At a time when the Brewers are sorting through what their first base picture could look like in the near future, Eric Bitonti keeps forcing his way into the conversation.
Milwaukee’s long-term answer at the position is still tied to what happens with NLCS MVP Jake Bauers and, by extension, Andrew Vaughn. If Bauers returns for 2027, the Brewers may be looking for a right-handed partner for the left-handed first baseman.
If Bauers walks, Vaughn could slide into the everyday job, which would flip the need toward a left-handed complement. Either way, the organization already has several corner infield prospects lining up behind them.
Blake Burke, Luke Adams and Andrew Fischer have all made their case in different ways. Burke broke the Double-A Biloxi Shuckers’ single-season home run record last year.
Adams spent the entire 2026 season in Triple-A. Fischer went on a record-setting tear with 48 homers during the 2026 campaign.
But Bitonti, the Brewers’ 2023 third-round pick, has a power profile that belongs in the same discussion.
The left-handed hitter showed it again in the Arizona Fall League, where he got an extended look after a strong 2026 season that began with High-A Wisconsin and ended with a late promotion to Double-A. In 18 AFL games, Bitonti hit three home runs and put together a .242/.356/.435 slash line. His loudest swing came early in October, when his first homer of the league was measured at 110.3 mph off the bat.
That kind of pop has followed Bitonti throughout his minor league climb. He launched 16 homers in 79 games in 2024, then 19 in 118 games in 2025, and followed that with 25 in 117 games this season.
Every one of those 25 came with the Timber Rattlers, setting a new single-season franchise record for Milwaukee’s High-A affiliate. He has also topped 20 doubles in each of his first three seasons and owns a .482 career slugging percentage in the minors.
The AFL gave Bitonti another stage, and he used it again in the Home Run Derby. The 20-year-old was one of eight participants and crushed eight homers in the 90-second first round, the second-most in the field. He didn’t homer in Round 2, when he had nine outs instead of 90 seconds, but the opening barrage was enough to put his power back in front of Brewers fans.
Bitonti is unlikely to reach the majors in 2027, but a 2028 debut is very much on the table. The 6-foot-5 corner infielder has spent more time at first base than third in the minors, and he’ll need to bring down a 33.3% strikeout rate before he gets there.
That mark was only slightly higher than Fischer’s strikeout rate, which drew plenty of attention during the 2026 season. Even so, Bitonti’s power gives him a chance to matter in the same conversation.
The Arizona Fall League only made that clearer.
In Other News...
Luis Lara Just Added An Intriguing New Chapter To His Brewers Rise
Luis Lara is adding another layer to a breakthrough year. After a rookie MLB season that ended with a World Series championship, the Brewers outfielder is set to spend part of his offseason back home in Venezuela, where he announced plans to play winter ball for Tiburones de La Guaira. The news surfaced through a Venezuelan outlet and a video from a hometown parade, a fittingly local way for a player on the rise to make his next move public.
For Milwaukee, it is another reminder that Laras development is still very much in motion. Winter league baseball can be a useful bridge for a young player coming off his first big league season, and this will be his first time taking that route. The Brewers will be watching closely to see how he handles the extra workload and the added spotlight, even if the full shape of his offseason chapter is still to come. [Read more 🡒]
Diamondbacks First Base Picture Could Shape A Surprising Free Agent Fit
Jake Bauers winter has already taken an interesting turn after the Brewers extended him a qualifying offer, leaving Milwaukee with a decision point and Bauers with a chance to test the market for a longer-term payday. For the Brewers, the question is whether to keep a useful piece in the fold on a one-year arrangement or watch him move on in search of the kind of multi-year security that free agency can provide.
Arizona has emerged as a club to watch in that conversation, especially if its infield plans shift in a way that opens first base. The Diamondbacks roster construction could create a fit for a left-handed bat like Bauers, but for now it remains a speculative path rather than a completed move, with plenty of dominoes still needing to fall before anything becomes real. [Read more 🡒]
Jackson Chourio Is Making The Brewers Look Brilliant For Betting Early
Jackson Chourios third MLB season kept building the case that Milwaukees front office knew exactly what it had when it moved early on the young outfielder. Even after missing the first month with an injury, Chourio still turned in career-best offensive production and became one of the biggest reasons the Brewers lineup had real juice during their World Series run.
The payoff has gone well beyond the regular season, too. Chourio set franchise postseason records for home runs and RBIs, added his first Gold Glove, and now stands as a Silver Slugger finalist, all while remaining under contract through 2027 on the kind of extension that looks smarter by the week. For a team that bet on his upside before he had much of a major league track record, the return is already looking enormous. [Read more 🡒]