One of the biggest questions facing the Milwaukee Brewers this season was the health and availability of three-time All-Star outfielder Christian Yelich. Last season, the 2018 NL MVP made his third All-Star team and hit .315/.406/.504 with 11 home runs, 42 RBI, and 21 stolen bases. Unfortunately, he was limited to just 75 games due to a lingering back injury that required surgery.
What was so disappointing about Yelich’s shortened season was that he was finally hitting at the same level he was when he was on top of his game in 2018 and 2019. While the power numbers were not there, he was leading the National League in batting average and on-base percentage when he went on season-ending IL.
It Took Milwaukee Brewers Star Christian Yelich Years to Return to Form After a Fractured Knee Cap
When Yelich shattered his knee cap in 2019, he was hitting .329/.429/.671 with 44 home runs, 97 RBI, and 30 stolen bases. When he returned in 2020, he hit .205/.356/.430 with 12 home runs and 22 RBI (58 games).
From 2021-2023, his numbers got better and better, but he still looked like a shadow of his former self. During that time, he hit a collective .260/.362/.404 while averaging 14 home runs, 61 RBI, and 19 stolen bases a season.
And while those numbers are not “bad,” per say, they were far below the standard that Yelich had set for himself with his monstrous 2018 and 2019 seasons.
It was not until 2024 when he started to put it all back together. His batting average was over .300 for the first time in years. The same was true for his on-base percentage being over .400.
But his back injury made many wonder if last year was the last good season he would have due to his back injury, and if he would even be available for the Brewers on Opening Day this year.
Milwaukee Brewers All-Star Christian Yelich Is Feeling Good
On Saturday, Yelich got his first hit of Spring Training so far (he did not play for the first few games): a home run over the batter’s eye in straightaway centerfield:
CHRISTIAN YELICH JUST HIT ONE OVER THE BATTER’S EYE pic.twitter.com/PDxtHNq3LI
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) March 8, 2025
After the game, Yelich told reporters that he is feeling better and better with each game that he play. Per Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
“I still think I can play at a pretty high level. I think I was playing at a pretty high level last year until I got hurt.
“Each day I’ve been out there it’s felt better, it’s gotten better. That’s the goal of spring training. Just keep building.”
It seems like Yelich is going to be ready for Opening Day. Hopefully his injury issues are behind him and he is able to pick up where he left off before he got surgery last season.
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