Aug 13, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers first base Andrew Vaughn (28) celebrates after hitting a double against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the second inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

Brewers' Unexpected Rising Star Drew Inspiration From Red Sox Legend

Originally posted on Milwaukee Brewers on SI
By Jackson Roberts | Last updated Aug 26, 2025 4:00 PM ET

Of all the unlikely heroes around Major League Baseball this season, Andrew Vaughn stands out.

Vaughn went from a former third-overall draft pick, to being demoted to the minors by the worst team in the American League, to the starting first baseman of the best team in baseball. The Milwaukee Brewers pulled him off the Chicago White Sox's scrap heap in June, and the rest is history.

With a .905 OPS in 37 games since the trade, Vaughn is proving to be one of the steals of the season. And fittingly, he once drew inspiration from one of baseball's ultimate underdogs.

Andrew Vaughn once idolized Dustin Pedroia

In a profile for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Vaughn told writer Isaiah De Anda Delgado that his favorite player growing up was none other than Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia, due to the fact that he was significantly shorter than most of his Little League teammates.

“My guy was Dustin Pedroia,” Vaughn told De Anda Delgado. “It always looked like he played with a chip on his shoulder. Guys always said he wasn't big enough, fast enough or strong enough. I just wanted to go out there and prove people wrong like he did.”

Vaughn is now 5-foot-10, 215 pounds -- still a fair amount shorter than your average major league first baseman. One can also see a bit of swing resemblance between him and Pedroia, between the high leg kick and two-hand finish.

Pedroia, who was generously listed at 5-foot-8, inspired a generation of ballplayers to believe that they could succeed in spite of their physical limitations, and even though Vaughn became a coveted prospect by his draft day (as did Pedroia, by the way), he's a living testament to the four-time Gold Glover's impact on the game.

Now, Vaughn belongs to Milwaukee, and whatever it took to get him there, the Brewers are lucky to have him for the pennant chase.

“We’re playing great baseball, and the fire we’ve got going right now is exciting,” Vaughn told De Anda Delgado. “They welcomed me with open arms. Baseball’s super fun, and winning is the most fun part. It’s been great.”

This article first appeared on Milwaukee Brewers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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