The history of the Milwaukee Brewers is not littered with Hall of Fame names like the Yankees or the Red Sox.
However, there have been some really good players that have suited up for the Milwaukee Brewers through the years. In celebrating the emergence of Jesus Aguilar during this season, we’ll take a look at the Top-5 first basemen in team history. First, let’s take a look at Aguilar’s performance with the Brewers.
Looking at last season
Aguilar fell victim to a roster crunch while with the Cleveland Indians leading into the 2017 season and wound up being placed on waivers. Brewers general manager David Stearns, being the brilliant team builder that he is, claimed Aguilar. The first baseman made his first career Opening Day roster with The Crew heading into last season and hasn’t looked back since.
Aguilar hit .265 with 16 home runs and 52 runs batted in. Those numbers by themselves aren’t anything special. However, when you consider Aguilar was a part-time player who more often than not came in for pinch hitting opportunities, those numbers are impressive.
He played in 133 games hitting 15 doubles with a .331 on-base percentage in 311 plate appearances. When manager Craig Counsell needed a bat late in a big game, Aguilar usually delivered when called upon. That was only a glimpse of what Aguilar is capable of as he has continued to build off of that momentum during this season.
Looking at this season
Once again, Aguilar was right in the middle of another roster crunch during Spring Training. However, this time Aguilar had already proven he’s a legit MLB hitter. Milwaukee found a way to carry four full-time outfielders and three first basemen into this season.
Early injuries in the outfield made this decision pay off and also opened the door for Aguilar. The 28-year-old seized his opportunity and has forced his way into the starting lineup on a regular basis.
Aguilar has a solid .280 batting average with 29 home runs and 87 runs batted in. Although he has 102 strikeouts already, he has also worked 46 walks and has a .365 on-base percentage. As good as those numbers are, that’s just the beginning.
Aguilar has 48 total extra-base hits and an extraordinary .951 on-base plus slugging percentage. There have been many times during this season that Aguilar has carried the Milwaukee Brewers and there’s no telling where this team would be without him.
As sad as this sounds, if Aguilar can put together a few more seasons like this one, he could find himself among the best first basemen in franchise history. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the current Top-5 first basemen in Brewers history.