Early prediction of Brewers' 2027 Opening Day lineup after Jake Bauers' departure

The first big domino of the Milwaukee Brewers' post-World Series offseason has fallen. Jake Bauers, the MVP of the Brewers' memorable NLCS sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers, has agreed to a four-year, $58 million deal with the Boston Red Sox, cashing in on his breakout 2026 campaign with a life-changing contract.

Across the fanbase, there's certainly a level of disappointment as fans come to terms with the fact that Bauers will be a donning a Red Sox jersey next year. However, there's also a degree of understanding with Bauers' decision. The Brewers aren't in the business of paying players at the peak of their value, so fans understand the organization not trying to outbid the Red Sox after making Bauers the $23.15 million qualifying offer.

Further lessening the sting of losing Bauers is the fact that the Brewers have an encouraging succession plan at first base. Between Andrew Vaughn, who impressed as Bauers' platoon partner in 2026, and a quartet of prospects in Luke Adams, Blake Burke, Tyler Black, and Andrew Fischer, the Brewers should have the resources to replace the departing Bauers internally. There's certainly still a question of how the Brewers will replace Bauers' production, but in terms of who will be manning first base next year, Milwaukee has a plan.

Outside of maybe catcher, where the Brewers are expected to at least entertain trade offers for World Series MVP William Contreras, first base was the only true question mark of the reigning champions' 2027 lineup. Therefore, with Bauers' decision finalized, the Brewers have a pretty good understanding of what their lineup will look like at the beginning of their repeat bid in 2027.

Brewers' 2027 lineup gains clarity as Jake Bauers inks four-year deal with Red Sox

The Brewers could certainly pull off a surprising trade or two before the 2027 season arrives -- Milwaukee's front office has been known to make unexpected moves in offseasons past. Few saw the Brewers' trade of Caleb Durbin just before Spring Training 2026 coming, but said move significantly impacted Milwaukee's starting lineup less than two months before Opening Day. However, the accelerated nature of the 2026-27 offseason seemingly decreases the likelihood of such a move occurring.

Barring any unexpected trades before the expected lockout arrives, the Brewers' 2027 lineup could look something like this on Opening Day:

Brewers' projected 2027 Opening Day lineup:

1. Jackson Chourio LF
2. Brice Turang 2B
3. William Contreras C
4. Christian Yelich DH
5. Andrew Vaughn 1B
6. Garrett Mitchell CF
7. Cooper Pratt SS
8. Sal Frelick RF
9. Joey Ortiz 3B

There really aren't too many surprises in the Brewers' 2027 Opening Day starting lineup, which is a testament to the work that Milwaukee's front office has done to create sustainable success. The Brewers' forward-thinking roster construction approach means they shouldn't see too much turnover, outside of Bauers, between their 2026 and 2027 lineups. The lineup above would give the Brewers an Opening Day major-league bench of Luis Lara, David Hamilton, Bo Naylor, and potentially Tyler Black as a back-up to Vaughn at first base.

Replacing Bauers' 2026 production certainly won't be easy for the Brewers next year, but several players in Milwaukee's projected lineup are still on the right side of their primes. As a result, it's fair to expect more production from many of the younger players in the Brewers' 2027 lineup, which should help weather the storm of losing Bauers. The Brewers have withstood the loss of key contributors in years past, and there's reason to believe they can do so again in 2027 after watching Bauers sign a four-year deal with the Red Sox.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow