Andrew Vaughn Creating a Fantastic Problem for Milwaukee Brewers, and a Real One for Veteran Slugger

[Jake McKibbin]

Image courtesy of © Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Brewers version of Andrew Vaughn has been as different from the hitter he was on the White Sox as it's possible to be. He's bought into the ethos of the Milwaukee Brewers, showing up in big moments and delivering one great plate appearance after another. While perhaps unlucky with his batted-ball results for the White Sox in 2025, he's made some undeniable improvements in his swing decisions since joining the Brewers:

With the White Sox, Vaughn chased a lot, while also being passive inside the strike zone. He didn't seem able to differentiate balls from strikes, but that's changed dramatically since joining the Brewers. With the White Sox, it created a lot of problems with weak contact and falling into bad counts, from which any hitter can struggle. By better identifying those pitches on which he can do damage, Vaughn's hard-hit rate has skyrocketed, with more line drives and more pull side batted balls. He also has as many walks as strikeouts (12.5% rate for each) with the Brewers, bucking another trend of his White Sox Days:

The development of his swing decisions suggests that, while Vaughn is unlikely to maintain a 1.075 OPS over the remainder of the season, his improvements are here to stay in a position that the Brewers have struggled to garner offensive production from since mid-May.

The Rhys Hoskins Dilemma
In both seasons with the Brewers, Rhys Hoskins's production has followed a similar pattern. Breaking out of the gates hot, Hoskins has regressed as the season progressed, reducing his power output and increasing strikeout rates as the season continued. While last year we could point to his hamstring injury in May, this season, it's not quite so clear what happened.

The thing to remember with Hoskins is that he doesn't possess great bat speed, with quite a long bat path, but his power comes from finding great launch angles and pulling the ball with authority. As the season has progressed, his ability to find those launch angles has declined at an alarming rate:

A thumb injury can be tricky, as can any hand issue. We've seen with broken hamate bones that the recovery of power is difficult after players return, and there's no guarantee that Hoskins will be anywhere close to his best form. He certainly didn't appear that way over the two months before the injury, and if that's taken a further step back, you have to at least consider whether he's a good fit for the roster moving forward, toward the playoffs.

Is Jake Bauers in jeopardy?
The easy option in all of this could be Jake Bauers. Like Hoskins, Bauers started the year strongly—albeit with the same egregious swing-and-miss issues that have encapsulated his career to date. When he makes contact, he's consistently done damage, but that contact has been far less frequent than he would like.

On a far cheaper contract than Hoskins, Bauers could find himself the odd man out once both return, although he does boast the advantage (as a left-handed batter) of being a platoon matchup with either Hoskins or Vaughn. There's also the unknown of how long his shoulder impingement has been affecting him, as Pat Murphy hinted it had been lurking for a period of time before he went on the injured list.

To really put the nail in the coffin, the Brewers are being linked with left-handed power bat and fantastic defensive first baseman Ryan O'Hearn, of the Orioles. An acquisition of O'Hearn would almost certainly spell the end for Jake Bauers in a Brewers uniform this season, and intensify the discussion over Hoskins's and Vaughn's fight for the weak side of the platoon.

However you look at it, Vaughn has a fantastic opportunity over the next three weeks to demonstrate that he should be the Brewers' starting first baseman down the stretch and into the playoffs, If he can maintain the same quality swing decisions and consistent loud contact over his next 50-75 plate appearances, there's a very real chance Vaughn could start in a playoff series for the Milwaukee Brewers.

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How do you see the first base battle playing out over the coming weeks? Will the Brewers find an upgrade on the market? Will they take a platoon over the diminishing returns provided by Rhys Hoskins? Or will they gamble on a bounceback from their veteran leader? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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[GasserFace]

The Brewers are going to Brewer.  Build up enough quality depth options, so that they can play the most effective players.  If they happen to get O'Hearn, he would be a huge upgrade over Bauers.  Vaughn is currently a huge upgrade over Hoskins.  My guess is that Hoskins will stay on the IL for longer than expected, so the Brewers can determine if the Vaughn-aissance is real.

From what I see, it is real.  He is being encouraged to display good swing decision habits and he is taking to that info to heart.

With a 95% playoff chance, and a 19 games in 18 days stretch coming up, they will need all of these guys and more to keep everyone on a regular rest schedule, while competing for the division and a bye.

[Harold Hutchison]

Plus, O'Hearn is a free agent after the season.

At the very least, it looks like the Crew could go with a platoon of Vaughn and Ernesto Martinez, who's hit very well when he's been on the field for Nashville.

[BrewerFan]

10 hours ago, Harold Hutchison said:

Plus, O'Hearn is a free agent after the season.

At the very least, it looks like the Crew could go with a platoon of Vaughn and Ernesto Martinez, who's hit very well when he's been on the field for Nashville.

Well... that's certainly true. Ernesto Martinez being penciled in as the heavy side of the platoon would NOT be a real encouraging prospect. He's 26 and in AAA and he's hitting .234/.356 with a paltry .375 SLG. That's really not hitting "very well," when he's on the field. That's a guy who draws walks. 

If we got rid of Bauers and go with a LHed 1B next year, it'd almost certainly be Black at this point. 

I feel like you get laser focused on these prospects and... just kinda push no matter how they progress. I'd gladly bring him back as a MiLB FA, but there's no reason to add him to the 40 man. 

[Harold Hutchison]

48 minutes ago, BrewerFan said:

Well... that's certainly true. Ernesto Martinez being penciled in as the heavy side of the platoon would NOT be a real encouraging prospect. He's 26 and in AAA and he's hitting .234/.356 with a paltry .375 SLG. That's really not hitting "very well," when he's on the field. That's a guy who draws walks. 

If we got rid of Bauers and go with a LHed 1B next year, it'd almost certainly be Black at this point. 

I feel like you get laser focused on these prospects and... just kinda push no matter how they progress. I'd gladly bring him back as a MiLB FA, but there's no reason to add him to the 40 man. 

Who says Martinez is on the heavy side? I'd plug him into the Bauers role (backup 1B/corner OF), let Vaughn have the bulk of the ABs for 2026. Or, the Crew could, if Vaughn keeps up his current pace in Milwaukee, flip him for some help.