Jackson Chourio Is Already Helping the Brewers Win Ballgames

The Milwaukee Brewers have hit the ground running in 2024. They’re 4-0 to start the season for the first time in 18 years thanks to their young players making an impact in several facets of the game.

One of the players making his presence felt early on is Just Baseball’s No. 4 prospect, Jackson Chourio. We’re less than a week into the season, and Chourio is already leaving his mark on the game in several different ways.

The 20-year-old phenom shined in his first MLB series, showcasing all of the tools that make him one of the best prospects in the game. He flashed his amazing speed on the base paths, he made some dazzling plays in the outfield, and he recorded a handful of firsts in the opening weekend of the season.

While he is far from a polished product, Chourio’s performance thus far is an indication that he has the ability to make an impact on winning for the Brewers this season.

Chourio’s Impressive Start

The Brewers wasted no time getting Chourio entrenched in the big leagues. Chourio hit leadoff on Opening Day, and he jump-started his career with an impressive four-pitch walk. He then promptly followed up his leadoff walk with the first stolen base of his major league career.

Chourio is going to be active on the base paths this season. He stole 44 bases between Double-A and Triple-A in 2023, and his speed is a skill that can translate to the majors right away. The Brewers want to be aggressive on the bases this season, and Chourio is going to be a major asset in that department.

When considering his overall performance, it was Chourio’s speed that impressed all series long against the Mets. On several occasions, Chourio reached base on groundballs that typically would have ended up as routine outs. Take a look at this batted ball from Sunday’s game that had an expected batting average of .110, yet Chourio was able to impressively leg it out and turn it into a base hit:

While much of Chourio’s contact has been on the ground thus far, it helps that he has the ability to turn routine plays into base hits with his legs. He can hit for a high average this season due to his outstanding speed and ability to put the ball in play with his quick bat.

Additionally, Chourio made a handful of plays in right field that showcased his athleticism and defensive upside. While his reads off the bat and routes to the ball are certainly a work in progress, he has the speed to make up for any inefficiencies in those areas, and that was on full display this weekend.

It’s a small sample size, but it’s hard not to be blown away by Chourio’s impact in the early goings of the 2024 season. He played just six minor league games above the Double-A level, but you wouldn’t know it from his performance thus far.

Through the first four games of his MLB career, Chourio is batting .375 (6-for-16) with three RBIs, an OPS of .849, and a 128 wRC+. The Brewers went into Citi Field and swept the Mets to open the year, and Chourio played a big role in that accomplishment.

What to Expect from Chourio in 2024

It’s important to note that the 2024 season is a developmental year for Jackson Chourio. The Brewers didn’t promote him to contribute wins from the get-go, but instead they wanted to continue his development at the big league level.

Doing so allows the Brewers to prime him to be the face of the franchise that they paid him to be before the club needs him moving forward. While the immediate results are nice to see, Chourio’s evolution throughout the season will be the most noteworthy thing to watch during his rookie campaign.

That said, there are several areas Milwaukee will focus on to help Chourio mature. The first area is his approach and overall patience at the plate. In a small sample size this season, Chourio has demonstrated some very impressive plate appearances in terms of pitch selection.

It’s an area he needs to improve upon from his time in the minor leagues, and if he can continue to enhance his plate discipline at the big league level, that would lay a very strong foundation for his game moving forward.

Another area that will be a point of emphasis for Chourio will be his ability to elevate the ball. Last season, Chourio posted a groundball rate north of 50% between Double-A and Triple-A. While it is early in the season, that number currently sits at 77.8%.

If he can lift the ball while demonstrating good patience at the plate, it would allow him to tap into his power potential sooner rather than later. Chourio’s power output for the 2024 season is a big question mark and will be an area worth monitoring as the season progresses.

There will be growing pains with Chourio as he adapts to big league pitching, and that’s to be expected. Still, he’s the youngest player in the major leagues, but he has not looked outmatched at the plate thus far. He has a four-game hit streak to open his MLB career, including two multi-hit games, and the impact he has made early on for Milwaukee is rather impressive.

Chourio will be one of the most exciting young players to watch this season as he strives to blossom into a franchise cornerstone for the Brewers, and he has hit the ground running with his performance through the first week of his MLB career.