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He is not the typical first baseman from whom you can expect a lot of power, but Jake Bauers’ resurgence with the Milwaukee Brewers this year has proven his ability to be a full-time starter in the big leagues. Bauers, 30, finished the regular season with career highs in home runs (26), RBI (86), runs scored (93), walk rate (16.3%), isolated power (.218), BABIP (.320), xwOBA (.371), and an offensive line of .266/.389/.484, with a 143 wRC+ and 3.6 fWAR.
Bauers' elite plate discipline led him to finish among the hitters with the lowest chase rate (21.7%) and the fifth-highest walk rate in the entire league. These strengths, along with his major baserunning improvements success, make one of the most interesting free agents for teams like the New York Mets, who desperately need to solve their problems at first base.
After letting Pete Alonso go, one of the most questionable decisions of the Steven Cohen era, the Mets bet on Jorge Polanco to replace him at first base. The experiment lasted only two games and 20 defensive innings before injuries took him off the field. From there, the team looked for alternatives that failed to make up for Alonso’s offensive loss. At the end of the season, the Mets used eight different players at the position, and none of them was able to record 300 or more plate appearances. Jared Young was the one who offered the most stable performance, with a .270/.325/.431 line and a 110 wRC+ in 292 plate appearances as a first baseman over 81 games. He played 642 innings, and his defense, although it was not brilliant, was above average, with +1 Fielding Run Value.
The other solution New York often found was Mark Vientos, who had a disastrous season both offensively and defensively. When he played as a first baseman, he recorded a disappointing 66 wRC+ in 237 plate appearances. His production was much better against left-handed pitchers (119 wRC+), but against right-handers, he saw his slugging percentage fall from .513 to .208 and recorded only a 48 wRC+. His defensive metrics were the worst on the entire team (-8 FRV). Brett Baty (77 wRC+ and -2 FRV) was another frequent cold corner option, and his results were also terrible when he played as a first baseman in 23 games.
Since 2025, among all first basemen with at least 400 plate appearances, Bauers is the only one with a positive cumulative BsR (1.2), FanGraphs’ all-encompassing baserunning statistic. He also has the second-best wRC+ (146), behind the Athletics’ Nick Kurtz (151), and the second-highest on-base percentage (.395), only behind TJ Rumfield (.401). Those two offensive aspects help define his consistency, which would bring a whole new dimension to the Mets' infield.
The Mets, of course, will have more options besides Bauers, such as Ty France and Paul Goldschmidt, two players with experience who could also be available on the market. However, I don’t think the San Diego Padres will let France go after his breakout campaign. Maybe Goldschmidt will be available as another option that we should not rule out. Now, if the Mets had to choose between Bauers, Goldschmidt, and other possible alternatives like Josh Bell, Nathaniel Lowe, Ryan Mountcastle, or Rowdy Tellez, Bauers would still be the most intriguing free agent.
A lot of that is because it's impossible to avoid the impact he's made in the postseason, which has represented the most demanding test for Bauers. Beyond winning the NLCS MVP award, several of his at-bats have marked these playoffs: from his unforgettable 11-pitch battle, which ended with a two-run home run against left-hander Blake Snell in the seventh inning of Game 3 of the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers, to the single against Drew Rasmussen in the first inning of Game 2 of the World Series, with which he contributed to an early rally after the Rays opened with a 4-0 lead on the scoreboard.
Of course, Bauers will not replace Alonso; there's few players on earth capable of doing that. But as a postseason-tested veteran with a well-rounded game, he'd go a long way toward helping the Mets rebuild their lineup.
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