Deep Thoughts: Christian Yelich

Earlier this season, I wrote a piece comparing the seasons of Christian Yelich’s Brewers career to seasons of Seinfeld. Yes, you read that correctly, that was a thing I actually did. Look it up. I was all in on the optimism that Yelich would have a bounce-back year. The question now needs to be asked, am I still optimistic? Well, I’m not so sure.

I’m not here to bash Yelich, that’s not my style. It’s not like the guy isn’t trying. He’s putting in the work and is still a valuable member of the organization. I just think we, as fans, may need to adjust our expectations. A return to his production levels as a Marlin would be a good thing for the Crew, and I believe that’s achievable. I’m just not sure we’ll see a return to his 2018-19 production. Those seasons were pretty amazing, and Yelich is now on the wrong side of 30. 

For whatever reason, Yelich has come nowhere near his production from those seasons. Is it injury-related? Is it mental? Is it a combination? Only he knows, or maybe he doesn't know. Maybe he could benefit from a few days off or by batting lower in the order. At this point all options need to be explored. 

Let’s be honest, Christian Yelich isn’t the only Brewers hitter struggling. The entire Brewers offense has been less than stellar for much of the season. Some fans are looking for a quick fix aka George Constanza, “I think I figured out a way to get Trout and Ohtani and we wouldn’t have to give up very much.”

Yelich isn’t going anywhere, and I’m not ready to write him off. If he keeps putting in the work, hopefully, the results come. One thing is for sure, a productive Christian Yelich would be a key piece to a potential Brewers playoff run.