Milwaukee Brewers: Scenarios That Could Fix First Base

The Milwaukee Brewers duo of first baseman, Jesus Aguilar and Eric Thames, have been incapable of getting it going offensively so far this season. The expectations were high, especially for Aguilar, but the platoon that they have going with both of them is, overall, not working well on either side.

Jesus Aguilar was an All-Star for the Milwaukee Brewers last season, and was an MVP candidate in the first half, but this season, despite some points where you thought he might break through, he has not gotten into a consistent rhythm. And the fact that he’s not even playing against righties shows it.

He has just three home runs (all in one series, two in one game), 25 hits in 132 AB’s, and an abysmal .587 OPS.

Eric Thames, on the other hand, has not exactly taken advantage of the unexpected opportunity given to him with Aguilar’s struggles. There have been points where he’s come through with a big hit, but mostly it’s been a non-impactful season for Thames.

One of the things he is doing well is drawing walks, as he is already very close to the amount of walks he drew all of last season in much less games. However, in terms of production, he isn’t getting the job done.

Who has been more effective in 2019?

Out of the two, Thames has done the better job, and that’s why the platoon began rather than just having Aguilar be the regular starter, but if neither of those two are getting the job done, there’s no reason to settle due to the fact that there are multiple other good options for the position.

Due to these struggles from both players, and the fact that the Milwaukee Brewers have guys who can play multiple positions, there are ways to adjust the team that could fix this problem. The Brewers have also shown that they are willing to sacrifice defense for offense, and that is easier to do at first base than other positions.

What are the available options?

Some key players other than Aguilar and Thames who could effectively play first base on the Milwaukee Brewers roster are Yasmani Grandal, Travis Shaw, Hernan Perez (not ideal, but he can play any position), and another person who could be an X-factor, Ryan Braun, who got some playing time at first base at the beginning of last year.

It would be surprising if Braun went back to playing first, but it would also be intriguing given the fact that it would give Ben Gamel some more well deserved time in the starting lineup. Gamel has been another great offseason addition along with Grandal and Mike Moustakas, and this would give him more at bats and fill the hole that the two first baseman are creating.

As far as Travis Shaw goes, he will be returning on the next homestand, but he was struggling mightily before his injury, and both Moustakas and Shaw’s replacement Keston Hiura are hitting well, so if you want Shaw to get some opportunities, you could put him over at first. This would not be surprising at all, and keeping Hiura in the lineup would be a plus, but Shaw, despite his past successes, currently has a lot to prove and show that he is going to be a consistent hitter again.

Is there a better option?

One great option would be Yasmani Grandal, as he has been a stellar addition to the Brew Crew’s lineup this season, and is in contention to be voted into the all star game given his numbers. In addition to his position of catcher, he is capable of playing first base, and given the current state of the team, Craig Counsell may consider giving him some time there.

After going 4-6 in the opening game in Pittsburgh, he has 12 home runs to go along with a .281 batting average, 1.2 WAR, and an impressive .922 OPS. Defensively, he has caught 48 out of 57 games, and played just one game at first. Lately it’s been all him at catcher due to Manny Pina being injured, and multiple team off days that allowed him to not be in need of a personal day off. He will get relief soon though, as Pina is set to return during this series in Pittsburgh.

Offensively, the Braun at first strategy is better than Grandal/Pina, as Pina has just six hits in 45 at bats this season, and is also a base running liability with his lack of speed. However, there are two aspects of Grandal playing first that help the Brewers: Keeping Grandal’s bat in the lineup when he needs an off day from catching, and more importantly, Pina’s defense from the catcher position.