Yelich, Moustakas on pace to bash their way to uncharted Brewers territory

Christian Yelich and Mike Moustakas might need a nickname soon.

One or both are hitting home runs on a daily basis for the Milwaukee Brewers. OK, it just seems that way, but it’s not too far off.

Both Yelich and Moustakas have played in 56 of Milwaukee’s first 63 games. Yelich leads the major leagues with 23 home runs while Moustakas isn’t too far behind with 18. The previous Brewers record for most home runs after 56 games was 19 by Prince Fielder in 2007. Greg Vaughn (1994), Carlos Lee (2006) and Ryan Braun (2007) had 18 in that span.

Moustakas, if he plays in 150 games (he appeared in 152 last season combined with Kansas City and Milwaukee) is on pace for 48 home runs. Yelich is on pace for 62 if he played 150 games.

The Brewers never have had two players with 40+ homers in the same season. Not surprisingly it’s a pretty rare accomplishment in Major League Baseball. Since 2000, just 11 teams have had a pair of 40 home run hitters and none since 2015, when the Angels, Blue Jays and Rockies did it. Before that trio, it hadn’t been accomplished since the 2006 White Sox and not in the National League since the 2004 Cardinals.

Yasmani Grandal, who has 13 home runs in, yes, 56 games, is on pace for 34 homers. That would give the Brewers a third straight year of three players with 30+ bombs and just the fourth time in franchise history (also doing it in 1982).

Based on the above, perhaps it should come as little surprise that the Brewers are tied with Seattle for the most games with three or more home runs – 18. Of course, the Mariners have played 66 games to Milwaukee’s 63.

In their last 16 matchups with Pittsburgh, this weekend’s opponent, the Brewers have hit 32 home runs. So, perhaps get ready to add to these numbers.

And come up with a nickname.

Statistics courtesy Sportradar and baseball-reference.com