The Milwaukee Brewers have signed outfielder Christian Yelich to a nine-year contract through the 2028 season with a mutual option for 2029. Yelich had previously been signed through the 2021 season with a club option for 2022. The announcement was made by President of Baseball Operations and General Manager David Stearns.
"Since becoming a Brewer, Christian has established himself as one of the premier players in our game," said Stearns. "Today’s agreement ensures that Christian will continue to lead our team and impact our community for the better part of the next decade."
"Christian is everything you could want as the face of a franchise – from his incredible performance on the field, to his leadership as a teammate, to his dedication to the community," said Brewers Chairman and Principal Owner Mark Attanasio. "This is an exciting day for everyone connected to the organization as we continue our commitment to be a highly competitive franchise and a place that players want to call home."
Yelich, 28, is a career .301/.383/.492 hitter with 139 home runs, 500 RBI and 124 stolen bases in 920 games with Miami (2013-17) and Milwaukee (2018-19). As a Brewer, he is a career .327/.415/.631 hitter with 80 home runs, 207 RBI and 52 stolen bases in 277 games, leading the team to the postseason in both years with the organization.
"I could not be happier that I am a Milwaukee Brewer for the next decade," said Yelich. "I want to thank the Brewers organization, my teammates and the best fans in baseball for their support. I am excited to be staying in Milwaukee and playing the game that I love for this amazing city."
Over the past two seasons, the two-time All-Star leads the Major Leagues in batting average (.327) and ranks among the top five in the majors in on-base percentage (2nd, .415), slugging percentage (2nd, .631), OPS (2nd, 1.046), home runs (3rd, 80), total bases (3rd, 671), WAR (4th, 15.4 - per FanGraphs) and runs (5th, 218).
Yelich was voted 2018 National League MVP in his first season with the team after batting .326/.402/.598 with 36 home runs, 110 RBI and 22 stolen bases in 147 games. He finished second to the Dodgers’ Cody Bellinger in 2019 National League MVP voting after batting .329/.429/.671 with 44 home runs, 97 RBI and 30 stolen bases in 130 games. His 2019 season ended on Sept. 10 at Miami after suffering a fractured right knee cap.
Yelich became the first batting champion in franchise history, leading the National League in batting average in both 2018 (.326) and 2019 (.329). His other career accolades include 2019 All-MLB First Team honors, three Silver Slugger Awards (2016, 2018-19), two Hank Aaron Awards (2018-19) and a Gold Glove Award (2014 in left field).
Yelich was acquired from Miami on Jan. 25, 2018 in exchange for outfielders Lewis Brinson and Monte Harrison, infielder Isan Diaz and right-handed pitcher Jordan Yamamoto. He was selected by Miami in the first round (23rd overall) of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft.
