Brewers Name Christian Yelich First Team Captain

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

Look, there's a pretty clear "pre-Yelich"/"post-Yelich" divide in this century of Brewers baseball. It's obviously not all him, but no one else on the field has been a bigger part of the late 2010s, 2020s Renaissance.

We're talking about an MVP here. The Brewers have had four of them in 57 years. We're talking about a guy who played a big role in 6 of the 7 division titles this century. The Brewers have won 9 in the entire history of the franchise. We're talking about the guy who beat the Cubs in Game 163 in 2018, cementing one of the best wins in the history of the team. 

I think he's more than worthy of this symbolic honor. He's an all-time franchise great, and it's not even a question. I love Geoff Jenkins, but that's a ridiculous comparison. You're talking about a very good player on a lot of terrible teams. It's just not the same.

I don't think anyone looks back at Hank Aaron's final year in Milwaukee and says, "Well, he was only worth half a win, so what a joke that was." If they do, maybe baseball just isn't for them...

 

[Thurston Fluff]

I look at Yelich like the Brewers version of Yadier Molina (I threw up a little saying it but bear with me) He set the tone for the team for a generation. The team responded to his leadership even when he wasn't the best player on the field. The team took on the identity of the player. The only major difference is Yelich isn't a total buthead. Which means the team isn't full of them like the Cardinals were. 

[trwi7]

2 hours ago, Frisbee Slider said:

Salvador Perez has barely been replacement level 3 of the past 4 seasons.

Embarrassing.

I mean, it is kind of embarrassing.  It literally just seems like longest tenured player = captain.

The most embarrassing part is the timing of it.  If you want to do this in spring training or whatever, fine.  I still think it's stupid but whatever.  Doing it right before the end of the regular season?  Weird and embarrassing.

[markedman5]

Congrats to Yeli……you could tell how much this meant to him

 

[Samurai Bucky]

18 minutes ago, trwi7 said:

I mean, it is kind of embarrassing.  It literally just seems like longest tenured player = captain.

The most embarrassing part is the timing of it.  If you want to do this in spring training or whatever, fine.  I still think it's stupid but whatever.  Doing it right before the end of the regular season?  Weird and embarrassing.

Not weird... not embarrassing.  Perhaps other sports should take off the C and A off of their sweaters?

As was mentioned on some postgame reports -- Bob Uecker was the "captain" of the club.  Many people, from the principal owner to the bullpen catcher, would have conversations with him.  Uecker would provide silly banter, or constructive criticism.

Why do I bring up Uecker?  If you have the opportunity to watch the Ueck Movie, there is a point that many people may not have picked up on.  When Uecker knew he had cancer, he told Yelich.  He was still mic'ed up, but probably didn't know that the camera was rolling.  He said to Yelich something like, "... and you are the only one [here] that knows."

That was the passing on of the torch from Uecker to Yelich.  Yelich is not going to have the same reputation as Uecker (obviously), but the torch was passed.  When Uecker died, Yelich took it seriously.  He felt the responsibility of carrying on the legacy of Ueck.  That is no more evident than Yelich making sure the greatest Brewer, Robin Yount, gave his blessing.

Can we as fans understand that?  No.  Do we really think the Brewers give two hoots about if the fans care about this?  I would say not.  Is it not traditional?  Absolutely.  If that is where the discussion goes, then I agree.

There is something different with this team.  We hear about camaraderie and brotherhood.  I trust that they know what it is like in the clubhouse better than me or (most likely) every other person on this board.

Enjoy the ride.

[Vgmastr]

10 minutes ago, Samurai Bucky said:

Is it not traditional?  Absolutely.

Samurai, that was a great post and I agree with everything you said.  Though I would argue it is traditional.  19 MLB teams over the course of their history have named team captains, with the Red Sox and the Yankees, two of the most traditional teams, having the most.  It's a way to honor a franchise icon and the leader in the clubhouse, of which Yelich is both.

[formerlybis]

Trying to be curious and not judgemental, can those of you who think this is embarrassing or cringey explain why. It’s not close to my reaction, but that doesn’t make it wrong - maybe I should feel that way but am such a sap that I fell for it…

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

3 hours ago, Samurai Bucky said:

Not weird... not embarrassing.  Perhaps other sports should take off the C and A off of their sweaters?

As was mentioned on some postgame reports -- Bob Uecker was the "captain" of the club.  Many people, from the principal owner to the bullpen catcher, would have conversations with him.  Uecker would provide silly banter, or constructive criticism.

Why do I bring up Uecker?  If you have the opportunity to watch the Ueck Movie, there is a point that many people may not have picked up on.  When Uecker knew he had cancer, he told Yelich.  He was still mic'ed up, but probably didn't know that the camera was rolling.  He said to Yelich something like, "... and you are the only one [here] that knows."

