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The Milwaukee Brewers are the hottest team in baseball and have the most wins in the sport. While the season is far from over, it is time to consider them World Series contenders once again. They won the NL Central last year and are on track to repeat the feat this year. But for the Brewers to win the World Series, Jackson Chourio will have to be a superstar.
The Brewers bet on Chourio before he even played an inning, giving him an eight-year, $82 million extension before last season. At 20 years old, the youngest player in the league, he posted a .791 OPS and finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting. Coming into 2025, the attention was all on the Chicago Cubs again. But Chourio and the Brewers have run out to the division lead.
Chourio's second season, where he still spent the first half of the year as the league's youngest player, has been excellent. He has a .786 OPS while playing centerfield, as opposed to right field last year. His stock is rising as a young prospect, but if the Brewers are going to win the World Series, he needs to be more than that.
Chourio has not played since July 29 thanks to a hamstring injury obtained while legging out a triple. While the Brewers have lost just one game in his absence, he is an important piece to their future. Pat Murphy has used Brandon Lockridge and Blake Perkins in Chourio's spot. While they are solid players, Chourio is the guy who can jump into superstardom.
The Brewers have Christian Yelich on their team, who would be important to a World Series run. And their starting pitching has been elite. But Chourio could throw the team on his back and help a franchise that struggles in the postseason.
The Brewers need Jackson Chourio to break out of playoff malaise
The Brewers have made the playoffs six times since 2018, missing only in 2022. In their first appearance under Craig Counsell, they lost Game 7 of the NLCS to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Since then, they have not won a playoff series. They won one game in the 2022 NLDS and one game in the 2024 Wild Card Series, bringing their playoff record since 2018 to 2-10.
Chourio made his playoff debut for the Brewers last season in the three-game series against the New York Mets. He went 5-11 with two solo homers in Game 2, which Milwaukee won. Chourio was sensational, but Devin Williams could not close the door to send them to the NLDS. If he puts up similar numbers this year in a five-game NLDS, they could go on a deep run.
The Brewers did make a pitching trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks at the deadline, picking up Jordan Montgomery and Shelby Miller. Montgomery is out for the year, recovering from Tommy John surgery, but Miller is set to return from the injured list soon. He will be important to their success as well, as Devin Williams is gone, and they don't have the elite arms they are used to in the bullpen.
Starting pitching is always important in the postseason. Brandon Woodruff, Freddy Peralta, and Quinn Priester could be an elite three-headed rotation come October. The Brewers have the roster, despite not having the payroll, and need a superstar offensive player to take the leap in the playoffs.
Chourio can be that player for the Brewers in the 2025 postseason. While his first playoff appearance was dynamic without team success, a great playoff from the youngster could make them World Series favorites. Will Chourio come flying off the injured list to send Milwaukee to their first Fall Classic?
