Former New York Yankees first baseman Jake Bauers is having a career year for the Milwaukee Brewers.
Bauers, 30, played with New York in the 2023 season. During said season, the left-handed-hitter slashed .202/.279/.413. Good for an OPS+ of 87 and -0.9 WAR.
After departing from the Yankees, Bauers finally found a home. The career journeyman has played for five different teams in his MLB career.
Bauers landed in Milwaukee in 2024. His first season with the Brewers was rocky to say the least, but as he progressed, he settled into a role where he’s now one of the league’s premier bats.
This season, Bauers is slashing .277/.376/.515. That equals an .891 OPS and a 146 OPS+. With numbers like that, Bauers is well on his way to earning an All-Star nod. It would be the first of his career, and it means that much more being on the 2026 Brew Crew.
The first-place Brewers have a collective of talented ballplayers, with multiple making bids for All-Star nods. The easiest bet is star pitcher Jacob Misiorowski, who recently threw a complete game shutout with 15 strikeouts.
Without Bauers, though, and his NL-leading OPS at first base, the Brewers wouldn’t have such a clamp on first place. The NL Central has proven to be a formidable division, and even so, “Rake Bauers” can’t be stopped.
Bauers has clearly made some major adjustments since his time as a Bronx Bomber.
The Yankees Found a Great Replacement
In the absence of Bauers and with a hole to fill at first base, youngster Ben Rice has taken the reins.
If it weren’t for Rice, fans would likely be kicking themselves thinking about the success that Bauers is having. This season, Rice has an OPS of 1.005 and has already accumulated 2.2 WAR. In his career, he has four total WAR.
Rice excels at hitting the heater. This year, he’s batting .336 against fastballs. The rest of his expected data is riddled with red, which is always a good sign on Baseball Savant.
The left-handed-hitting Rice has been the remedy to the loss of Bauers. New York may have struggled to capitalize on the latter’s talent, but they didn’t miss the former.
However, Bauers’ incredible season isn’t going unnoticed.
Social Media Reacts to Bauers’ All-Star Push
Here’s what people have been saying:
Underdog MLB: “Jake Bauers last 15 games: .452 OBP, 6 HR, 17 RBI. Leads all NL 1B in OPS this season.”
Just Baseball: “Jake Bauers is 1 of only 8 hitters in MLB with at least 45 RBI’s and a .900 OPS! What a season for the Brewers 1st baseman.”
Milwaukee Brewers: “If you haven’t voted for Jake Bauers today, what the heck are you doing?”
MLB Home Runs: “MIL – Jake Bauers 3-run HR (13). 391 ft | 106.5 mph | 19° | 83.4 mph sweeper (PHI – RHP Andrew Painter). Out in 5/30 parks. PHI (0) @ MIL (5). 5th. #ThisIsMyCrew.”
Eric Cross: “Jake Bauers’ current full-season pace: 96 Runs, 30 Doubles, 30 Home Runs, 109 RBI, 13 Steals, 71 Walks, .286 AVG, .381 OBP, .531 SLG. #ThisIsMyCrew.”
Baseball Is Dead: “Jake Bauers? Michael Harris II? Brandon Valenzuela? WE’RE SHOWING ’EM SOME LOVE.”
Bob Nightengale: “Brewers RF Jake Bauers continues his fabulous season with a 3-run HR in what has become the finest year of his career. He has 13 homers, 46 RBI and a .909 OPS.”
Former Yankee First Baseman Pushing For All-Star Nod With Brewers