Article: Christian Yelich in a No-Win Situation with Many Brewers Fans

[Tim Muma]

When it comes to rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers (or any team), many fans exist only to complain or find fault with players. We all fall into this trap to some extent, even if briefly, with certain athletes. Much of Brewers fans' ire has been directed at Christian Yelich the past few seasons, and frankly, it has gone too far.

The problem for Christian Yelich is that he is in a no-win situation with many in the fanbase. If he goes 0-for-4 or fails to get the big hit in the 9th inning, he's an overpaid bum who should be cut or traded. Reach base three times and drive in a pair of runs late in the game: yeah, that's why you're paid $26 million. We know it's a "what have you done for me lately" profession, but it is sad to see how quickly people turn on a great player, lose all sense of appreciation, and look to cut him down or run him out of town - often because he makes a lot of money.

This isn't to defend a professional athlete or to feel sorry for him. Yelich, like countless Major Leaguers, gets paid extremely well, and criticisms are part of the job. They should expect a certain level of negativity to come their way when they don't play up to par. At the same time, there should be a better perspective on the big picture regarding an athlete's overall time in a city. Yelich is an excellent example of this and why it is important (in my opinion) for fans to act like they actually like the team or player, and not be bitter, radio-call-in guys who yell at the clouds.

Let's start with the money since that is the go-to for nearly every complaint about Yelich. He is indeed getting paid to perform like one of the best players in the league, and his stats over the past three seasons have left much to be desired. The funny thing is, people rarely brought up how little he was being paid in 2018 and 2019 compared to his incredible production. While winning MVP in 2018 and putting up better stats in 2019, Yelich made just $7 million and $9.75 million, respectively. I don't recall people organizing a fundraiser to pay the man what he deserved during those two seasons. Do you want to know what Yelich was "worth" during those two phenomenal campaigns?

 

Christian Yelich was the NL MVP in 2018, & the runner-up in 2019, averaging .327/.415/1.046, 40 HRs, 104 RBIs, 174 hits over those seasons.

His new contract extension with the #Brewers pays him $27M a year (new $), which ranks 16th in #MLB.

He’s already underpaid. pic.twitter.com/7HfS3fAoac

— Spotrac (@spotrac) March 3, 2020

 

FanGraphs has a "dollar" column that essentially defines how much money a team would have to pay to replace that player's value during the season, based on their win value. Yelich's value is said to be $61.4 million in 2018 and $58.1 million in 2019. It's only lower in 2019 because he missed the last 18 games with a broken kneecap. Regardless, Yelich was "worth" $119.5 million in those two seasons alone while making only $16.75 million. Yes, he did get the big contract shortly after those two seasons, so the Brewers rewarded him in that way. But speaking of Yelich's seven-year, $215 million contract (that many are whining about now), while there were some detractors, almost every Brewers fan was over the moon to keep him in Milwaukee long-term at that price. Why do some struggles change that so much?

Yelich has been a perfect fit for the community, an ambassador for the organization, someone who has loved playing in Wisconsin, and a star who was willing to finish his career with the Brewers. As many fans noted then, it's not easy to get star players into Milwaukee, let alone convince them to stay for the long haul. Unfortunately, there is always a risk to that long deal, especially for a smaller-market team. Whether Yelich's decline started because of the freak injury or simply due to age and the challenges of baseball, it made the contract seem immediately regrettable. But again, if you look at the whole of his "value" and what he will make with the Brewers, it isn't so ugly.

Baseball's salary structure lends itself to these situations where a player is vastly underpaid while at his best, only to underperform his larger salary once free agency looms or hits. That's not to say a player doesn't bring value to a team anymore, and that is where fans have a hard time understanding the big picture. You want Yelich gone because you think he should be doing more based on his salary? You think he's "worthless" and 20 other players on the team are better? Like it or not, baseball players often see quick and steady dips in production in their 30s. Sometimes this means they have to change as players to find new ways to help the team win. 

That is the scope through which people should watch the 2022 version of Yelich. If you're watching a game expecting the invincible power hitter from three or four seasons ago, you will continue to be disappointed. Of course, we all want that guy to return - including Yelich himself - but professional sports are cruel and unrelenting. In the clip below from early June, you can hear Yelich's frustration knowing he was putting in tons of work, but the results weren't there.

 

Here’s more from Christian Yelich on batting leadoff, and just his struggles in general: pic.twitter.com/UIvquS3UG4

— Todd Rosiak (@Todd_Rosiak) June 8, 2022

 

"You can put the work in, but you're not guaranteed results." That line should stand out. I'm all for getting on a guy who doesn't seem to adjust or work at his craft, but we have never been given any indication that Yelich lacks that drive. Perhaps even he had to recognize the best version of himself is gone, and since moving to the leadoff spot, he is focusing on how he can best help the team.

