Best And Worst Case Scenarios For 2025 Brewers: First Base

[Harold Hutchison]

Some of the Brewers’ best players of all-time have handled first base — Cecil Cooper, Richie Sexson, and Prince Fielder being perhaps the most notable throughout the team’s history. How can this position help (or hurt) the Brewers in 2025? Let’s take a look.

Image courtesy of Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports

The Roster Situation

The primary first baseman will likely be Rhys Hoskins, who was the team’s top first baseman in 2024 with 94 games at the position. A hamstring injury cost him some time, and he spent 37 games at designated hitter. The other player who is labeled as a first baseman on the 40-man roster is Tyler Black, whose bat has never been in question, but who has struggled to find a defensive home.

Two of the non-roster invitees also bear a close look. Jake Bauers was Hoskins’ backup in 2024, and provided power, defense, and a batting average below the Mendoza line. He returns after being non-tendered. The other is Ernesto Martinez, a below-the-radar prospect who could be similar to Eric Thames as a threat who can steal 30 bases and provide excellent defense at first base and the outfield. The Brewers also brought back Mark Canha on a minor-league deal with an invitation to the big-league spring training camp.

The Best-Case Situation – Hoskins Starts Five Games A Week At First Through July

For 2025, the best case situation is for Rhys Hoskins to be an every day player at least through July. In 2022, he played 156 games. If he is able to play every day with the durability of William Contreras, then it helps Milwaukee replace some of the right-handed power lost when Willy Adames departed for the Bay Area. It also means that Tyler Black would get a game at first a week, which could help Hoskins get some rest, while Martinez gets a full season of seasoning in Triple-A Nashville.

But if Hoskins is healthy, he could hit close to the 125 OPS+ he posted over his career with the Phillies. That could make him a valuable marker to an AL team in need of help at DH, and net Milwaukee some help from the minors. The Brewers could choose to move Hoskins and get that help, or keep him for a playoff run and pick up an extra draft pick for 2026 via the qualifying offer.

Exactly which of those scenarios would depend on how things shake out with rookies Black and Ernesto Martinez. The former could be filling in at multiple positions on the baseball diamond, while the latter will face a test to see if his 2024 breakout in Double-A Biloxi is for real. If one or both are red-hot with the bat, they could make it easy for the Crew to move Hoskins at the trade deadline.

The Worst Case Situation – Jake Bauers And Mark Canha Get Playing Time In Milwaukee

Jake Bauers had some big moments for the Brewers in 2024, but ultimately, he delivered -0.4 Wins Above Replacement for the Brewers per Baseball Reference. Much of that was due to him having 118 strikeouts in 346 at-bats, leading to a batting average of .199 and a .662 OPS. Canha’s power has declined since he was in Milwaukee in 2023, but he is a very reliable on-base machine and can also cover the corner outfield spots.

For one or both of them to be getting serious playing time in Milwaukee, it will mean that because of injury and/or ineffectiveness, Hoskins, Black, and Martinez are not soaking up the at-bats for the Brewers at first base.

This is a distinct possibility for the Brewers: All three have missed significant time due to injuries at various points of their professional careers, and there is also an open question of just how long it will take Martinez and Black to adjust to MLB pitching. The other factor is that both Black and Martinez have positional versatility that may free them up to see playing time elsewhere on the field, so the injuries may not necessarily be at first base to force this scenario into play.

But if Bauers and/or Canha are in Milwaukee on a regular basis, things will have definitely gone sideways.

Overview

The most likely outcome could very well be any form of a middle-case scenario that sees one (or both) of Black or Martinez getting significant playing time at first base between injuries at the MLB level. Whether it is closer to the best-case scenario as opposed to the worst-case scenario would depend on the specific injuries (and those prospects' respective performance), but the Brewers have some real talent at first base in 2025, even if it comes with questions and caveats.

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[ghostdrew]

No way does black have positional versatility and he isn't better than cahna  or Jake .Martinez will be at AAA 

[Frisbee Slider]

Small sample: did Hoskins appear to not be in the best shape of his life during his home run trot earlier this week?

Good news, he hit a HR.

Bad news: man, I forget how he lumbers around the bases. 

Maybe I’m overreacting.