Christian Yelich Built a Lasting Legacy with the Brewers

by Max Moreno, age 13

Christian Yelich is a 34-year-old professional baseball player born in Thousand Oaks, California, where he grew up loving baseball. He is currently playing for the Milwaukee Brewers, and is one of the most talented and respected players on the team. However, his MLB career started with the Miami Marlins back in 2013.

Yelich had originally planned to play college baseball at the University of Miami, but decided to go professional and sign with the Marlins right before the deadline. In January 2018, the Marlins traded Yelich to the Milwaukee Brewers for Lewis Brinson, Isan Diaz, Monte Harrison, and Jordan Yamamoto. In his first season with the Brewers, he had an incredible batting average of .326 with 36 home runs, 110 runs brought in and 22 stolen bases. That same season, he hit for a cycle twice against the Cincinnati Reds, which is when a player hits a single, double, triple and a home run in the same game. He eventually won the National League MVP award in 2018.

Yelich continued to play at a high level, however; in 2019, his season ended early after breaking his kneecap during a game. Despite his injury, he still won the National League batting title with a 0.329 batting average. The Brewers rewarded his success by signing him to a nine year $215 million contract and extension in March 2020, which became the most expensive contract in Brewer's history. The next few seasons were challenging for him as he dealt with a back injury from early April through May. Later that year, he tested positive for COVID-19 and had to go into quarantine. However, he overcame these challenges which helped the Brewers win the National League Central back to back in 2024 and 2025.

Yelich comes from a very athletic family. His younger brother, Collin, played minor league baseball for the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins. Their great grandfather, Fred Gerke, was a former NFL player, and designed the Los Angeles Rams horn logo. Christian Yelich also co-founded California Strong, an organization that helps people affected by natural disasters and other tragedies in California. The group started in 2018 after wildfires and bar shootings in Thousand Oaks. He has helped raise money and support for families in need.

Christian Yelich has shown what consistency, skill and dedication looks like both on the field and off the field. As young as he is, his legacy will only continue to grow.

[Source: Milwaukee journal sentinel]