Milwaukee Brewers: Has Jesus Aguilar Finally Broken Through?

It may have taken half the season, but are we finally seeing the 2018 version of Jesus Aguilar make a comeback just in time to boost the Milwaukee Brewers struggling offense?

The Milwaukee Brewers did not play well in the month of June – but one bright spot may have escaped the notice of some fans – Jesus Aguilar seems to be back.

We’ve seen a few moments this season that hinted at the Brewers’ first baseman making a resurgence. In a four game series against Colorado in late April/early May, Aguilar hit two solo blasts in Game 1, and in Game 2 he cranked out a 3-run homer.

But, he quietly slipped back into his season-long slump after that series.

His potential breakout was evident in the Brewers final series before the All-Star Break, in Pittsburgh, but his recent upswing isn’t limited to just those three games.

Incidentally, in those three games he did have 5 hits, 3 home runs, and 6 RBIs in 10 plate appearances. Babe Aguilar seems an appropriate nickname here.

Let’s look beyond his stats in the last three games. In the past 30 games (55 plate appearances), he’s slashing .309/.397/.618 and in the last 7 games (13 plate appearances), his numbers are an impressive .462/.533/1.231.

Aguilar finished the 2018 season, his breakout year, with solid numbers –  .274/.352/.539, 35 home runs,  and an OPS of .890.

Patience Paying Off

His overall stats for the 2019 season are still down from his 2018 season (currently sitting at .225/.327/.385 with an OPS of .712) but this is a HUGE uptick from his performance earlier on this year.

It seems Brewers management was right to give Aguilar patience while he figured things out at the plate this season.

Let’s hope his breakthrough is permanent – it’s just the boost the struggling Brewers’ offense needs as they get ready to head into the second half of the season – just a half game out of first place in the NL Central. And, imagine the platoon the team will have at first base if both Thames and Aguilar keep their respective hot streaks rolling.

If the Milwaukee Brewers can get Jesus Aguilar back to where he has last year, this lineup just becomes that much scarier as we roll into the dog days of summer and the final stretch towards October.