The baseball world witnessed a surprising transaction on June 13, 2025, as the Milwaukee Brewers acquired former top prospect Andrew Vaughn from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for right-handed pitcher Aaron Civale and cash considerations. This move raises an important question: Is there still a case to be made for Andrew Vaughn?
Vaughn, the third overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, arrived in the majors with considerable hype. However, his career with the White Sox has been underwhelming thus far. While he's shown flashes of potential, he hasn't consistently lived up to expectations. In 48 games this season before the trade, Vaughn slashed a meager .189/.218/.314 with five home runs. His overall MLB career slash line sits at .248/.303/.407, a far cry from what many envisioned when he was drafted. Recently, he was even demoted to Triple-A Charlotte, where his performance didn't drastically improve, hitting .211/.328/.351 in 15 games.
Despite the surface-level struggles, there are reasons to believe Vaughn could experience a resurgence in Milwaukee. One compelling argument is that he's been unusually unlucky this season. His expected batting average (.258) and slugging percentage (.461) are significantly higher than his actual numbers, suggesting that batted-ball luck hasn't been on his side. According to Baseball Savant, Vaughn ranks around the 80th percentile in average exit velocity (91.5 mph), barrel percentage (13.3%), squared-up percentage (29.9%), and hard-hit percentage (48.3%). These metrics indicate that he's hitting the ball hard consistently; the results simply haven't reflected it.
Another factor supporting Vaughn is his historical tendency to be a slow starter. In 2024, his OPS was .497 at the end of April and .577 at the end of May, but he turned things around in June, hitting .337 with six home runs and a .933 OPS. This suggests that a change of scenery and a fresh start in Milwaukee could be precisely what he needs to unlock his offensive potential. The Brewers offer Vaughn a chance to be surrounded by a more competent lineup, potentially reigniting his confidence at the plate.
The Brewers' organization has a history of turning underperforming assets into key contributors, and Vaughn could be the latest success story. While Milwaukee already has Rhys Hoskins and Christian Yelich at first base and DH, getting Vaughn on board as a cheaper possible replacement for Hoskins, who is likely headed for free agency this winter, makes sense.
The trade also provides benefits for the White Sox. By acquiring Civale, they gain a veteran starting pitcher who can immediately step into their rotation. Civale requested the trade after being moved to the bullpen. With Civale being a free agent at the end of the season, it makes sense that Civale would want to continue pitching as a starter. They also receive cash considerations to offset the salary difference. Given Vaughn's struggles and the fact that he has only one year of club control remaining after this season, the White Sox might have viewed this as an opportunity to acquire a potentially valuable asset in Civale while offloading a player who was trending towards being a non-tender candidate.
Ultimately, the case for Andrew Vaughn rests on the belief that his underlying metrics and past performance are more indicative of his true talent than his recent struggles. A change of scenery, coupled with some positive regression to the mean, could unlock the potential that made him a top draft pick. Whether he can seize this opportunity remains to be seen, but the Brewers are betting that there's still a valuable player to be unearthed.
