The Brewers are back in camp, and while the calendar says it’s the first official day for position players to report, many of Milwaukee’s regulars have already been putting in work ahead of schedule. Still, February 16 marks the formal start of Spring Training for the Brewers’ everyday lineup, and with that comes the first media availability of the year for some of the team’s key voices-including Christian Yelich.
And if there’s one thing Yelich made clear in his first comments of 2026, it’s that the Brewers aren’t losing sleep over preseason projections.
Yelich on the Doubters: “We Just Don’t Care”
The three-time All-Star and former MVP is coming off a resurgent 2025 campaign that reminded fans-and maybe even himself-of the kind of impact player he can be when healthy. After a back injury derailed his 2024 season, Yelich bounced back in a big way last year, logging 150 games and slashing .264/.343/.452 with 29 home runs and 103 RBIs. It marked his first 20+ homer, 100+ RBI season since 2019, and it was a big reason Milwaukee once again found itself atop the NL Central.
But despite that success, the Brewers are once again being overlooked in many of the early 2026 projections. Most models have them hovering around .500 and chasing the Cubs in the division. Some even have them sliding into third or fourth.
Yelich’s response? A shrug.
“Honestly, we just don’t care,” he said. “It’s the same story every year. Just because they say you’re going to be bad, or just because they say you’re going to be good, you still have to play the games and play a six-month season.”
He’s not wrong. The Brewers have been here before-written off in February, celebrating in October. In fact, Milwaukee has entered each of the past three seasons with modest expectations and finished each one with an NL Central title.
Yelich continued: “When all that settles, you kind of find out what kind of team you were. We kind of ignore it and block it out.
It’s just kind of business as usual every single season. Kind of the same story, so we’ll go out and play and see where we’re at.”
Milwaukee’s Regular Season Blueprint Is Proven-Now What?
If there’s one thing the past few years have shown, it’s that Milwaukee knows how to navigate the 162-game grind. They’ve built a reputation as a team that plays smart, plays hard, and finds ways to win-even when the spotlight is somewhere else.
So the question heading into 2026 isn’t whether the Brewers can contend in the regular season. They’ve proven they can do that, and do it consistently. The bigger question is whether this version of the roster has what it takes to finally break through in October.
Milwaukee hasn’t been to the World Series since 1982. That’s the drought looming over everything.
Regular-season success is great-and necessary-but the next step is clear. Can this group take that final leap?
For now, Yelich and the Brewers are focused on what’s in front of them: getting ready, blocking out the noise, and doing what they’ve done best-defying expectations.
And if history’s any indication, they’re more than comfortable being underestimated.