# 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.
- Title: Brewers Star Jake Bauers Almost Quit Baseball | Shortify
- Summary: Jake Bauers nearly retired from baseball in 2024 but stayed to win NLCS MVP after his wife’s pregnancy.
- Keywords: jake bauers, milwaukee brewers, nlcs, mvp, baseball, pregnancy, health insurance, free agency, sports, Brewers, Star, Jake
- Source: EssentiallySports — https://essentiallysports.com/mlb-baseball-news-time-to-move-on-brewers-star-reveals-how-close-he-came-to-walking-away-from-baseball
- Author: Sourav Kumar Ghatak
- Published: 2026-10-21T04:01:46+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: jake bauers, milwaukee brewers, nlcs, mvp, baseball, pregnancy, health insurance, free agency, sports
## 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.
## Key takeaway

Jake Bauers nearly retired from baseball in 2024 but stayed to win NLCS MVP after his wife’s pregnancy.