In 29 games at the top of the order, Yelich owns a .391 OBP. The power isn't there, but nothing is more important as the leadoff man than getting on base. This is who he is right now, and it is the most effective way he can improve the Brewers' offense. If you can take that angle when watching him, it will give you want a more realistic view of the current player.

So, back to the contract and Yelich's value, because that is what most want to lean on. From 2018 through the end of this season, Yelich will have earned just over $57 million with Milwaukee (COVID limited 2020 to $4.63 million). Here's a breakdown of what he has been paid (and will be) and the FanGraphs dollar value.

Are you surprised that Yelich has been worth $10 million this season thus far? He still has time to get closer to his actual salary this year. You can also see that Yelly "outperformed" his pay in Milwaukee by more than $100 million from 2018-2021. No one complained about that. And lastly, if he can be worth a shade over $77 million during the next seven years, he would have been precisely worth his salary with the Brewers. Again, the big picture with the peaks and valleys of a career.

The Milwaukee Brewers have been in the playoffs each season since he arrived in 2018. For a franchise that struggled to consistently reach the .500 mark for too many seasons, people should recognize Yelich as a significant factor in the modern Brewers' run of success that has seen them in the postseason four straight years. In fairness, when at American Family Field, it appears most fans are still cheering loudly for Yelich and honestly hoping he does well because he is "our guy" if you're a Brewers fan. Maybe it's just different on social media where Twitter tough guys can rant in public, then secretly cheer when Yelich does well.

Ultimately, you can like or hate a player - that is up to you. I hope some people take a step back and maybe support a guy who has done much for the team they supposedly love. Act with encouragement and understanding instead of labeling him every negative thing you can think of and tossing him aside. What is the point? If you want the Brewers to win a World Series, Yelich has to be a part of it at this point. He isn't getting traded or released, so get that out of your head. We aren't talking about Gary Sheffield, who clearly wanted out of Milwaukee and would hurt the team to get it done. Yelich cares. He wants to be here and help bring a championship to Milwaukee. It's too bad it has gotten to this point, but barring a World Series title, Yelich is in a no-win situation with many fans.

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[Outlander]

Don't really think it is no win for Yelich. Fans in general want to like him but overall has not been very good since his injury. If he redevelops himself as a leadoff hitter with a 400 OBP and 800 OPS like he has thus far he will be fine. He is still the most popular player on the team. It's not like he is getting booed at the ballpark.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Baseball itself is somewhat at fault for this perception, as it's a very common problem with highly-paid players, particularly players in small to mid-markets.

MLB and the MLBPA need to adjust how free agency is reached and how much players are paid before they reach unrestricted free agency. If Yelich had already made $80m before reaching FA and/or reached FA earlier than he did, we'd likely see considerable scaling back of these 8-10 year deals with massive dollar amounts for players we KNOW aren't going to be worth that money through at least half the contract.

[Tim Muma]

1 hour ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

Baseball itself is somewhat at fault for this perception, as it's a very common problem with highly-paid players, particularly players in small to mid-markets.

MLB and the MLBPA need to adjust how free agency is reached and how much players are paid before they reach unrestricted free agency. If Yelich had already made $80m before reaching FA and/or reached FA earlier than he did, we'd likely see considerable scaling back of these 8-10 year deals with massive dollar amounts for players we KNOW aren't going to be worth that money through at least half the contract.

I completely agree part of of it because of the pay structure and timing of everything. It is a tough balance when looking at it from the team perspective. If guys reach free agency sooner, the small-mid market teams may lose guys sooner. I mean, they CAN pay players whatever they want during those first 6 years of control, but why would they go nuts, right? It's tough.

On the flip side, I don't know why it seems so hard for fans to take the perspective of looking at the WHOLE time a player was there and valuing his performance compared to his overall pay. Like with Yelich who was vastly underpaid in 2018-2019, so in theory it is balancing out now.

[Jim French Stepstool]

The people who can't get 2018-19 out of their heads will always be frustrated by Yelich. The change HAS been drastic, so it's understandable to a point. Personally I'm with Outlander; if he reinvents himself to what he's been since moving to the leadoff spot & does it well I'm fine with that.

[pitchleague]

I like to look at it this way:  at least Christian is playing ball most days and still able to help the team try to win, albeit in a different capacity than 2018-2019.  I mean, he could totally be Anthony Rendon.  Ouch!