Christian Yelich has spent the last few seasons battling injuries that have caused his offensive numbers to make many question his 188.5 million dollar contract. It sounds like Yelich will be coming off of the injured list (due to being placed under quarantine) on Thursday according to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. In my opinion, the former MVP could be poised to take the division leading Brewers on his back and lead them to a World Series title by changing a few simple things.
If you dive into the numbers before being placed under quarantine it’s pretty underwhelming for the former former MVP. Yelich was batting .235 with 6 homeruns with an OBP (on base percentage) of .382 before his recent visit to the IL. I won’t get too deep into the analytics side of things but many major league players would be at a minimum satisfied with these types of numbers but not Yelich. These following factors are a few thoughts on how the former MVP can regain his form down the stretch.
Approach at the plate
The most important factor in Yelich’s two MVP caliber seasons were not only that he was fully healthy, but also aggressive and confident at the plate. When Yelich was with the Marlins he took a very similar approach at the plate as we have seen him take in the past two seasons. The numbers show that the production has been similar as well to his days in a Marlins uniform. Yelich has shown too much patience and has watched a lot of good pitches early in counts and that has led to pitchers to attack the zone and pitch him differently than in 2018 and 2019. With just under two months left of the season this short stint on the IL will give Yelich time to watch a ton of film and dive into his approach at the plate and tweak a few small things.
Supporting cast and spot in the batting order
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The lineup that is around Yelich is arguably the most talented it has been since he arrive in Milwaukee. The additions of Tellez, Adames and Escobar will continue to take a ton of pressure off of Yelich as he gets back into the lineup. The additions of these players should also allow him see more pitches in the strike zone. In years past he wasn’t getting to see these kinds of pitches. The emergence of Tyrone Taylor also allows for Yelich to take days off as needed. He can also take days off against left handed pitching. There has been some whispers of Yelich batting in the six spot of the lineup when he returns to the field. This would help with the need to produce each and every day.
Outlook down the stretch
The Brewers have a 7.5 game lead in the NL Central. Additionally, they a hold the second seed in the National League playoff race. The Brewers have done this with pedestrian production from Yelich out of the second and third spots in the lineup. He has had some time to regroup away from the team. He should approach his at bats more aggressively and continue to let the players around him keep doing what they are doing. I see no reason that Yelich can’t turn things around. He could even approach what he has done for the Crew in the past. If this happens the Brewers can and will be at the top of the pack as favorites to bring home the World Series Championship in a few months.
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