Before the season began, the Milwaukee Brewers seemed to know what they had in Jackson Chourio before us all. Despite not playing a game, the team signed the 20-year-old to an eight-year $82 million deal. This was the largest contract ever signed by a player who had not appeared in a game. Chourio had a tough first two months of his career, but after changing his hitting approach, Jackson Chourio has been having a lot of success. He’s in the Rookie of the Year conversation and looks to be a big part of Milwaukee’s present and future. Jackson Chourio has proven that he is the real deal.

The Brewers Seemed To Know Something We Didn’t

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The Brewers seemed to know just how special Jackson Chourio was before everyone else. Before he even took an at-bat, they signed him to an eight-year $82 million deal. This was the largest deal ever signed by a player who had never played a game. The previous record was a six-year $50 million deal signed by Luis Robert Jr. in 2016. After having a solid spring, it would be announced that Chourio would be on the Brewers Opening Day roster.

A Sluggish Beginning

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Despite the hype surrounding him, the young outfielder struggled during his first two months in the big leagues. During April and May, Chourio had a slash line of .210/.254/.327 with five home runs, 14 RBI, and a .581 OPS. He also had an ugly strikeout rate of 27% as well. At one point in May, the Brewers benched the 20-year-old for three straight games. There were even whispers about Chourio being potentially sent back to the minors.

Jackson Chourio Has Rewarded The Brewers Patience

However, despite his struggles, Milwaukee opted to have patience with Chourio and didn’t send him down. Once June arrived and after Chourio changed his hitting approach, the Brewers’ patience was rewarded. Since June 1st, the 20-year-old has had a slash line of .320/.375/.554 with 14 home runs and 53 RBI. He’s firmly put himself in the NL Rookie of the Year conversation.

More Then An Offensive Threat

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While everyone raves about Chourio’s offensive prowess, the young outfielder has shown that he’s also a stout defender. In an era where offense has more priority than defense, Jackson Chourio has shown the league that you can be great at both. While playing multiple games in both left and right field, Chourio has over 13 defensive runs saved this season. His numbers defensively are significantly better than fellow rookie outfielder Jackson Merrill.

Chourio Has Been A Big Part Of Milwaukee’s Success This Season

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Jackson Chourio’s success on the field has helped the Brewers lead the NL Central for almost the entire season. Despite losing Christian Yelich for the season, the 20-year-old has done a fantastic job filling the void left by the former MVP. His offensive prowess has also helped the Brewers offense be one of the best in the National League, averaging 4.9 runs per game. With the young rookie sensation now a lineup regular, Milwaukee could be poised to shock everyone in October.

Jackson Chourio Is Worth Every Penny

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When they signed him to that record-breaking deal, the Milwaukee Brewers knew they had something special in Jackson Chourio. After rebounding from a rough beginning of the season, Chourio has shown that he’s been worth the money. His prowess offensively and defensively has helped the Brewers lead the NL Central for almost the whole year. Individually, it has firmly put the 20-year-old in the NL Rookie of the Year conversation. Chourio has done a great job at filling the void left by Christian Yelich, this has helped Milwaukee not miss a beat offensively. Jackson Chourio has proven that he belongs in the big leagues and is well worth all the hype.

For more on baseball, check out Belly Up Sports and follow Eric Katz on Twitter/X. Featured images from Getty Images

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