'That kid deserves $150 million': Milwaukee Brewers rookie Jackson Chourio is living up to the hype

MINNEAPOLIS – Jackson Chourio has opened the second half of the season the way he finished the first half.

That is to say, on fire.

The Milwaukee Brewers' 20-year-old wunderkind put the wraps on a terrific two-game interleague series sweep of the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on Sunday afternoon by doubling, homering and driving in three runs in an 8-7 victory .

In an 8-4, 12-inning victory Saturday, Chourio recorded the first three-hit game of his career while also driving in a pair.

"These two games, you'd walk away saying, 'Wow, that kid deserves $150 million.' Like, we got him cheap (eight years, $82 million) if you watched these two games," said manager Pat Murphy. "He's having fun."

Over his last 36 games, Chourio is hitting .314 with five homers and 24 RBI while slugging .512. His OPS is .880 over the same stretch.

"What can you say?" said Murphy of the youngster, whose batting average had sagged to .207 and playing time had dried up when the calendar flipped to June before a two-hit game on June 2 helped turn the tides. "It's amazing what he's doing."

On Sunday, Chourio roped a one-out double to left-center in the fifth that drove in a pair and gave the Brewers a 4-3 lead. Then, he put all his tools on display in a tremendous sequence bridging the sixth and seventh innings.

First, he made a leaping grab at the wall down the left-field line to bring a foul ball back for the third out and keep the Twins off the board for Bryse Wilson.

Then, batting leadoff in the top of the seventh, Chourio took a 97.8-mph fastball that Jorge Alcala located in the upper and inner quadrant of the strike zone and turned on it. The ball landed 443 feet away and in the second deck in left-center, tying the game at 5-5.

"I think for this year, and for my career, too," Chourio said when asked if that was the longest homer he'd hit. "In that moment there I'm just looking to go up there and find a good pitch to hit. Thankfully, I was able to put a big swing on it and put a run up on the board."

For the season, Chourio is now batting .253 with 10 homers, 40 RBI and 12 stolen bases, making him one of just nine rookies in franchise history to hit at least 10 homers and steal at least 10 bases.

Joey Wiemer accomplished the feat last season.

He's also improving defensively, accounting for plus-six outs above average and 10 defensive runs saved while splitting time between right (446 ⅓ innings) and left field (239).

"To just keep on playing, keep on giving the best version of myself and to keep on having fun," is how Chourio answered when asked how he's been able to improve his play so dramatically the last six weeks or so.

Who's on first?

After watching Carlos Santana slam a game-tying, two-out, two-run homer out to right in the 11th on Saturday night, it brought to mind a comparison between he and the player the Brewers opted to sign, Rhys Hoskins.

A look at the numbers after Sunday's game revealed both players are having remarkably similar seasons at the plate: The switch-hitting Santana is batting .241 with a .754 OPS, 14 homers and 43 RBI in 91 games while Hoskins checks in at .216/15/48/.727 in 75.

Defensively is where the largest difference has been seen according to the metrics, with Santana accounting for nine outs above average (14th-best overall in the majors) and three defensive runs saved and Hoskins minus-five and minus-three, respectively, entering play Sunday.

As far as Wins Above Replacement, Santana had been worth 1.5 compared to minus-0.3 for Hoskins.

Milwaukee signed the 31-year-old Hoskins – who missed all of 2023 after needing knee surgery – to what amounted to a two-year, $34 million contract on Jan. 23 that pays him $12 million this season and includes a $4 million buyout should Hoskins decline his $18 million player option for 2025 (which, at this point, appears to be unlikely considering his overall lack of production).

The 38-year-old Santana, meanwhile, signed for one year and $5.25 million on Feb. 2 with minimal incentives for plate appearances should he remain Minnesota's primary starter.

A day off already for Christian Yelich

William Contreras started at designated hitter Sunday and Chourio was in left field, leaving Christian Yelich on the bench one game into the second half.

"We're just being aware that he didn't really have an all-star break," Murphy said, referring to Yelich's starting assignment in Tuesday's All-Star Game in Texas. Also factoring in, of course, is Yelich's perpetually balky back.

"It flares up from time to time, and we have to be mindful of it," Murphy continued. "When you have a 3-hour, 44-minute game (Saturday) and you've got a noon game the next day, yeah, it's a good time to give him a break.

"I don't think we're looking at an IL (stint). I think we're just looking at getting him a break here. You could tell it affected him yesterday."

Yelich was sidelined for 20 games in April and May because of his back but otherwise has enjoyed a resurgent season, hitting .320 with an OPS of .916, 11 home runs and 42 runs batted in over 71 games.

Milwaukee did welcome left-hander Jared Koenig back to its bullpen Sunday, reinstating him from the IL and designating right-hander Joel Kuhnel for assignment.

Meanwhile, left-hander Jared Koenig was sent to Class AAA Nashville to restart his rehab assignment. He's expected to need several appearances before rejoining the Brewers as will closer Devin Williams.

"You've got to be careful," Murphy said of Williams. "I mean, the guy's had one appearance (at Class A Wisconsin), no spring training. We've got to be smart. He'll have at least three or four more (in the minors)."

The Brewers also acquired a little more bullpen help during the game Sunday, trading minor-league righty TJ Shook to the New York Mets in exchange for left-hander Tyler Jay.

Jay, 30, was a 2015 first-round pick of the Twins who posted a 7.71 ERA in three relief appearances for the Mets this season before being designated for assignment.

Jay was optioned to Nashville.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 'That kid deserves $150 million': Milwaukee Brewers rookie Jackson Chourio is living up to the hype