In 2025, the Brewers got excellent production (in the aggregate) at first base. Rhys Hoskins, Andrew Vaughn, and Jake Bauers each carried the team at times. Hoskins has departed via free agency, after the Brewers declined their end of a mutual option, but can first base be as productive in 2026 without the veteran? Let’s take a look.

On The 40-Man Roster
Andrew Vaughn
.235/.333/.426 with five doubles, one triple, five home runs, and 27 RBI between Triple-A Charlotte and Triple-A Nashville
.254/.307/.411 with 22 doubles, 14 home runs, and 65 RBI between Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago White Sox
Vaughn was a somewhat under-the-radar acquisition, after Aaron Civale requested a trade. It worked out exceptionally well for the Brewers, with Vaughn posting an .869 OPS across 221 at-bats with his new team, a huge improvement over his totals with the White Sox. The question is, will Vaughn continue at the 141 OPS+ clip he had with the Crew, or will he fade to his pre-Milwaukee form?

Jake Bauers
.211/.318/.737 with one double, three home runs, and five RBI in Triple-A Nashville
.235/.353/.399 with nine doubles, seven home runs, and 28 RBI in Milwaukee
Bauers returned to the Crew on a minor-league deal after he was non-tendered in the 2024-2025 offseason. He was a solid complement to Hoskins in 2024, even with a batting average below the Uecker line. In 2025, his offense took a step up, and he posted a 111 OPS+. In addition to playing first base, he has also handled both corner outfield spots and taken some time on the mound. This time around, he signed a guaranteed big-league deal in November, and he’s in line for more playing time than he got this season.

Tyler Black
.261/.388/.391 with 12 doubles, three triples, five home runs, and 39 RBI between Triple-A Nashville and Rookie League ACL Brewers
.250/.538/.375 with one double and one RBI in Milwaukee
Tyler Black is a one-time top-100 prospect. The problem came after a breakout 2023 season. In the 2023-2024 offseason, the Brewers acquired Joey Ortiz and Oliver Dunn, who crowded him out at third base. He moved to first base, but in 2025 suffered a hamate injury late in spring training. Now, he’s played left field, first base, and had a stint in right field for the Brewers. Nowhere, over the last two seasons, has he looked like a major contributor either in producing or preventing runs.

Minor-League Players Who Could Impact 2026
Blake Burke
.292/.379/.453 with 27 doubles, two triples, 16 home runs, and 82 RBI between Advanced-A Wisconsin and Double-A Biloxi
Burke was selected with the Competitive Balance Round A pick acquired by the Brewers in the Corbin Burnes trade during the 2023-2024 offseason. So far, he’s made that part of the deal look very good, rapidly moving up the minor-league ladder. While he won’t be on the Opening Day roster, either his sheer talent or regression by Vaughn and Bauers could see him in Milwaukee by the end of the season.

Luke Adams
.231/.417/.436 with 15 doubles, 11 home runs, and 42 RBI between Advanced-A Wisconsin and Double-A Biloxi
.333/.471/569 with three doubles, three home runs, and 10 RBI with Surprise in the AFL
Adams doesn’t get on the field much, but when he does, he’s been frighteningly productive wherever he’s playing—positionally, and in the Crew’s farm system. His stint in the Arizona Fall League was quite dominating. He’s split time at both corner infield positions and seen some limited action in left field. Adams could be a 30-30 player, if given enough playing time. Like Burke, he could force his way to Milwaukee sometime in 2026.

Wild Cards
Christian Yelich
.264/.343/.452 with 21 doubles, 29 home runs, and 103 RBI in Milwaukee
Yelich has mostly played the outfield, and is now Milwaukee’s primary DH, but the Crew could use him at first base in the event of injuries or slumps. The Florida Marlins selected him as a first baseman in the 2010 draft. The Brewers made a similar move with Ryan Braun at the start of the 2018 season, only to shift Braun back to the outfield after Jesús Aguilar caught fire. Yelich at first would be an emergency move, though. It’s not a great position for a player with a recent spate of back problems on their medical chart.

William Contreras
.260/.355/.399 with 28 doubles, 17 home runs, and 76 RBI in Milwaukee
Contreras is an anchor for the Crew behind the plate, so why is he a wild card at first base? Two reasons: First is the emergence of Jeferson Quero, who has been a top prospect on multiple lists (including Brewer Fanatic’s) for years. If the rookie wins the backup job, the team will want to play him more often than they’ve used previous backups, but they also won’t want to lose Contreras’s bat in the lineup. Second is the fact that the team looked wiped out during the NLCS, and they’ll want to ease the burden on players like Contreras, whose brother Willson made the move to first this year for those fifth-rate flying rats in St. Louis. A similar shift might be good for the team as a whole.

How do you think first base will shake out for the Brewers in 2026? Let us know in the comments below!