It’s Time to Move Christian Yelich to First Base

First base gave the Brewers nightmare levels of unproductivity in 2023. Rowdy Tellez, Luke Voit, Jon Singleton, and Owen Miller all saw time at the position. However, none of them were able to show they could be the everyday player at the position. Milwaukee eventually traded for Mark Canha and Carlos Santana and platooned both at first base. Canha was traded to the Tigers and Santana is a free agent leaving an opening at the position. One player the Brewers should consider moving to first base is Christian Yelich.

The Brewers Are Making a Mistake by Not Moving Yelich

While Brewers GM Matt Arnold and the front office have said they aren’t moving Yelich, I believe they are making a mistake. Playing in the outfield can be very taxing for a player. Yelich has had back problems for the past three seasons and has had to miss extended periods. Moving him to first base will allow the Brewers a better chance to preserve his health.

Plenty of Young Outfield Prospects Waiting for More Opportunities

The Brewers have many young outfielders both on the big club and in their farm system. This includes Garrett Mitchell, Joey Wiemer, Jackson Chourio, and Sal Frelick. Moving Yelich to first base will open an outfield spot for one of those guys. Mitchell, Wiemer, and Frelick have all shown promise at the big-league level. While Chourio hasn’t appeared at the MLB level yet, Milwaukee signed him to a long-term contract, it’ll only be a matter of time until he makes his debut. He figures to be a big part of the Brewers’ long-term plans as well. All four of those players deserve more opportunities to prove they can be a part of the Brewers’ future. Yelich is also 32 and his best days are about to be behind him.

Christian Yelich Still Has Plenty of Value to Offer on Defense

The former MVP still has value he can give by being on the field. The Brewers don’t need to feel like they can only have him play outfield or be a designated hitter. Yelich has always been a great defensive player and has a gold glove to show for it. In his career, Yelich is a +15 in defensive runs save and +4 in outs above average. This all comes despite dealing with persistent back issues. There should be no concerns about Yelich’s defense if the Brewers were to move him to first base.

The Brewers Can Hit Three Birds With One Stone by Making This Move

Back injuries have been plaguing Yelich for the past three years. The wear and tear of playing in the outfield hasn’t helped the situation. With the Brewers continually playing Christian Yelich in the outfield; it further increases the chances of his back problems getting worse. Matt Arnold and the Brewers front office need to wake up and realize this new reality. The Brewers also have lots of outfield prospects waiting for more opportunities to make themselves potentially a part of Milwaukee’s future. Having Yelich still play in the outfield is only hindering their development. Christian Yelich still has value to offer by playing on the field. The Brewers have had a never-ending revolving door at the position in recent seasons and haven’t had consistent production. Yelich would fix that problem immediately and he’s shown that his bat is still lethal. The best way Milwaukee can get more production at the position, give their prospects more opportunities, and preserve Yelich’s health is to move him to first base.

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