Andrew Vaughn's Dramatic Midseason Turnaround Fuels Brewers' NLCS Push with Clutch Hitting

Andrew Vaughn, who began June in the minor leagues with the White Sox, made a remarkable transformation to become a key player for the Milwaukee Brewers. Initially struggling with a .189 batting average in 48 games, he was acquired by the Brewers in a trade for Aaron Civale and called up on July 7. Challenged by manager Pat Murphy, Vaughn improved his chase rate and batted an impressive .308 with a .375 OBP and .493 SLG in 64 games for Milwaukee. He credited a 'change of scenery' and 'playing free' for his success, which included a homer off Yoshinobu Yamamoto in his first Brewers at-bat. Vaughn's pivotal moment came in NLDS Game 5, where he hit a tiebreaking 383-foot homer off Colin Rea, putting the Brewers ahead for good in their 3-1 victory over the Cubs. Brewers president Matt Arnold lauded him as a 'gamer' who carried the team at times.