Daniel Vogelbach's path from journeyman slugger to Brewers World Series coach
Vogelbach, a former big league slugger, became a Brewers hitting coach and is credited with helping Milwaukee win its first World Series title.
Why Daniel Vogelbach is trending
Daniel Vogelbach is trending because the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 5 of the World Series on Wednesday night to win the first title in franchise history, and Vogelbach, a former journeyman slugger, is one of the hitting coaches on Pat Murphy's staff who built that offense.
Rookie shortstop Cooper Pratt described what Vogelbach brings from the dugout during a comeback. Pratt said it can be quiet when the Brewers trail late, then Vogelbach starts yelling, something like "Let's put it on these guys!" Milwaukee built its run to the title in part on turning early deficits into comeback wins, and Vogelbach was part of that dugout energy all season.
The player before the coach
Vogelbach, still only 33, was a second round pick of the Chicago Cubs in the 2011 draft. The Cubs traded him to the Seattle Mariners in 2016, and he made his major league debut with Seattle that year. He broke out in 2019, hitting 30 home runs and driving in 76 runs, but he never hit for a high average and the Mariners let him go in August of 2020.
The Blue Jays picked him up after that, but he played just two games in Toronto before being let go again and landing with Milwaukee during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. He stayed with the Brewers through 2021, then spent 2022 with the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Mets, and 2023 with the Mets. His final playing stop was 31 games with the Blue Jays in 2024. Over nine major league seasons he hit .219 with 81 home runs, including a .176 average in 33 career games with Toronto.
How he ended up in Milwaukee's dugout
Vogelbach spent 2025 with the Pirates as a special assistant to the hitting department before the Brewers hired him ahead of the 2026 season. "I knew I wanted to coach," Vogelbach said of the move. He said the decision to join Murphy's staff was an easy one. "Murph called, and it's hard to say no to this organization," Vogelbach said.
On Milwaukee's staff, Vogelbach works alongside coaches with years of continuity in the Brewers organization, under a manager in Murphy who has pushed a relentless approach at the plate. Hitters have said Vogelbach reviews scouting reports with them during pitching changes and is a constant presence on the top step of the dugout.
What's next
With the World Series over, Vogelbach is set to get a championship ring when the Brewers hand them out in 2027, recognition for a coaching staff that helped turn Milwaukee into a team capable of erasing deficits deep into games. For a player who bounced through five organizations before his career ended in 2024, the title caps a fast turn from journeyman hitter to coach on a World Series winner.
Facts per Yahoo Sports, roundtable.io. Opinion is the taproom's.