How Brewers' Jake Bauers conquered his fears to find All-Star form
LAS VEGAS — The Milwaukee Brewers’ Jake Bauers would wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, grab a baseball bat, walk over to the mirror and just start swinging.Over and over again, hours at a time, until exhaustion set in.He would wake up, pore over videotape of his swing, trying to detect any possible little thing that could end all of his struggles.It was relentless, night after night, day after day, the anguish and anxiety slowly eroding his soul, wondering how long he could do this.“It was a 24/7 thing," Bauers tells USA TODAY Sports. “I couldn’t turn it off. I was killing myself."Here he was, 29 years old with a wife and two young children, playing in his seventh different organization, wondering if his career was over before it ever really started.“It wasn't necessarily killing me like in life," Bauers said, “but it sucked as a baseball player. You call yourself a baseball player, you're getting paid to play baseball, and you don't feel like you're very good at it."It was near the end of the season last year, the Brewers were in Pittsburgh for a three-game series the first weekend of September, and Bauers knew his career was on life support. He was hitting .188 with a .315 on-base percentage and .333 slugging percentage.Bauers, in the starting lineup batting seventh as the Brewers’ DH on Sept. 5, popped up to the shortstop on a 78-mph curveball by Johan Oviedo in his first at-bat. Then, he struck out on an 86.3-mph slider his next.That’s when he completely lost it.“I remember going down in the tunnel by myself," Bauers says, “and screaming:“What is this?’“Are we going to keep doing this?“Can I even play?“Do I have what it takes?“Is this it?“I remember looking up at the scoreboard and it says .180," Bauer says. “Then, just saying, “[Expletive] it. I’m just going to go up there, not thing about anything, and just swing. Whatever happens, happens. I really don’t care anymore."Bauers stepped to the plate in the sixth inning, and with two outs and runners on second and third, slapped a two-run single to right field off reliever Carmen Miodzinski’s 97.3-mph fastball for a 3-2 Brewers lead. He came up again in the eighth inning, and this time, smoked a single to center field with an exit velocity of 104.4 mph. He even stole second base.Bauers’ confidence, which had completely vanished, came rushing back into his body.The next day, he went 2-for-3 with two RBI, hitting his first homer in three months.The next, 2-for-4 with a double and two more RBI.Bauers stepped aside mentally, cleared his mind, and let his natural talents took over.“That’s when I realized," Bauers says, “I just needed to get out of the way."He hit .378 with a .472 on-base percentage, .600 slugging percentage and a 1.072 OPS the remainder of the regular season, and had a .973 OPS in six postseason games.The Brewers, who had signed him to a minor-league contract the previous winter, this time signed him to a one-year, $2.7 million deal, making him a fixture in the everyday lineup, and a rejuvenated Bauers has run with the opportunity.Bauers, playing first base and the outfield, has responded with the finest season of his career. It’s not even the halfway point of the season, and he already has hit the most homers (13) of his career, and is just two RBI (46s) shy of his career-high, leading the Brewers in both categories. He’s hitting .269 with a .373 on-base percentage and .502 slugging percentage, with his .875 OPS being 41% above the league average.The Brewers are now campaigning for him to make the All-Star team.“I don't know, man,’’ Bauers says, quietly, “I haven't really even thought about the All-Star Game. It wasn't really something that I ever pictured for myself.“I mean, you have dreams like the All-Star Game when you come up, and you have things that you want to do in this game, but I've been beaten up in this game so hard that I think for a while, those kind of dreams kind of went out the window.“It's just trying to survive and keep my head above water."For a guy who has bounced around looking for a home his entire career, Bauers finally has found peace in Milwaukee. He has become the Brewers’ most consistent hitter, and a vital cog to their success, sitting back in first place in the NL Central.“This guy has meant so much to us," Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “He came to us last year as a minor-league free agent, we don’t give him a big-league job, and he earned it by working hard every day. It wasn't easy. He had days when I could tell he was down, a guy that was scuffling, a guy that was saying, “What am I doing?’“Now, look at him. He’s having an All-Star season. Man, I’d love to see him make that All-Star team. What a great story it would for not only us, but for all of baseball."Bauers, who grew up in Huntington Beach, California, was considered one of the nation’s top high-school prospects with a scholarship to Hawaii. The San Diego Padres, and Murphy as their Triple-A manager for the El Paso Chihuahuas, drafted him as a 17-year-old in the seventh round, believing he could be a star.