Reviewing The Brew
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Milwaukee Brewers: The Top 5 First Basemen in Franchise History

By Isaac Buttke

ST LOUIS, MO - OCTOBER 13: Prince Fielder #28 of the Milwaukee Brewers gestures after he hit a double in the top of the fourth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals during Game 4 of the National League Championship Series at Busch Stadium on October 13, 2011 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
ST LOUIS, MO - OCTOBER 13: Prince Fielder #28 of the Milwaukee Brewers gestures after he hit a double in the top of the fourth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals during Game 4 of the National League Championship Series at Busch Stadium on October 13, 2011 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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5 Mar 1998: Infielder John Jaha of the Milwaukee Brewers in action during a spring training game against the Colorado Rockies at the Maryvale Baseball Park in Maryvale, Arizona. The Rockies defeated the Brewers 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bahr /Allspor
5 Mar 1998: Infielder John Jaha of the Milwaukee Brewers in action during a spring training game against the Colorado Rockies at the Maryvale Baseball Park in Maryvale, Arizona. The Rockies defeated the Brewers 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bahr /Allspor /

Here at Reviewing the Brew, we’re going position by position discussing the top players in Milwaukee Brewers’ history. Previous editions have covered the top shortstops and third basemen. This edition focuses on the first basemen that have come and gone over the years.

Though they may not be Hall of Famers, the Brewers have had plenty of excellent first basemen come through Milwaukee. Whether it be via trade, free agency or homegrown talent, bringing the list to a top five was a difficult task. Without further ado, here is the group I identified as the top five first basemen in Brewers’ history.

5. John Jaha

Years as a Brewer: 1992-1998

Jaha made his only career All-Star appearance as a member of the Oakland Athletics, but he was a solid first baseman for the Brewers as well. He was originally drafted by Milwaukee in 1984, then spent seven and a half seasons in the minors. His numbers weren’t spectacular early on, but that can likely be attributed to his splitting time between the majors and minors for a few seasons.

For two consecutive years, Jaha was a .300 hitter and was able to hit 20+ homers a season. Jaha broke out in 1996 though, hitting 34 homers and driving in 118 RBI. He didn’t win any awards for his service to the Brewers, but he did manage to produce an .824 OPS and amass over 100 homers in Milwaukee.

He was only able to play in 100+ games in a season twice, however. Those seasons came in 1993 and 1996.

His defense was lackluster though, especially early on in his career. This, along with the fact that his biggest accomplishments came after leaving the team, is why Jaha only comes in at number five on our list.

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