Brewers' Jackson Chourio joins exclusive club by producing three 20-homer seasons before turning 23

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio has reached another milestone as he moves closer to his favorite time of year.

Chourio hit his 20th homer of the season in a 5-3 victory over the Texas Rangers on Saturday night. He’s the 17th player to put together three 20-homer seasons before turning 23 years old, joining a star-studded fraternity that includes Hall of Famers Ted Williams, Eddie Mathews, Mickey Mantle, Frank Robinson and Orlando Cepeda among others.

“I feel very prideful and very happy to be a part of that group and be mentioned with those same names,” the 22-year-old Chourio said through interpreter Daniel de Mondesert. “All those names are just great examples for me to follow moving forward.”

Chourio appreciated the magnitude of the accomplishment even though he didn’t necessarily have a particular player he looked up to most while growing up in Venezuela. He was too busy playing the game instead.

“It’s hard for me because as a kid, I wasn’t one who watched a ton of baseball growing up,” Chourio said. “It’s a great question, but a hard one for me to answer.”

The Brewers understood what they had in Chourio back in 2023 as they signed him to an eight-year, $82 million contract when he was a 19-year-old who hadn’t yet reached the big leagues.

He has proved his value ever since.

Chourio hit more than 20 homers and stole more than 20 bases in each of his first two seasons. He reached the 20-homer mark again this year despite fracturing a bone in his left hand while playing for Venezuela in an exhibition ahead of the World Baseball Classic.

Although Chourio continued playing in the WBC and helped Venezuela win the title, he went on the injured list as the Brewers opened the season and didn’t play his first game until May 4. The injury may keep him from a third straight 20-20 season — he currently has 14 steals — but Chourio is on pace for career highs in batting average (.281), on-base percentage (.342) and slugging percentage (.478).

Over his last 11 games, Chourio has batted .362 with three homers and seven RBIs.

“He’s still learning the game,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “Man, he’s special. His hands go from A to B as quick as anybody.”

Chourio’s rapid rise has made him one of the Brewers’ most popular players. Chourio hit his 20th homer of the season on a night when Brewers fans received cereal bowls bearing his name and face as part of a promotional giveaway, though he apparently hadn’t yet seen one as he talked to reporters after the game.

“I haven’t been gifted one — you think maybe I could get one?” Chourio joked.

Chourio’s ready for a bigger prize.

Milwaukee won its fourth straight game Saturday and has the best record in the major leagues as the Brewers chase the first World Series title in franchise history. Chourio already has shown a knack for thriving in October thus far in his brief career, as he has hit .341 with four homers and 11 RBIs in 12 career postseason games.

When he was asked Saturday about the next step he could take in his career, Chourio made his goals quite clear.

“The dream is to win,” Chourio said. “That’s the hope this year — to continue winning and to win it all.”

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