ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Milwaukee Brewers have made a habit of turning early deficits into riveting comeback victories en route to a 2-0 lead over the Tampa Bay Rays in the World Series, and there’s plenty of reasons behind their ability to do so.
It starts with the personnel, a lineup featuring a healthy balance of star-level sluggers and deft role players all capable of delivering a big swing or executing whatever less-glamorous job the game situation requires. There’s manager Pat Murphy, who has instilled a mentality of relentlessness that is apparent in how the hitters approach every plate appearance. That messaging is maximized by the continuity on Murphy’s staff, with several coaches who honed their teaching skills in the Brewers organization for years before matriculating to the major-league level.
But if you’ve watched Milwaukee this season, you might have noticed another key cog in its offensive infrastructure, someone you might recognize from his playing days. You can often see him getting fired up on the top step of the dugout or reviewing scouting reports with hitters during a pitching change. And if you’re one of those Brewers hitters tasked with conjuring a late rally, there’s no doubt you can hear him as well.
Said rookie shortstop Cooper Pratt: “He has that energy where we'll be down like 2-0 in the ninth or 5-0, and it'll kind of be silent, and you'll just hear him screaming in the dugout. After every inning, especially when [the opponents] score runs, we’ll come in, and you just hear Vogey screaming, like, ‘Let's put it on these guys!’”
Pratt is referring to Daniel Vogelbach, who played parts of nine major-league seasons from 2016 to 2024 before making a pivot to coaching. After spending 2025 with the Pirates as a special assistant to the hitting department, Vogelbach jumped at the opportunity to join Murphy’s staff ahead of the 2026 season.
"I knew I wanted to coach. I didn't know I wanted to do it this fast,” Vogelbach said.
“Murph called, and it's hard to say no to this organization and Murph with everything they have.”
Vogelbach was drafted by the Cubs out of a Florida high school in 2011, then was traded to the Mariners as a minor leaguer in the deal that netted Chicago left-hander Mike Montgomery, who went on to record the final out of the 2016 World Series. Vogelbach’s peak performance as a major leaguer came when he hit 30 homers and was named an All-Star with Seattle in 2019, but it was his stint with the Brewers in 2021 that left a lasting impression.
“When I played here, [Murph] wasn't managing. He was a bench coach,” Vogelbach recalled. “But he made an impact on me. And we stayed in contact ever since I left here. And whether I went back and coached or didn't coach, I feel like I could call Murph a friend forever.”
Vogelbach played three more seasons with the Pirates, Mets and Blue Jays before his playing career concluded. But his experience with the Brewers stuck with him, making it an easy decision when the opportunity to reunite with Murphy arose.
“You look at the group of people here — and I played with some of them — but just the way they play the game and their personalities, you want to be a part of it,” Vogelbach said.
The feeling was mutual.
"He connects with people,” Murphy said of the guy they call Vogey. "He has the ability to tell the truth. He has the ability to be loving and bestow discipline on how you approach a pitcher. He's great with information. He's great working together with people. He's fun. He's the same every day. He's high-end intensity. He's real.”
Said third-base coach Matt Erickson: "There was always a mutual respect between our staff and [Vogelbach]. And I know Murph was a big fan of him, and so when we had the opportunity to bring him over and be a part of our hitting team, it was a no-brainer.”
As a player, Vogelbach was a distinctly disciplined left-handed hitter. His physical presence always conveyed power as his calling card — and he did hit some titanic home runs — but it was Vogelbach’s keen approach that separated him from his peers, as he regularly registered among the lowest chase rates and highest walk rates in the league. Those foundational skills, borne out of preparation and studying opposing pitchers, have carried over into his routines and messaging as a hitting coach.
"What you see is what you get from Vogey,” president of baseball operations Matt Arnold said. “It's high-energy and ready to compete and quality at-bats. That's what he preaches all the time, and he helps establish the standards that Murph talks about all the time and does a fantastic job.”
Said first baseman Jake Bauers: "Vogey's been big for us as a team this year, and I know for sure he's played a big role in my own approach at the plate.”
“The guy works his ass off,” Bauers added. “If you ever catch him at the team hotel, he's going to be sitting in the lobby in the morning, drinking two full cold brews and watching video. He’s been big in developing approaches not only for starters but in the dugout, just giving you some quick tips on what to look for, where to look for and stuff like that.”
Not swinging at pitches outside the strike zone has been a fundamental part of Bauers’ late-career breakout and the Milwaukee lineup’s collective success: In 2026, the Brewers swung at 29.1% of pitches outside the zone, the lowest mark in MLB. It’s hardly a revolutionary concept, but it’s a tenet of hitting that can be difficult to put into practice against the best pitchers in the world. That said, it helps to be prepared.
"I do think that in this game, it is really hard to hit for a long period of time if you don't have a plan,” Vogelbach said. “I think there are certain hitters that can do it because they're so talented. But the pitching is so good now, and they throw so hard and make the ball go so many different ways that I do think you have to have a plan and be really stubborn to that plan.”
Before Vogelbach’s arrival, Milwaukee already had a strong hitting infrastructure in place. Lead hitting coach Eric Theisen is in his second season on the major-league staff after spending four years coaching in the minors with Milwaukee. Former major leaguer Jason Lane — promoted to offense and strategy coordinator in January, when Vogelbach joined the hitting group alongside another new voice in Guillermo Martinez — in his 11th season on Milwaukee’s staff.
Vogelbach’s arrival has been additive.
“He's built upon it,” designated hitter Andrew Vaughn said. “I remember getting here last year, that was Murph's big thing: ‘What we do here is we swing at strikes, and we take balls.’ As simple as that. And being able to fine-tune that and understanding pitchers and what they're trying to do to you — Vogey really breaks that down and gives us a set plan.”
Added third-base coach Erickson: “I think we got a lot of people in the right spots right now. And [Vogelbach] fits in perfectly.”
Vogelbach does not take this opportunity lightly.
“I like to take it the same way I was playing,” he said. “It's just when the game starts, I'm in the dugout, and I'm not on the field. I think in this game and any professional sport, if you don't give it your all and you don't fully commit to it, you probably shouldn't be a part of it.”
“When you're playing, you have a job to do that isn't just on the field — it's preparing, giving yourself a best chance to perform that night,” he continued. “So when you're coaching, it's the same thing. You have to get these guys ready to play and do everything you can. If you're not, you're not doing your job.”
As the World Series shifts to Florida, Vogelbach is focused on his small but integral part in the run-scoring machine that has helped push Milwaukee to the precipice of its first World Series title. And his experience on Murphy’s staff has only further stoked his ambitions as he navigates his post-playing career.
“Managing is what I want to do,” Vogelbach said. “I want to lead a group of people. I think that's the coolest thing. Murph talks about it all the time — I think impacting human beings is the greatest thing in the world. Whether you're in sports or whether you're not, I think impacting people and leading a group is special.”
Murphy, the two-time NL Manager of the Year with a strong chance to win the award again next month, can envision that for the newest member of his staff.
“He's got a real future in this game, and I don't think it's as a hitting coach,” he said. “I think he can lead.”