The Milwaukee Brewers are running away with the National League Central largely due to the play of rookie Jackson Chourio. The 20-year-old made MLB history on Thursday with a 20 home run, 20 stolen base season. According to the MLB official account, Chourio is the youngest player in league history to ever accomplish that feat.
According to CBS Sports, Chourio is the third 20-year-old to ever have a 20/20 season. Mike Trout accomplished it in 2012 and Vada Pinson did it with the 1959 Cincinnati Reds. Trout won the Rookie of the Year that season but Pinson was not a rookie when he did it. Chourio is currently on the outside looking in on the National League Rookie of the Year race.
The Brewers star is a distant third in the Rookie of the Year odds at every sportsbook despite his history-making season. Chourio sits behind Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes and Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill, who have stolen headlines all season long. Merrill has been an important piece of a playoff-caliber team and Skenes has taken the league by storm despite the Pirates' collapse.
This season has been surprising on many levels for the Brewers. They lost their manager to the division-rival Chicago Cubs, traded their ace Corbin Burnes, and faced an up-and-coming Reds team. Milwaukee has responded by running away with the division thanks to one of the best rookies in the league.
Brewers' future with Jackson Chourio
The future of the Milwaukee Brewers lies heavily on the shoulders of Jackson Chourio. They have pasted together a pitching rotation and bullpen on the move and replaced Christian Yelich's output with Chourio on their way to a division title. Milwaukee is not a traditionally high-spending team but has locked up the rookie for the foreseeable future.
Chourio will be with the Brewers until at least 2031 after he signed a massive extension. It was a gamble for Milwaukee, who offered him a contract before he ever played a game. He struggled out of the gate, making it look like a risky play. His rookie season turned around, making the $82 million deal look like a bargain.
This type of move was made popular by the Atlanta Braves, who locked up Ronald Acuña, Spencer Strider, Michael Harris II, and Sean Murphy before they proved themselves on an MLB field. They then had the cap flexibility to add Jorge Soler, Joc Pederson, Charlie Morton, and other key pieces of their 2021 championship.
The Brewers must do the same thing and surround Chourio with veteran talent in upcoming seasons. They did that to a certain degree at this year's trade deadline, adding Frankie Montas and Aaron Civale to stabilize the pitching size. Willy Adames is likely to leave after the season and should command a large contract as a shortstop in free agency.
The Brewers have a star to build around in Jackson Chourio, a veteran superstar in Christian Yelich, and a manager in Pat Murphy who has taken advantage of his first opportunity. After Craig Counsell left, expectations for the Brewers were low. A 20/20 season from the rookie Chourio has helped them close out the NL Central.