Jackson Chourio's Biggest Plate Appearance of the Weekend Wasn't the One You Think

[Jack Stern]

The Milwaukee Brewers scored a season-high 12 runs on Sunday, but the most encouraging offensive play of the day may have been a walk. Their rookie phenom must improve his swing decisions to succeed against big-league pitchers, so his bases-loaded free pass in the fourth inning was a promising sign.

Image courtesy of © Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

There were ample fireworks in the Brewers’ 12-4 drubbing of the Seattle Mariners on Sunday. The Milwaukee offense set season highs in runs scored and hits, and William Contreras erupted from a lukewarm start to the year with a 4-for-5 day that featured two home runs. Amid all the action, though, the most encouraging play of the afternoon may have been a walk.

The Brewers already had an 8-2 lead when Jackson Chourio stepped to the plate with the bases loaded in the fourth inning. Instead of delivering a knockout punch, he drew a four-pitch walk to extend the lead to 9-2. In a vacuum, it was not the most exciting outcome. In the context of Chourio’s development, it was highly encouraging.

Chourio’s multi-tool athleticism has been on immediate display eight games into his big-league career. He’s batted .281/.324/.500, hit two home runs, stolen a base, and made multiple impressive catches in right field. One of the few knocks on Chourio’s performance so far is his plate discipline. He entered Sunday having drawn one walk while striking out 10 times. He drew that walk in his first career plate appearance, on March 29. His 35% chase rate ranks in the 19th percentile of MLB hitters.

Chourio has made poor swing decisions and tried to hit too many pitches that would be balls. Throwing fewer pitches in the zone to exploit that aggressiveness is one of the first adjustments opposing pitchers will make, and he’ll have to respond with more patient plate appearances.

The bases-loaded walk stood out because it pointed to an ability to make such an adjustment. The pressure of an opportunity to blow the game open with a hit could have led Chourio to be overly aggressive and chase those pitches out of the zone. Instead, he recognized that he wasn’t getting a pitch to hit and accepted a walk.

“That’s the type of growth we want,” Pat Murphy said of the moment. “Strikes and balls are important. You swing at strikes, and you take balls. It sounds real easy, but it’s not. But over time, the great hitters can do that and force the pitcher to throw the ball over the plate. That’s what Jackson has to learn, and that was a signal of it.”

It’s best to temper expectations for Chourio’s rookie season. There will be growing pains. His plate discipline and quality of contact do not support his output so far, and his first bout of struggles in the big leagues will come soon. 

As exciting as it would be to see Chourio launch himself into Rookie of the Year consideration with an electric debut, it shouldn’t be anyone’s top concern. What matters most is that Chourio lays the foundation for a long and productive career. That includes understanding when and how to adjust as pitchers learn how to attack him. A seemingly minor plate appearance in a blowout win was an encouraging sign on that front.

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