Brewers get $29.5M contract projection for .899 OPS breakout slugger

The Milwaukee Brewers are one of, if not the best, teams in Major League Baseball this season. It should come as little surprise, considering how good Jacob Misiorowski has been and the other stars on the roster.

But one of the more important players that wasn't exactly considered a star coming into the season is Jake Bauers. He posted 0.3 bWAR in two seasons with the Brewers before 2026, but this year he's broken out in a huge way with an .899 OPS.

Unfortunately for the Brewers, Bauers will hit free agency after this season, meaning they're going to need to pay him handsomely. Tim Britton of The Athletic projects that Bauers, after this breakout year, will earn a $29.5 million deal, similar to what Ryan O'Hearn got from the Pittsburgh Pirates after his breakout 2025 season.

Brewers get $29.5M projection on Jake Bauers

"The Bauers comp that actually makes the most sense came last winter, when Ryan O'Hearn signed his two-year, $29.5 million deal with the Pirates," Britton writes.

A $29.5 million deal for Bauers this offseason would be a nice payday for the journeyman slugger who's finally broken out in the big leagues.

But that $29.5 million contract projection from Britton might be underselling how much he could get as well. Britton explained why: "And good news for Bauers: O'Hearn has made that look like a bargain."

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That deal is aging well for the Pirates with O'Hearn, plus the weaker free agent market for first basemen like Bauers, means that the veteran 30-year-old left-handed hitter is poised for a nice payday this offseason.

The Brewers might have a tougher time keeping Bauers than initially thought, which isn't a bad thing, as that means he's having a great contract season for the franchise.

Bauers has an .899 OPS this season with 22 homers and 2.8 bWAR, which is several times greater than the -1.2 bWAR he posted in the first 613 games and six seasons of his big league career.

The Brewers breakout veteran outfielder/first baseman is set to land a huge contract this offseason, potentially in the $29.5 million range. It would be a great reward for a veteran slugger breaking out at the perfect time in his career.

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