StaTuesday: Brewers’ Yelich on MVP pace through 50 games

The Milwaukee Brewers play their 50th game of the season on Tuesday night.

As the Brewers hit this milestone, Christian Yelich has already ensconced himself as having one of the best starts to this point in Milwaukee history.

Through Milwaukee’s first 49 games, of which Yelich has played 44, last year’s National League Most Valuable Player is batting .325, which is the 18th-highest average through 50 games in Brewers history. If Yelich goes 3-for-5 on Tuesday, his average would be .333, which would tie him for 10th-best. (Kevin Seitzer’s .368 in 1995 is well out of reach.)

More Brewers coverage

Yelich has a .732 slugging percentage. Even with an O-fer on Tuesday, Yelich will easily have the top slugging percentage in Brewers history after 50 games as Rob Deer, with .647 in 1987, had the former record over that span. Only five other players in Milwaukee history have slugged .600 or better in the team’s first 50 games: Ben Oglivie (.611 in 1980), Bill Hall (.610, 2006), Ryan Braun (.608, 2012), Gorman Thomas (.604, 1981) and Jeromy Burnitz (.601, 2001).

Only Burnitz (in 1997) and Seitzer (1996) have a better on-base percentage through 50 games — .443 –than Yelich’s .440. Yelich’s OPS of 1.172 is far ahead of Deer’s 1.047. Burnitz (1.007 in 1997), Eric Thames (1.004, 2017), Braun (1.003, 2012) and Cecil Cooper (1.000, 1982) are the only others to have a 1.000 OPS or higher after 50 games in Brewers history.

One team 50-game record Yelich will own is most home runs. Carlos Lee previously held the record with 17 homers at the 50-game mark.

PLAYER	YEAR	G	HR	FINAL HR
Christian Yelich	2019	44	19	?
Carlos Lee	2006	50	17	37
Prince Fielder	2007	50	15	50
J.J. Hardy	2007	48	15	26
Richie Sexson	2003	50	15	45
Rob Deer	1987	42	14	28
Ryan Braun	2012	48	14	41
Ben Oglivie	1980	46	14	41
Jeromy Burnitz	2001	49	14	34
Gorman Thomas	1981	44	14	21*
Richie Sexson	2002	50	14	29

* — strike-shortened season

If Yelich can hit one out of the park against Cincinnati on Tuesday, it’d be just the 24th time (and 18th player) in major-league history a player has reached 20 home runs by his team’s 50th game. Among those who have done it previously are guys named Jimmie Foxx, Ken Griffey Jr. (three times), Mickey Mantle, Stan Musial and Babe Ruth (twice).

This century, it’s been accomplished just eight times by seven different players, and only once since 2009.

PLAYER	YEAR	HR	FINAL HR
Barry Bonds	2001	26	73
Albert Pujols	2006	24	49
Josh Hamilton	2012	21	43
Jim Thome	2006	20	42
Barry Bonds	2000	20	49
Adrian Gonzalez	2009	20	40
Mark McGwire	2000	20	32**
Luis Gonzalez	2001	20	57

** — Played in only 89 games

Yelich won’t sniff the MLB RBI record through 50 games – Chuck Klein (1930) and Foxx (1938) both had 71. The most this century is 61 by Albert Pujols in 2006.

However, Yelich is in the top 10 in Brewers history with the potential to move up to No. 2 overall (or No. 1 with a monster game).

PLAYER	YEAR	G	RBI	FINAL RBI
Prince Fielder	2009	50	48	141
Carlos Lee	2005	50	44	114
Carlos Lee	2006	50	43	116
J.J. Hardy	2007	48	43	80
Richie Sexson	2002	50	42	102
Prince Fielder	2011	50	41	120
Casey McGehee	2010	48	41	104
Christian Yelich	2019	44	41	?
Lyle Overbay	2004	50	40	87
Ben Oglivie	1980	46	40	118

The same goes for run scored, where he’s well shy of Ruth’s 64 in 1930 or even Todd Helton’s 54 in 2000.

But Yelich is just one of five Brewers to tally 40+ runs in the team’s first 50 games of the season and if he can score just once on Tuesday, only Robin Yount will have had more.