The Milwaukee Brewers have been one of MLB’s top teams in 2026. As of Tuesday, they are 69-43, first place in the National League Central. They lead the second-place Chicago Cubs by five and a half games.
While their offense ranks near the bottom in home runs, their overall production has been exceptional still. Their team OPS of .734 ranks seventh in MLB. Their .337 on-base percentage ranks third.
Among the many players to help with this trend, longtime Brewer outfielder/designated hitter Christian Yelich has not had a big impact. The 34-year-old is under contract through the 2028 season and is owed about $48 million over the next two seasons.
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In 75 games this season, Yelich is slashing .234/.319/.376 (.695 OPS) with seven home runs and 37 RBIs. His production has cratered after putting together a solid run from 2023-25.
His struggles manifested under the bright lights when he struck out in the seventh inning of Monday’s game versus the Pittsburgh Pirates. Down 4-3 with runners on first and second, Yelich chased a slider way outside on 1-2 to leave the threat.
His 26.8% strikeout rate is his highest in a season since 2020, and he is not drawing near as many walks as he did then to make up for it. The DH’s average exit velocity has fallen to 88.9 MPH, a career-low (h/t FanGraphs).
With Yelich hitting in the DH spot and leading off most nights, he has been making it hard for Milwaukee as a team to succeed offensively. It seems that they have a decision to make, specifically whether or not they should change his role from an everyday player.
Outfielder/DH Sal Frelick has been on the injured list since July 18 with a right shoulder strain. Reports indicate that he will be back by mid-August. He has appeared in 90 games this season, OPS’ing at .676 versus righties.
While Frelick’s numbers are worse overall than Yelich’s, the latter has been ice-cold for a while now. He also hits better versus lefties, suggesting that the two could platoon if Yelich does not start hitting soon.
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