If you’ve been paying attention to Milwaukee Brewers trade rumors for the past few years, first baseman Luke Voit’s name has come up quite a bit. Now, the team has signed him to a Minor League deal and an invitation to big league camp.
The 32-year-old played on the San Diego Padres and Washington Nationals last season. He was part of the return package for Washington in exchange for Juan Soto. He ended the 2022 season with 22 home runs, 69 RBIs and an OPS of .710.
Voit is a career .254 hitter, and you could categorize him as a power hitter. He was a New York Yankee between mid-2018 and 2021. 2021 was a tough year for him. He only had 11 home runs and a .239 average. But, he was also injured a lot of that season and only played in 68 games. Besides that, he’s hit more than 20 home runs almost every season.
Luke Voit Quick Stats
Some quick comparisons have been that is the right-handed hitting Daniel Vogelbach. But in theory, he is a better hitter and player than that. Vogelbach’s career OPS is .754, while Voit’s is .818. Luke has 95 career home runs and 272 RBIs compared to Dan’s 67 homers and 190 RBIs.
His downside would definitely be his strike-outs. He struck out 179 times in 2022, and has 523 on his career. Last year was his career high, and could have been switching teams and the ballparks he has played in. As long as Luke Voit improves and doesn’t get worse, his upside is there.
His name has been linked with the Brewers for years. During the 2021-2022 offseason, Milwaukee was said to be a team interested in Voit while with the Yankees before he was traded to the Padres for right-handed pitcher Justin Lange. He was also a player that people thought would came back to Milwaukee when they traded Josh Hader to the Padres last year. Instead, Luke Voit went to the Nationals and selected free agency after the season.
New addition Luke Voit led the Major Leagues in HR (22) with the Yankees during the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season.
He ranked 4th in the majors in RBI (52) that season.
Last season, Voit had career highs in HR (22-tied), RBI (69), XBH (44) and total bases (201) with SD and WSH.
— Mike Vassallo (@MikeVassallo13) February 21, 2023
It’s a win-win situation for the Brewers. They get a slugger who could possibly make the roster and make some big hits off the bench and be the counterpart to Rowdy Tellez. If he regresses, they still have players like Keston Hiura, Owen Miller and Jon Singleton to fill in that role. And a Minor League contract means they won’t break the bank doing it either, even though they have team salary to spare.
What Does Luke Voit Mean For Keston Hiura?
The Voit signing does put the Brewers in a weird but competitive spot at first base. Rowdy Tellez has the spot right now. Hopefully, they just want to make sure they have a right-handed bat option if needed. Keston Hiura could still play a little second base or outfield if needed. Voit will need a decent Spring Training to make the Opening Day roster.
It could also mean that Hiura might be on the move. You don’t need three first baseman on your roster to start the year. Would Voit accept a minor-league stint if he doesn’t make the initial roster? It’s better than not playing, but the dude hits 20 home runs a season. Any team should want production like that. And while the Brewers could use more consistent hitters over sluggers, it doesn’t hurt to add another power bat to your line-up.
Hiura could stay as depth along with Voit or be moved. But both players will need to come to camp ready to compete. There are plenty of younger players in the wings waiting for their chance to come up and get a chance. The recent Brewers signings have been nothing flashy, but they are solid depth pieces that could pop at any moment. When the Brewers first got Travis Shaw, Eric Thames and Jesus Aguilar, no one threw a huge party. They all ended up being huge pieces for the Brewers are part of a successful run into the playoffs between 2017-2019. Luke Voit could be that next piece.
Make sure to follow me on Twitter @BrewersRaptor and follow us @WiscoHeroics1 for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in Wisconsin Sports, click here. Also book an Athlete Appearance here.
