The Milwaukee Brewers are the back-to-back National League Central Division Champions. They have also made the MLB Playoffs in six of the past seven seasons, a streak that followed a long stretch of perennially missing the postseason.
Of course, Milwaukee has not reached this high level of success without having a good group of core players. Unlike other teams that are able to buy talent in free agency, though, the Brewers have had to rely on drafting and developing their own stars, as well as acquiring key pieces in savvy trades.
That formula, while not resulting in a World Series appearance, has helped Milwaukee become one of the best regular season teams in the Majors over the last several seasons.
And, unsurprisingly, several of their best players are getting recognized for being among the best in baseball. In fact, three of them recently made The Athletic‘s top-100 position players list heading into the 2025 season.
Milwaukee Brewers Outfielder Jackson Chourio
Jackson Chourio, who became the youngest player in MLB history to post a 20-20 season, was one of two Brewers players MLB analyst Jim Bowden placed on his “Tier 3” list of the baseball’s best 100 players. This list, entitled All-Stars, included big names around the Majors such as Alex Bregman, Corbin Carroll, Mike Trout, and Trea Turner.
At just 21 years old, Chourio is the youngest player, not only in this tier, but on the list itself. Last season, he hit .275/.327/.464 with 21 home runs, 79 RBI, and 22 stolen bases.
This spring, the phenom is hitting .477/.511/.659.
Milwaukee Brewers Catcher William Contreras
The other Brewers player listed by Bowden as a Tier 3 player among the top 100 in baseball is catcher William Contreras. Unlike Chourio, he actually has been named an All-Star before. He first made the National League squad in 2022 as a member of the Atlanta Braves, and again last year in his second season with Milwaukee.
Contreras has also won the NL Silver Slugger Award as the league’s best-hitting catcher in each of the last two seasons. In 2023, he hit .289/.367/.457 with 17 home runs and 78 RBI. He was even better in 2024, hitting .281/.365/.466 with 23 home runs and 92 RBI.
Additionally, Contreras finished fifth in NL MVP voting last year.
Milwaukee Brewers Outfielder Christian Yelich
2018 NL MVP and three-time All-Star Christian Yelich was included in Tier 4, entitled Steady and Solid. Last season, he appeared in just 75 games due to a season-ending back injury that required surgery. However, he still hit .315/.406/.504 with 11 home runs, 42 RBI, and 21 stolen bases in what was his best offensive season since 2019.
For years, fans in Milwaukee had wondered when the former MVP would return to form. Last year, prior to the injury, he appeared to have finally done so. Heading into 2025, the hope is that his surgically repaired back will no longer hamper him and he can pick up where he left off before his 2024 season ended. If he can, the Brewers will be in a great position offensively.
And if Spring Training is any indication, he appears ready to do so. Yelich is hitting .310/.355/.655 with three home runs and nine RBI in 10 games.
More Milwaukee Brewers News from Wisconsin Sports Heroics
- Final Brewers Spring Training Notebook Before Start of 2025 MLB Season
- Brewers’ Jose Quintana Throws 37 Pitches; Will He Be Ready for Start of Season?
- Former Brewers OF Released By Astros; Searching for 6th Team in 7 Years
For More Great Wisconsin Sports Content
Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19 and follow us @WiSportsHeroics for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in Wisconsin sports, click here!
