MILWAUKEE — It’s easy to look at Jake Bauers’ success this season and postseason and marvel. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll see the process that helped Bauers ascend to NLCS MVP years later in baseball iterman. And that’s where the Milwaukee Brewers thrive.
If you look at the diamond like you look at brewers, you’ll notice a theme. Many of the players on this team are in the second or even third league of the MLB. Most of them have continued to improve at the big-league level — something that every team affects to succeed a few.
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“A lot of this has to do with the way we hold each other and the standards that are in baseball player here,” said Bauers, the Brewers’ first baseman. “They don’t change anybody. So I’ve seen guys come in who maybe don’t understand that it’s a certain way that we’re going to do it, and they don’t stay very long.”
Player development is a hot topic around baseball, with players helping the program be better. But for a team like the Brewers that doesn’t spend anywhere near the market, consequently getting more out of every player on the 26-man roster is crucial. And in 2026, that’s why he’s four out of the World Series title.
Sixteen of the 26 players on the Brewers’ NLCS roster were drafted or signed by at least one other team before meeting Milwaukee. The Brewers’ ability to take players and unlock something bigger is what has elevated this group to World Series contenders.
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“I’m lucky enough to be picked here, and there’s so many people behind the scenes who have helped the development, especially. [for] guys homegrown, the guys that get outfielder Sal Frelick said. … These guys come here and you think, Man, they kind of have a house.
Said Bauers, who spent time with the Rays, Rangers, Mariners and Yankees before leaving with the brewery: “I think if you can come to a place like that and really buy into the message, and almost put yourself down to them and just say, ‘I’m gonna do whatever you tell me to do, however you say I can do it,’ I think anybody can do it.”
So how did the team get this good at player development?
“A lot goes into earning,” Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold said. “It’s definitely a player’s game. You don’t try to hit them in the face with something right away. You kind of say, ‘Hi, how are you?’ Who are you?” Make them comfortable with your environment. And then hopefully, they trust the results that we’ve had here for a while to be sure, ‘Hey, I just want what works for you.’
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“We try to do it with every guy, and it’s a different message to different people, and our guys, our coaches are doing fantastic when they just connect with our players when they’re new here.”
With so many success stories in the past, it becomes a big advantage for the Brewers when it comes to getting new players to buy. But building confidence on an individual level is also important, and designated hitter Andrew Vaughn was a big part of the process.
Vaughn was one of baseball’s touted prospects when he was selected No. 3 overall by the Chicago White Sox in the 2019 MLB Draft. But the success so many expected never came, as he slashed a .248/.303/.407 line over five seasons in Chicago. That led to the Milwaukee trade last June.
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Looking back, the trade turned out very well for Vaughn. Since becoming a player in Milwaukee, his production has skyrocketed, and the Brewers’ DH is the best bat in baseball. During his time in Milwaukee, Vaughn posted a .306/.384/.466 line, and his .938 OPS vs. His hitting streak was 15th in the MLB this season.
“This is a cult,” Vaughn said. “You want to buy into it. The first day I arrived here, and I still remember all my guests as family. And it’s like, “Right, we’re doing this. So we do it, this is the right way. “It’s, I’m all in. I’m ready.”
Player development often means figuring out how to get the most out of players who come from other organizations. It also means finding answers for those who have been in the organization, but whose progress has not taken a linear path.
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After Milwaukee signed Aaron Ashby in 2018, many believed he would be a fixture in the Brewers’ future rotation. But after two seasons as a starter, the Milwaukee left-hander has convinced himself that he can be just as effective out of the bullpen. And while the love of that start is still there, the confidence he built with Brewers pitching coaches Chris Hook and Jim Henderson has helped the transition.
After a strong season in 2026, Ashby has become a star out of Milwaukee’s bullpen this season. He is still allowed to run through six postseason appearances.
“We talk about everything really training … I always wanted to be a starter. I always wanted to be a starter. I tell them that if I get a chance,” Ashby said with a smile. “[But] I always say, whatever role I can take is the most valuable, the best customer service, that’s what I want to do.
Whether you’re talking about Bauers and Vaughn or Frelick and Ashby, it’s clear that Milwaukee’s development team has been the catalyst behind this team’s deep postseason run. And with a roster full of second chances and success stories, it’s just four wins from its last finish.