Brewers' new first base coach among the league's top future managerial candidates

Earlier this week, the Milwaukee Brewers announced the finalization of their coaching staff for the 2026 season. Daniel Vogelbach returning to the organization as a hitting coach stole the headlines among fans, but in the industry, executives took note of the fact that the Brewers' former director of player development, Spencer Allen, had been named the team's new first base coach.

Allen is a former junior college player from Green River College, who then transferred to Iowa State for his final two seasons. He was later the head coach at Northwestern University from 2016-2021, before joining the Brewers organization as a field coordinator ahead of the 2022 campaign. He was eventually promoted to the director of player development prior to the 2024 season and held the same title during the 2025 campaign.

According to The Athletic, Brewers' new first base coach Spencer Allen is highly regarded as a future managerial candidate

With Allen freshly promoted to coach first base, while also working with the team on base running and defense, two areas he specializes in, Ken Rosenthal at The Athletic revealed that multiple other organizations tried to hire Allen away from Milwaukee. The MLB insider also went on to say that several in the industry view him as a future bench coach or managerial candidate.

Allen’s deep ties to the college game and his strong ability to teach fundamentals are two qualities the baseball industry is increasingly starting to value. While other organizations are only beginning to emphasize these areas, the Brewers’ current makeup and identity are already built around executing them at a high level.

Pat Murphy has been the program’s primary voice in that regard, but Allen’s presence reinforces those principles. That alignment should pay significant dividends as the Brewers continue to develop talent and operate with a smaller budget than most other annual playoff contenders.

Additionally, with Milwaukee operating without a bench coach this season after Rickie Weeks transitioned into a front office role, and Murphy entering the final year of his contract without yet signing an extension, Allen could soon find himself as Murph’s right-hand man; such a scenario would make it likely that Allen emerges as Murphy's successor, unless another MLB team scoops him up first.