Most baseball fans probably expected the Los Angeles Dodgers to be the biggest home run threat of this postseason. But the Milwaukee Brewers have had their number in the NLCS. Jake Bauers' Game 3 blast has been the most impressive of the series.
Bauers took the plate in the seventh inning while the Dodgers had a 2-1 lead. He wrestled off 10 pitches from Blake Snell before taking the 11th one deep for a two-run homer (subscription required). Bauer took the lead for his Brewers en route to their third NLCS victory to put the twice reigning World Series champions on the verge of elimination.
Bauers is also on the verge of free agency. The veteran has spent the last three seasons with the Brewers after suiting up for the Tampa Bay Rays, Cleveland Guardians, Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees in the first four years of his career. His playoff performance has been an excellent audition for a new team and Boston Red Sox fans are already claiming Bauers for themselves.
Bauers posted the best offensive year of his career in 2026, slashing .266/.389/.484 with 22 doubles, two triples and 26 home runs over 144 games with Milwaukee. Had he been on the Red Sox this season, his 26 homers would've ranked second on the team, just one behind Willson Contreras' total.
Red Sox fans eyeing Jake Bauers as their free agent power bat amid Brewers playoff success
Every pitch from that UNREAL Jake Bauers at-bat 😤
— MLB (@MLB) October 15, 2026
11 pitches. One unforgettable moment. pic.twitter.com/QpDMUMMPFP
Bauers' .389 on-base percentage is supported by his elite 16.3 walk rate, which ranks in the 98th percentile. The Red Sox had trouble stringing multiple hits together at times this season and Bauers' ability to take walks would go a long way. The game before his stellar at-bat against Snell on October 14, Bauers worked a 12 pitch walk against Yoshinobu Yamamoto, whom the Dodgers pulled a batter later.
Bauers swings left-handed and doesn't exactly match up with the hitter profile the Red Sox reportedly seek (left-side pul hitter), but he can hit to all fields, meaning he can still use Fenway Park's dimensions to his advantage.
The majority of Bauers' major league fielding experience has come at first base, but he's played his fair share of left field, as well. Contreras is a superior defender than Bauers, but moving the latter to first base and giving Contreras a full-time designated hitter role would keep him off his feet and healthier all season long. Bauers and Contreras could also swap between first base and DH more frequently.
There will be few reasonably priced slugging free agents this offseason, given the underwhelming group in this year's class. There will be some fear of regression with Bauers, who suddenly emerged as a top hitter in the league following years of offensive struggle. But if his progress is real, he could be a solid investment for the Red Sox, who will only have Contreras for another year or two.
Add us as a preferred source on Google