\n\tIt was easy to view David Hamilton as a lesser piece in last month\u2019s deal with the Boston Red Sox, which also brought pitchers Kyle Harrison and Shane Drohan to Milwaukee. The Brewers never saw it that way.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tHamilton\u2019s career numbers at age 28\u2014a .222\/.283\/.359 slash line and a 77 wRC+\u2014don’t look like those of a dangerous player, but Milwaukee\u2019s brain trust projects him as a difference-maker in their infield mix. Acquiring Hamilton was a key reason why they were comfortable sending incumbent third basemen Caleb Durbin, Andruw Monasterio, and Anthony Seigler to Boston.\n<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cHats off to [Matt] Arnold and his crew for making sure he was included in that deal,\u201d Pat Murphy said on Thursday. \u201cWe lost a great one in Durbin. He was on-brand for us, and then to get [Harrison and Drohan], and then to get a kid like Hamilton, we\u2019re really fortunate.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\tIt didn\u2019t take long for him to declare Hamilton his annual breakout pick in spring training, but Murphy, who speaks regularly about needing the right “who” on his roster for performance to match potential, was not convinced at first.\n<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cI joke with him a lot that early on, I easily could say that I just couldn\u2019t see it in this kid,\u201d he said during the Brewers\u2019 exhibition series with the Cincinnati Reds leading up to Opening Day. \u201cI just couldn\u2019t see it. And I didn’t know if it would translate. I didn\u2019t know how he would accept an identity conversation, talking about what type of player you have been and what you could be.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\tHamilton\u2019s greatest tools are those that the Brewers value highly, particularly during Murphy\u2019s tenure as manager. His average sprint speed of 29.3 feet per second ranked in the 95th percentile of players last season. That quickness makes him a valuable baserunner (+7 career baserunning runs, according to Baseball Savant) and gives him the potential to be an excellent defender at multiple positions. He also makes solid swing decisions, being selective in the zone and chasing at a lower rate (25.1% for his career) than the average hitter.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tTo turn those skills into more consistent results, the Brewers told Hamilton to focus on hitting line drives, particularly to the opposite field. He posted a decent 94 wRC+ as a rookie in 2024, largely by hitting an excellent 38.3% of his batted balls within the launch angle sweet spot range of 8 and 32 degrees. Last year, his sweet spot rate fell to 30.8%, and his line drive rate from 28.0% to 21.8%.\n<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cA kid with that skill set that’s a .290 lifetime on base, that’s got to change,\u201d Murphy said. \u201cYou’ve got to get to first. Part of offense is touching first safely. And he does have a good ball-strike, so it doesn’t always translate [to reaching base]. So now it’s how is your flight plan? How are you putting the ball in play? I think that’s what we’re excited about, to see him make that adjustment and work for it.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\tFortunately for the Brewers, that vision aligned with Hamilton\u2019s goals and the brand of baseball he prefers to play.\n<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cThis is kind of right up my alley,\u201d Hamilton said. \u201cPlaying the game hard, running the bases hard, stealing, grindy at bats. So I\u2019m definitely loving it here so far.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cHe’s just taken everything in,\u201d Murphy said. \u201cAnd I hope it translates throughout all six months, because he can be a force.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\tWhile Jake Bauers and Brandon Lockridge received the most public attention for their Cactus League performances, Hamilton was also a spring training standout, hitting .333\/.393\/.510 (133 wRC+). Most notably, he hit 30.4% of his batted balls to the opposite field, after being a pull-happy hitter in his first three big-league seasons.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tHamilton is not the starter at any position, but by pairing him with Luis Rengifo at third base and Joey Ortiz at shortstop, the Brewers intend to give him plenty of at-bats against right-handed pitching. He drew the Opening Day start at third against a right-hander, playing precisely the kind of baseball he and the Brewers want to see.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tIn five plate appearances, Hamilton reached base four times, starting with a catcher\u2019s interference on a late, compact swing to foul off a 1-2 fastball on the outside corner. In his next turn, he showed bunt before hitting an infield single off the second base bag and later stole third base. He also drew two walks and made a slick barehanded play at the hot corner.\n<\/p>\n