous six seasons to .340 this season. Bauers has made some sort of adjustment that has allowed him to see the offspeed better and make better contact. It makes him a harder hitter to face with no real weakness.
All the metrics suggest this is something Bauers can maintain. This will be a huge boost of the Brewers’ postseason chances. He has been solid with runners on base and in scoring position. His clutch hitting will help the Brewers carry their regular-season success into the postseason. If he can work through his shin splint issue, the Brewers offense will be dangerous. It could help the Brewers beat up on other teams in the National League pennant race and help them make the World Series.
Although it did not seem like it at the start of the season, Bauers could be the ticket to getting the Brewers over the hump. His bat will lengthen the Brewers’ lineup, and we should see some signature moments from him this October.
