Christian Yelich

Christian Stephen Yelich (born December 5, 1991) is an American professional baseball designated hitter for the Milwaukee Brewers. He previously played for the Miami Marlins and represents the United States internationally. Yelich helped Team USA win its first gold medal in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in 2017 and was named to the All-World Baseball Classic Team.

Drafted by the Marlins in the first round (23rd overall) of the 2010 MLB draft, Yelich made his MLB debut in 2013. He was traded to the Brewers during the 2017–18 offseason. A three-time MLB All-Star and three-time Silver Slugger Award winner, Yelich has also won two National League batting titles, a Gold Glove Award (2014), and the National League Most Valuable Player Award (2018).

Yelich has hit for the cycle three times in his career—twice in 2018 and once in 2022. He is one of only five players in MLB history to accomplish this feat three times, joining Bob Meusel, Babe Herman, Adrián Beltré, and Trea Turner. He is also the only player to hit all three cycles against the same opponent, the Cincinnati Reds. Yelich is the third player to record two cycles in a single season, following Herman (1931) and Aaron Hill (2012).

Born in Thousand Oaks, California, Yelich attended Westlake High School. As a freshman, he batted .373 with 25 hits and 16 strikeouts in 67 at-bats. His sophomore year saw a .341 average with 31 hits and 24 strikeouts in 91 at-bats. During his junior year, he batted .489 with 46 hits and only six strikeouts. In his senior season, he hit .451 with 37 hits, nine strikeouts, and nine home runs in 82 at-bats, earning Second Team All-American honors from Max Preps and a national ranking of 34th among high school players. He accepted a scholarship to play college baseball for the Miami Hurricanes.

The Marlins signed Yelich for a $1.7 million bonus on August 17, 2010, just before the signing deadline. He played six games for the Gulf Coast League Marlins, batting .375 with nine hits and seven strikeouts, before moving to Class-A. In six games for the Greensboro Grasshoppers that year, he hit .348. In 2011, he batted .261 with 43 hits, six strikeouts, and four home runs. Yelich was named the Marlins’ Minor League Player of the Year in both 2011 and 2012.

Promoted to the majors from Double-A Jacksonville on July 23, 2013, Yelich batted .284 with 21 stolen bases from the leadoff spot in 2014. That year, he won a Gold Glove in left field, becoming the youngest player in franchise history and its first outfielder to win the award. He set a franchise record for left-field fielding percentage (.996). He was the final out of Jordan Zimmermann’s no-hitter on September 28, 2014, when Steven Souza Jr. made a diving catch.

On March 22, 2015, Yelich signed a seven-year, $49.57 million extension. He struggled early, landing on the disabled list in April with lower back strain and returning on May 8. His batting average hit a season low of .178 on May 22. In August, he bruised his right knee and returned to the disabled list. Despite the injuries, he finished the season with a .300 average. He led all major league hitters in ground ball percentage (62.5%) and had the lowest fly ball percentage (15.0%).

In 2016, Yelich was projected to bat third and increased his power output. On April 23, he tied a franchise record with three doubles against the San Francisco Giants. He started in the outfield alongside Marcell Ozuna and Giancarlo Stanton. After Stanton was placed on the disabled list, Yelich shifted to center field when backup Ichiro Suzuki was unavailable.

Traded to the Brewers on January 25, 2018, Yelich was named to the All-Star Game after batting .285 with 11 home runs, 36 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases. As a reserve, he replaced Matt Kemp in left field and went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in an 8–6 extra-inning loss. On August 29, he hit for the cycle against the Reds, collecting six hits. On September 2, he hit his first career grand slam against the Washington Nationals. On September 17, he hit for the cycle again, also against the Reds, becoming the fifth player in MLB history with two cycles in one season and the first to do so against the same team.

Yelich finished the 2018 season with a .326/.402/.598 slash line, 36 home runs, and 110 RBIs, winning the first NL batting title in Brewers history and narrowly missing a triple crown. He also ranked second in the league in power-speed number.