Hamilton’s bunts and speed flip Brewers’ offense

David Hamilton’s – David Hamilton isn’t posting gaudy numbers, but his speed and MLB-leading bunt hits have become the Brewers’ quiet weapon. Once a reluctance, bunting changed after a Milwaukee reshaped the message—now it’s turning baserunners into extra-base possibilities.

When the Brewers ask David Hamilton to do something, they expect it to matter. Not with one big swing, but with the speed that forces defenders into difficult choices—and the bunt that turns a single into something more.

On May 29. Brewers manager Pat Murphy looked at UW-Milwaukee’s upset of Auburn in the NCAA tournament. a moment he described as something he was “really happy” for. Then the conversation quickly returned to his team and to Hamilton. the player whose approach is doing the same kind of quiet work: shifting outcomes without changing the whole game plan.

Hamilton has become a key offensive player for Milwaukee by focusing on speed and bunting. Even with a low batting average, his threat to bunt keeps opposing defenses on alert. Once he gets on base, he’s also a major steal threat—leading the team with 10 stolen bases.

The change wasn’t automatic. Hamilton said he always had the speed. but that during 204 games with the Boston Red Sox from 2023-25. he managed only three bunt hits. “They definitely talked about it. I just wasn’t comfortable doing it,” Hamilton said. “I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because I wasn’t getting at-bats all the time. Trying to run before I bunted the ball. I don’t think it was anything on Boston’s part; I just kind of didn’t focus on it enough.”.

When he came over to the Brewers, the message was direct. Hamilton explained that once he was on board. it was quickly explained to him by Matt Arnold—president of baseball operations—and manager Pat Murphy that his legs were going to be his meal ticket. Dropping down bunts, they believed, could give him a unique offensive weapon at the bottom of the lineup.

Almost a third of the way through the season, it’s been a quick study. Hamilton’s .220 batting average and .308 on-base percentage aren’t flashy. but his nine bunt hits lead the major leagues by a wide margin. His mere threat to lay one down keeps defenses guessing even though his overall profile “won’t scare anybody.”.

“I’m having success with it right now. Definitely want that to be part of my game,” Hamilton said. “There’s a lot of positives that could come out of it.”

The Brewers drafted Hamilton out of the University of Texas in the eighth round in 2019 with hopes his speed could develop into a game breaker. The timeline took longer than anyone expected. It took eight seasons and a trade before he was doing it in a Milwaukee uniform.

Now, Hamilton shows up in the lineup most days and flip-flops between third base and shortstop. This season, he’s generated just about one-third of his total hits by squaring around, deadening the ball as best as he can, and using his elite home-to-first burst.

His average time of 4.01 seconds in that 90 feet is second-fastest in the game behind only Chandler Simpson’s 3.98. His overall sprint speed of 29.4 feet per second ranks 21st in MLB and second on the Brewers behind Garrett Mitchell’s 29.6. Once on base, Hamilton’s 10 stolen bases come from 13 tries.

“A guy like David Hamilton can turn one hit into a double, maybe even a triple, just with the ability to steal bases,” said first base coach Spencer Allen, who is also the Brewers’ bunting guru.

The bunting storyline has room to expand. Outfielder Brandon Lockridge, currently on the injured list, is tied for sixth in the majors with four bunt hits. His top-30 sprint speed gives Milwaukee another potential weapon when he’s healthy.

Bunting, though, isn’t treated like a casual shortcut in today’s game. Hamilton’s numbers don’t rely on slugging alone, and the idea that bunting is simply a natural skill for hitters doesn’t fit what the Brewers are seeing.

In Hamilton’s case. he estimates he drops down maybe 10 bunts a day—usually at the start of his rounds in batting practice—while his precision improves over time. “Honestly, I could not tell you how I’m having this success,” he said. “I feel like I’m doing the same thing [as in Boston], but obviously I’m not. I’ve just got to see the ball down first. That’s the main thing. I don’t feel like I’m really doing anything different. I may work on it a touch more, but it’s not anything significant.”.

“I definitely practice it, work on it.”

His hit results are telling. Looking at the spray chart of Hamilton’s hits, the majority of his bunt hits—his 13 infield hits overall rank second to Simpson’s 20—are to the left side. With his speed, the next question is whether he can start pulling bunts down the first-base line.

Allen sees both the progress and the next step. “I think he has another step to take,” he said. “He does a really good job to the left side. but he’s got another step to take in working the right side a little more. I would put him up there with anyone just with the bunts he’s gotten down with infielders in his face and then being safe – it’s impressive.”.

Speed and bunting are the headline, but Hamilton isn’t limited to them. He’s hitting the ball on the ground 56.4% of the time this season. yet on Friday’s 5-4. 10-inning win over the Houston Astros. he surprised everyone with a 343-foot. opposite-field home run just over the 19-foot wall of the Crawford Boxes in left.

The ball had a .140 expected batting average when it left the bat. Daikin Park is the only one of 30 ballparks in the majors it would have left. It was Hamilton’s fourth extra-base hit of the season, and his slugging percentage is .276 overall.

Still, the Brewers don’t build their offense around power, and Hamilton doesn’t need to swing for the fences to matter. The simplest version of his contribution is also the most stubborn one: keep dropping down bunts, keep slapping the ball on the ground, and let the legs do the work.

Murphy summed up what he’s been watching. “The kid’s impressive,” he said. “His baserunning, his ability to bunt. He’s a work in progress because this hasn’t been his game necessarily to this extent, and he’s taken to it. He’s played good defense.”

“He’s been a big part of this whole thing.”

David Hamilton Milwaukee Brewers bunting stolen bases Pat Murphy Matt Arnold NCAA upset Auburn UW-Milwaukee Spencer Allen Brandon Lockridge Houston Astros Daikin Park Chandler Simpson