After years of toiling in the minor league system of the Cleveland Indians, Jesus Aguilar is in the second season of a career breakout now with the Milwaukee Brewers, currently leading the National League in home runs
It’s a story heard many times over. A player signs with or is drafted by a team, plays with that team for a number of years, never cracking the big leagues in a significant way, then he gets a chance with another organization, and he flourishes. If any player epitomizes that story, it’s Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Jesus Aguilar.
Aguilar didn’t make his pro debut until he was a month short of his 18th birthday, a year older than most top Latin prospects would debut. Coming from Venezuela, Aguilar was built big, but he wasn’t exactly the type that garners a big bonus on July 2nd, as he was wide-shouldered, with more bulge than bulk early on. One thing he could always do, however, was hit.
In his first full minor league season, already 21, Aguilar split the season between the two A-ball levels, pounding out 23 home runs, then crushed pitching in the Arizona Fall League, to the tune of a .339/.458/.610 line. He would return to high-A in 2012 and continue to hit well, something that would become a continual thing for Aguilar. He’d hit very well, then get bumped up either very late in the season or not get bumped up, advancing one level at a time. In all, Aguilar hit 140 home runs in 9 years in the minor leagues with just 64 major league plate appearances for the Indians in that time.
The Brewers claimed Aguilar off of waivers in the 2016-2017 offseason, and he became a bench bat for them. Primarily working in a platoon at first base and getting pinch hit work off of the bench, Aguilar hit .265/.331/.505 in 2017 with 16 home runs in 311 plate appearances.
This season, the Milwaukee Brewers have seen Aguilar take another step forward. With injuries, he was able to play every day. He’s been able to show the ability to hit righties and lefties, as he’s now sporting nearly equal lines against left-handed and right-handed pitching this season.
One of the most underrated parts of the improvement that Aguilar has shown this year has been in the work he did to shape up his body was the improvement in his defense. In defensive runs saved this season, he’s tied for 4th among first basemen, and he’s played at least 150 innings less than either of the guys he’s tied with. That defensive ability has been vital in a year when the Milwaukee Brewers infield defense has been inconsistent at best around him.
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The Milwaukee Brewers have enjoyed the big season from Jesus Aguilar this year. The crazy part is that he’s still not yet arbitration-eligible after this season. That will come after the 2019 season, which means Aguilar could be cementing himself as a cornerstone in the Brewers’ future after those years of toiling in the minors, waiting for his opportunity to do just what he’s doing now.