Brewers 'Really Excited' About Potential Jake Bauers Replacement

One thing that the Milwaukee Brewers have shown over the last few years is the fact that this team is built to weather the storm.

There was a point during the 2026 season when Jackson Chourio, Andrew Vaughn, Christian Yelich, Quinn Priester and Brandon Woodruff were all hurt at the same exact time, but Milwaukee still won 103 games and the first World Series title in franchise history. The Brewers have a next man up approach and now need to think about that when it comes to first base with Jake Bauers leaving the organization.

It's tough to see him go, but the Brewers have Andrew Vaughn under team control and The Athletic's Jim Bowden reported that the team is "really excited" about No. 5 prospect Andrew Fischer and he also could be an Opening Day option.

"They are really excited about one of their top power prospects, Andrew Fischer," Bowden said. "Fischer is expected to compete for playing time at first base. So, maybe he ends up platooning at first base with Andrew Vaughn. Andrew Fischer last year, between [Class-A and Double-A] belted 48 home runs and there are a lot of baseball analysts who believe that he is major league ready now.

Why Andrew Vaughn/Andrew Fischer Could Work

Oct 11, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Andrew Vaughn (28) is introduced prior to game one of the NLCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs against the Los Angeles Dodgers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

We actually made the case for the idea of a platoon in case Bauers left before the former Milwaukee fan favorite even got his deal with the Boston Red Sox.

Vaughn is under team control for one more season and at this point, there's really no reason to not keep him around with Bauers out of town. In 2026, Vaughn slashed .306/.390/.444 with an .834 OPS, six home runs, 43 RBIs and 18 doubles in 104 games played. Vaughn is a righty and has shown that he can have success in Milwaukee.

Fischer, on the other hand, is a lefty and has all of the upside in the world. In 2026, he played in 126 games and belted 48 home runs, drove in 114 runs and slashed .273/.413/.654 with a 1.066 OPS. That production will play. Plus, he's just 22 years old. In the playoffs, he was a part of the “stay ready” camp in Nashville that was prepared to help the Brewers in the postseason if injuries were to pop up.

Fischer is right on the doorstep and showed in 2026 that he is the most exciting slugger prospect for the organization in years. It's difficult for any player to make the jump to the majors. If Milwaukee platooned these two, Fischer wouldn't have to face many left-handed pitchers right away, which is for the best.

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