“He was a talked-about guy," Murphy said. “Everybody kept talking about how this kid can really hit. But then he was traded pretty quickly after that. And never stopped getting traded.’’Bauers was traded one year after the draft to the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-team swap that involved future All-Stars Trea Turner and Will Myers.The Rays traded him four years later in another three-way trade that included All-Stars Carlos Santana, Edwin Encarnacion and Yandy Diaz. In 11 years, he has gone from San Diego to Tampa Bay to Cleveland to Seattle to Cincinnati to New York to Milwaukee, with a couple of minor-league contracts and an out-right assignment mixed in, too.“When he got to the big leagues, because of the type of swing he had, people wanted him to pull," Murphy said. “They wanted him to hit homers. He had some bouts of hitting homers, but he got away from what made him cook.“I won’t say the organization, but he was with an organization that was saying, “We need you to do damage.’ I’m philosophically against telling a kid to do damage. You’ve got to be a pure hitter. So when he came to us, I said, 'Jake, I don't care if you're hitting homers. I want you to be the hitter you can be.'“Jake has done that, and you look at him now, and he’s a guy people respect because of the journey he’s been on."Bauers has become a role model for perseverance in this game.“It’s one of those things like [quarterback] Sam Darnold of the Seahawks," said Arizona Diamondbacks closer Paul Sewald, Bauers’ former teammate in Seattle. “People’s progression happens at different moments. Jake was a big-time prospect. Started well, and then got lost in the shuffle, DFA’d here, traded there. Expectations get so high, but development is not this perfect linear. It’s different for everybody.“It’s a lot to put on young guys who are just trying to figure out who they are in life, and you don’t know who you are as a player."Jason Lane, the Brewers' offense and strategy coordinator, can certainly relate. He was an All-America pitcher and DH who led USC to the 1998 College World Series championship with the tournament’s most hits, batting .417 while also pitching. He was drafted in 1999 by the Houston Astros, and hit 26 homers to help lead the Astros to the 2005 World Series. He stayed for two more years and wound up playing for six different teams in three years.The next thing he knew, Lane gave up hitting, became a pitcher again, and found himself back in the major leagues in 2014 with the Padres. He spent his last professional season playing in the minors for Murphy in El Paso before joining the Brewers coaching staff after the 2015 season.When Bauers arrived in Milwaukee, Lane saw the talent, while also witnessing the constant mental torture, beating himself up so much he never gave himself a chance for success.“When we got him, he was fighting his mechanics and was just sort of frustrated the whole year," Lane said. “The next year, we started talking to him about vision and intent. Forget the mechanics, have your intent able to attack the ball right away. If you attack it the right way, it takes care of the mechanics. He was just overthinking everything."Says Bauers: “I was trying to be perfect. I mean, this game's hard enough if you're standing in the box trying to hit, and you're thinking about where your hands are, what your lower half is, and everything else. I was handcuffing myself."These days, Bauers looks like a completely different hitter. His chase rate has diminished and ranks in the 98th percentile. His bat speed has accelerated, ranking in the 97th percentile. His hard-hit rate is the 97th percentile. His exit velocity is the 92nd percentile. He’s hitting everyone, batting .270 with an .863 OPS against right-handed starters, and is actually better against left-handed starters, .289 with a .999 OPS.“He’s been playing the game with more peace and freedom,’" Lane said, “When you’re chasing results and mechanics, you get sleepless nights. You’re always like, 'What’s tomorrow going to be like?’“It’s really hard at the big-league level to convince guys that you can have a good day at the plate without getting a hit because it’s a result-based business. They’re fighting for their lives a lot of times. So it’s really hard to get that confidence back. There are so many guys go to the plate defeated before the first pitch is even thrown."These days, Bauers' self-doubt has evaporated, the confidence is back, and the game is joyous once again.The last time he had the feeling believing he’d have a success each game instead of consumed with averting failure?Bauers, without blinking, blurted: “high school.""I’m grateful for the journey of the past," Bauers says. "I look back to my major-league debut eight years ago, and there was a 22-year-old kid who thought he was going to be a Hall of Fame. The pursuit of the result became a negative thing. I put so much pressure on myself to live up to that.