From EssentiallySports · Sourav Kumar Ghatak · · 1m
Brewers Star Jake Bauers Almost Quit Baseball
Jake Bauers nearly retired from baseball in 2024 but stayed to win NLCS MVP after his wife’s pregnancy.
In brief
Jake Bauers nearly retired from baseball in 2024 but stayed to win NLCS MVP after his wife’s pregnancy. Jake Bauers nearly retired from baseball in 2024 but stayed to win NLCS MVP after his wife’s pregnancy. Originally reported by EssentiallySports.
Jake Bauers' Retirement Plans
Jake Bauers considered retiring from baseball in 2024 after a disappointing season with the Milwaukee Brewers.
“I was beat up after a long season, we had our daughter, we didn’t necessarily know what was next. I was a free agent. There wasn’t a lot of interest around the league. And so I just felt like it could’ve been time to move on.”
Wife's Pregnancy Changes Plans
Jake Bauers' wife Lauren found out they were pregnant, reversing his retirement plans.
“The story goes, 'We do need health insurance'.”
Health Insurance Needs
Jake Bauers needed health insurance for his growing family, so he stayed in baseball.
2026 NLCS MVP
Jake Bauers won the 2026 NLCS MVP after going 4-for-14 across four games.
World Series Push
The Brewers won a franchise record of 103 games and were 4 wins away from their first World Series title.
2026 World Series Hero
Jake Bauers hit a two-run home run in NLCS Game 3 and a game-tying double in Game 4.
What it means
Jake Bauers nearly retired from baseball in 2024 but stayed to win NLCS MVP after his wife’s pregnancy.
