Brewers First Baseman Latest to Unexpectedly Step Into Big Role for the Team originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
In early June, the Milwaukee Brewers found themselves in a bit of a conundrum. They were planning to call up top pitching prospect Jacob Misiorowski, but to do so meant moving someone from the rotation. The choice ended up being Aaron Civale.
Advertisement
The choice made sense. Civale was the worst performing member of the rotation, so he was told he would be shifting to the bullpen. It wasn’t a shocker, then (outside of it being so public) that he wound up requesting a trade.
The Brewers didn’t have much leverage in the matter seeing that Civale was a rental with an ERA around 5.00, so anything they got in return for him would have to do. They ended up striking a deal with the White Sox and received “failed” first round pick Andrew Vaughn.
Vaughn, a first baseman, was the third overall pick by Chicago back in 2019. But after parts of five seasons in the majors, he had mostly disappointed and been relegated to the minors. The Brewers brought him in hoping to tap into that potential and turn his career back around.
Vaughn performed well at Triple-A Nashville while awaiting his next shot at the big leagues. He finally got it this week and immediately capitalized.
Advertisement
First baseman Andrew Vaughn made his presence known right away for the Brewers.
After a tag play on an errant throw caused starting Brewers first baseman Rhys Hoskins to wind up with a sprained thumb, it was announced that he would be out for around six weeks. That paved the way for Vaughn’s Milwaukee debut against the Dodgers on Monday.
Vaughn announced his arrival with authority. With two on and two out in the bottom of the first against L.A. All-Star Yoshinobu Yamamoto, he ambushed a 2-2 pitch above the zone for a three-run bomb that set the tone for a dominant 9-1 Brewers win.
The 27-year-old would pick up another hit and RBI in a 3-1 victory the following day before sitting the series finale. However, he would enter the game in the bottom of the ninth with the Crew down and deliver a game-tying RBI. The Brewers would eventually win 3-2 in 10 innings to complete the sweep.
Advertisement
Vaughn’s start with the Brewers has gone just about as well as a player could imagine. It also is another example of a player contributing in a much bigger way than anyone expected.
Both on the field and on the mound, the Brewers have had unexpected players step up in huge ways.
If I were to ask you before the season which primary Brewers outfielder would have the highest OPS as of July 10, how many guesses would it take you to get to the correct answer: Isaac Collins? Would you have even remembered he was a possible option?
Sure enough, after picking up a hit, a walk, and a steal in the final game of the Dodgers series, it’s Collins leading the team’s outfield unit with a .776 OPS on the season. He also sits second on the team overall behind just DH Christian Yelich.
Advertisement
Not bad for a Rule 5 minor league draft pick.
Collins’ chances of making the Opening Day roster were originally iffy considering the outfield depth that the team was supposed to have. However, a late spring injury to Blake Perkins opened the door for him to be the backup outfielder to start the season.
Then in late April, starting center fielder Garrett Mitchell went down with another long-term injury which resulted in more starts for Collins in left. The more playing time he got, the more he showed how much he deserved to be a major leaguer.
Collins not only has done well at the plate with a .270/.370/.405 slash line, but he has excelled in the field as well. Among left fielders with at least 400 innings played, he is tied for fifth in MLB with five defensive runs saved and first with seven outs above average.
Advertisement
Over on the pitching side, the Brewers did the best they could to load up on starting depth to avoid scenarios from previous years where injuries ravaged the rotation. And yet, they still ended up tapping into that depth way earlier than they planned to.
One player that fans likely didn’t expect to see so much on the mound was rookie Chad Patrick. Instead of being a spot starter at best like many probably imagined, he made the Opening Day roster and then made his first start in the fifth game of the year against the Royals on April 1.
Patrick put up a good showing, throwing 4.2 scoreless outings on three hits and three walks while striking out five. More importantly, it helped give the Brewers their first win of the season.
As the season went on, Patrick continued to get better. By the end of May, he was sitting at 3-4 with a 2.97 ERA, a 1.21 WHIP, and a .246 batting average against. His name was also being floated around as a dark horse contender for NL Rookie of the Year.
Advertisement
A more rough month of June plus the long-awaited return of starter Brandon Woodruff has since squeezed Patrick out of the rotation and back to the minors. His performance showed, though, that he’s likely to be a big part of Milwaukee’s future, both this year and beyond.
Every season sees players come out of seemingly nowhere to contribute for a MLB team. Without the contributions of the above three, it’s hard to imagine where the Brewers would be at this point in the season.
Related: Pedro Martinez Gives High Praise of Brewers Rookie Sensation
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 11, 2025, where it first appeared.