“I went through all of the hardships, but I’m grateful for all the struggles. I wouldn’t be the person that I am today without everything I've been through in my career."Bauers has fallen back in love with the game, and the game is loving him right back.“I have a completely different relationship with the game now than I did in the past,’’ Bauers quietly says. “I know that whatever happens today doesn't define who I am.’’Bauers stopped, looked away, and then softly said: “It just took a long time to realize that."Around the basepaths– The Houston Astros have told teams that they are wasting their time asking about shortstop Jeremy Pena and first baseman Christian Walker.They may be a sub-.500 team, but plan to be buyers at the deadline, not sellers, in a division in which only the Seattle Mariners are above .500. They are searching for bullpen help and a left-handed hitting outfielder.– The Los Angeles Angels also plan to retain their key players at the deadline with owner Arte Moreno not wanting to unload starters Reid Detmers and Jose Soriano, or outfielder Jo Adell. Detmers and Soriano still are under team control through 2028, while Adell is eligible for free agency after the 2027 season.If the Angels changed their mind and made Detmers available, they could demand a package greater than the one the Tigers will receive for two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal. He not only has two more years of control than Skubal, but is earning just $2.7 million.He also is one of the hottest pitchers in baseball.Detmers' last six starts: 2-0, 1.36 ERA, 12 hits, 3 runs, 5 walks, 39 strikeouts, 33 innings.Detmers' last three starts: 1-0, 0.45 ERA, 6 hits, 1 run, 2 walks, 18 strikeouts, 20 innings.– GMs believe there will be fewer trades involving prospects at this year’s trade deadline because of the impending CBA in which MLB is pushing for a salary cap.“If there’s a salary cap, the young players will be more valuable than ever before,’’ one GM said. “No one’s going to want to trade good young players making no money with a cap.– MLB executives believe the minimum salary will rise from $780,000 to $1.25 million when the next CBA is finalized. The union proposed a $1.5 million minimum in 2027, $1.65 million in 2028, $1.825 million in 2029, $2 million in 2030 and $2.2 million in 2031.– Mike Trout has never participated in the Home Run Derby, but with the All-Star Game being in Philadelphia, a 40-minute drive from his hometown of Millville, N.J., he said he’d consider it this year if All-Star officials invite him this year.– The Boston Red Sox will be on everyone’s speed dial next month with starter Sonny Gray, closer Aroldis Chapman, outfielder Jarren Duran and possibly first baseman Willson Contreras thought to be available.– Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton insists that teams are wasting their time making calls inquiring about his availability. He has a full no-trade clause and loves playing in Minnesota.– The Yankees are making it no secret they want Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers at the trade deadline.– The San Francisco Giants are hopeful of moving third baseman Matt Chapman– who is owed $100 million over the next four years and has a full no-trade clause – along with starter Robbie Ray and second baseman Luis Arraez. They're pessimistic about the odds of trading Rafael Devers or Willy Adames with their bloated contracts. – The sleeper in the Tigers Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal sweepstakes, several executives predict, will be Atlanta.The cost could be two of their top-10 prospects, including one who’s in the top 100 overall.– One father of an MLB player, after seeing MLB’s proposal banning high school graduates from being drafted until they’re 20 years old, is offering a counter-proposal.MLB can still draft high-school players, pay 50% of a signing bonus to players in lieu of them receiving NIL money, and retain exclusive rights to the player for three years. The player can still attend college, giving MLB the right to monitor his development and negotiate a contract after each season.After three years, the player can either sign with the team that drafted him or re-enters the drat if no agreement is reached.OR: Players can have the option of attending college or junior college for one year, and then decide whether to enter the draft after the first year or wait until three years.– Bryan Duffy, the grandson of Atlanta legendary executive Bill Bartholomay, has organized a GoFundMe me for Walter Banks, Atlanta’s beloved usher who began working in 1965 for the Atlanta Crackers, and has worked Altanta baseball, basketball and football games games as an usher since 1966, and inducted into Atlanta’s hospitality Hall of Fame in 2002.He is now being transitioned into a full-time health facility, where baseball dignitaries like Ryan Klesko have made donations to help provide for his care and honor his legacy.