On Jan. 25, 2018, the Brewers made the kind of move that can change a franchise’s entire trajectory. That’s the day Milwaukee officially landed Christian Yelich from the Marlins, sending Lewis Brinson, Isan Diaz, Monte Harrison and Jordan Yamamoto to Miami. Nine seasons later, that trade looks like the defining swing in Brewers history.
Calling Yelich the most important player in franchise history is a strong claim, especially with names like Robin Yount and Paul Molitor in the picture. But the argument is hard to ignore when you look at what happened after he arrived.
The Brewers have been called the Brewers since 1970, and in 56 seasons they’ve made the playoffs 12 times. Eight of those nine postseason trips in Yelich’s career have come in Milwaukee.
His first year with the club, 2018, ended with a playoff berth after the Brewers had gone six seasons without one. Before that, Milwaukee had managed just two postseason appearances from 1983 through 2017.
Yelich wasn’t the only reason the team turned the corner, of course. Brandon Woodruff, Ryan Braun, Freddy Peralta, Corbin Burnes and Josh Hader all played major roles too.
Still, Yelich sits at the center of it all.
The 2018 season was his peak Milwaukee moment so far. He won the National League MVP Award and helped drive the Brewers back to October with a .326/.402/.598 line, a 1.000 OPS, 36 homers, 110 RBIs, 22 stolen bases and 34 doubles in 147 games.
He also won the batting title and led the league with 7.3 wins above replacement. He finished second in the MVP race the next season.
Injuries have mattered at times since then, but not to the point that he’s disappeared. Counting the shortened 2020 season, Yelich has played fewer than 100 games just once since 2019.
He’s also been more than a bat in the lineup. He’s been a clubhouse leader and, as the source material puts it, dependable in general.
The numbers this year fit the bigger picture. Milwaukee is on track to break the franchise wins record for the second straight season and appears headed for the No. 1 seed in the National League.
Yelich started slowly, but he has picked it up as the season has gone along. Since Aug. 23, he is slashing .296/.363/.451 with two homers, 12 RBIs and five doubles.
He’s still capable of being a real factor, and the Brewers are going to need that in the postseason this fall. More than anything, though, the larger story is how much the organization has changed since that trade.
Milwaukee went from being an afterthought to one of the most consistent winners in recent memory, and Yelich has been at the heart of that rise. If the Brewers finally win a World Series, the debate won’t be much of a debate at all.
In Other News...
Christian Yelich Keeps Giving Brewers Fans Another Reason To Love Him
Christian Yelich keeps finding ways to matter to the Brewers beyond what he does in the batters box. This week, he was named Milwaukees nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award for the second time in four seasons, a recognition that goes to players whose work in the community reflects the legacy of Clemente and his lifelong commitment to service.
Yelichs resume off the field has only deepened his standing with fans in Milwaukee, where he has backed military veterans, youth baseball and programs focused on childrens health and education. For a player already central to the Brewers identity, it is another reminder that his influence around the organization stretches well beyond the lineup card. [Read more 🡒]
Pat Murphy Sends A Clear Message With Brewers Lineup Choice
The Brewers are back in action this afternoon for the second game of their series against the Orioles, and Pat Murphys lineup gives a pretty clear read on where his priorities are in the middle of a long season. With left-hander Robert Gasser on the mound for Milwaukee and Trevor Rogers set to start for Baltimore, the Brewers are leaning into a different look than the one fans might expect, with several regulars getting the day off.
It is the kind of move that can say plenty without anyone needing to explain it, especially with first pitch set for 3:05 p.m. and the game available on Brewers.TV, WTMJ 620 and the Brewers Radio Network. For a club trying to balance the grind of the schedule with the demands of staying fresh, Murphys lineup choice suggests there is a bigger picture in mind, even if the immediate question is how the Brewers will piece together this one. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Have One Playoff Concern Fans Cant Ignore
With eight games left before the playoffs, the Brewers are sitting in a familiar but still striking spot: near a franchise record for wins and owning the best record in baseball. They have gotten there with a style that fits the way this roster has played all year, grinding out at-bats, moving runners and piling up offense without leaning on the long ball the way most contenders do.
That identity has worked beautifully over 162 games, but the postseason has a way of exposing the margins. Milwaukee has scored the second-most runs in the league, yet the share of those runs coming via home runs is the lowest in baseball, a profile that can look a lot less comfortable once pitching sharpens and every run gets harder to create. For a team built on small ball, the real question is whether that formula can travel when October turns every mistake into a bigger ask. [Read more 🡒]