– While MLB informed three Giants relievers last week they could not write a Bible verse on their baseball cap, which they chose on Pride night, Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen said last year that MLB cracked down on him last year when he wrote Charlie Kirk’s name on his cap after his murderer last September, threatening a fine if he did it again.– Driveline founder Kyle Boddy and the Boston Red Sox have parted ways, less than three years after chief baseball officer Craig Breslow hired him to be a special advisor. His previous stint with an MLB team lasted less than two years when he was the pitching coordinator with the Cincinnati Reds.– Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper hasn’t played right field since April 2022 when he tore an elbow ligament but says he would be willing to move back to right field temporarily if it would help the Phillies acquire a right-handed bat.The Phillies appreciate the gesture, but are passing, having no interest in moving Harper back to the outfield and risking injury.They will continue to look for a right-handed hitting outfielder.– The Angels may be struggling at the big-league level again, but are the only organization in which every farm team has a winning record.– The Boston Red Sox, who had slashed their pro scouting department, have suddenly begun assigning scouts to MLB games recently.– The more things change, the more they stay the same department:The Red Sox scored three or fewer runs in 55.6% of the games, going 3-12 (.200 winning percentage) in those games, before manager Alex Cora was fired this season.They have also scored three or fewer runs in 55.6 of the games under interim manager Chad Tracy, going 5-20 (.200 winning percentage).– If Shohei Ohtani isn’t the starting pitcher at the All-Star Game, it may be difficult for him to enter the game in relief, the Dodgers say, while remaining as the starting DH.The NL starting pitcher is expected to be Phillies lefty Cristopher Sanchez or the Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski.– Padres closer Mason Miller still has not allowed an extra-base hit since Aug. 25, 2025, spanning 51.1 consecutive innings, the third-longest in MLB history.Brewers sensation Jacob Misiorowski’s last nine starts:87 strikeouts.1 extra-base hit.He’s the only pitcher since 1900 to accomplish the feat.– Misiorowski was asked by USA TODAY what’s the fastest pitch he could ever throw.“I think I can throw 105 mph," he said.How about 106?“I don’t think I could do that.’’His fastest on record is 104.5 mph.– The White Sox have been without their MVP, Munetaka Murakami since May 29, but remain in first place.They have had 13 players make their major-league debut this season, tying the 1944 Cincinnati Reds for the most since the All-Star break.‘‘I think you should stop thinking of this as a surprise,’’ White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery told reporters, “because we’re consistently winning, we’re consistently in every game.’’– Yankee starter Cam Schlittler’s 1.71 ERA through the first 16 starts this season is the lowest by a Yankee pitcher since Hall of Famer Whitey Ford in 1964, and second-lowest in 107 years.– Philadelphia Phillies rookie Andrew Painter, who was optioned to Triple-A after being lit up once again, was 1-8 with a 7.06 ERA and was told that he must improve his fastball. He was yielding a .404 batting average and .660 slugging percentage with the pitch.– While the landscape is filled with pitchers and position players who have struggled since the WBC, Eduardo Rodriguez has absolutely excelled since pitching 4 ⅓ scoreless innings to help Venezuela beat Team USA in the WBC championship game.He is yielding a 2.45 ERA in 15 starts, working at least six innings nine times, while yielding two or fewer runs in 11 games.– Future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander, 43, was hoping to become the last player to win 300 games in his career.Now, he’s hoping just to make another start in his career, as he was shut down again with a left hamstring strain just before he was scheduled to start Sunday in his first start since March 30."I've always said that I want to play until the wheels fall off," Verlander told reporters. “Maybe they are falling off.“I hope not. ... If I can't be healthy, and I continue to prove that I can't be healthy, that's something that I have to really evaluate. …It's disappointing to say the least."Follow Nightengale on X: @BnightengaleThis article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jakers Bauers an All-Star? Inside Brewers slugger's amazing turnaround
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