That was the passing on of the torch from Uecker to Yelich.  Yelich is not going to have the same reputation as Uecker (obviously), but the torch was passed.  When Uecker died, Yelich took it seriously.  He felt the responsibility of carrying on the legacy of Ueck.  That is no more evident than Yelich making sure the greatest Brewer, Robin Yount, gave his blessing.

Can we as fans understand that?  No.  Do we really think the Brewers give two hoots about if the fans care about this?  I would say not.  Is it not traditional?  Absolutely.  If that is where the discussion goes, then I agree.

There is something different with this team.  We hear about camaraderie and brotherhood.  I trust that they know what it is like in the clubhouse better than me or (most likely) every other person on this board.

Enjoy the ride.

Yeah, an excellent thing to bring up. The Ueck movie deepened my appreciation for what Christian means in that room and how seriously he takes being a Brewer. Thanks for posting.

[valpocrewsader]

I guess I thought this was already the case. The Brewers broadcasters have been calling Yelich the captain for much of this year (which was new, I believe). "The captain comes through with the go-ahead knock." Heard references like that multiple times this season. Why were they saying that if he wasn't, in fact, the captain? 

[wiguy94]

27 minutes ago, valpocrewsader said:

I guess I thought this was already the case. The Brewers broadcasters have been calling Yelich the captain for much of this year (which was new, I believe). "The captain comes through with the go-ahead knock." Heard references like that multiple times this season. Why were they saying that if he wasn't, in fact, the captain? 

He was the unofficial captain. It's just official now with a C on his jersey

[brooks_quichenick]

8 hours ago, trwi7 said:

I mean, it is kind of embarrassing.  It literally just seems like longest tenured player = captain.

The most embarrassing part is the timing of it.  If you want to do this in spring training or whatever, fine.  I still think it's stupid but whatever.  Doing it right before the end of the regular season?  Weird and embarrassing.

I just can't imagine being this miserable and contrarian literally all of the time. Every post.

[BallFour]

I remember now why I quit reading sports message boards. Anyone who is over critical of this probably has never accomplished anything in their life being a part of a team. 

[Jimbo]

I find the timing somewhat strange.  I would think this is something that is done at the end of spring training.

 

[OldSchoolSnapper]

I think it's sad that the rationale for this being bad is that he's had a "terrible year." There is more to being captain than an OPS of .950. I'd guess Yelich means a lot to the clubhouse in ways the fans have zero knowledge of despite his name constantly getting dropped as a leader.

I don't find it strange or weird and definitely not "cringe" which has just become so overused it's now meaningless. It really made anybody "cringe" that they made one of their franchise Mount Rushmore guys a captain before what they are clearly hoping is a drought-ending title run? 

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

I am probably completely off base, but I can't help but have this feeling in the back of my mind that perhaps Yelich has let a select few in the organization know that he intends to retire after this season, and this is the organization's way of honoring him without letting the cat out of the bag. He doesn't seem like the type that would want the fanfare of a retirement tour. 

[titanrick]

I can see both sides of this.  His at-bats most of the year have been dreadful, between swinging through center-cut fastballs and chasing every slider low and in.  When he finally connects, it's a rollover 4-3 putout.  It's really hard to watch as a fan who hangs on every at-bat.  So, this late in what has been a dreadful offensive year, heading to the post-season with WS ambitions, we suddenly decide to put a C on his jersey?  Feels like a cheap ploy to somehow motivate him out of his prolonged slump.  Definitely would have looked much better in March.

But the other side to this is I've always been frustrated that the players care less than we do.  For almost all of them, it's a job and they could be on a different team next year.  I'm 54 and live and die every year with the Brewers.  So, although I've never swung a bat or caught a ball for them, I'm way more invested emotionally than they are.  Look no further than "Greg" Counsell for proof that even the most die-hard Brewer "lifers" can turn on you if the money is right.  But I say all this to bring up that it seems like Yelich might be the exception to that rule.  You can just tell from his comments and body language that it is KILLING him to not be able to help this club more than he has.  The scene with Uecker (who truly was a Brewer lifer) confiding to Yelich his cancer diagnosis must have had a profound impact on him.  I also think back to the emotion Yeli showed early in the year when he hit the walk-off home run - very out of character for him.  He seems to have started out 8 years ago as "this is just my next stop in my career" and transformed into doing everything he can to give back to the Brewers and the city of Milwaukee.  Kind of like he's choosing to be the next Brewer "lifer" in the mold of Yount, Braun, and Uecker.  That's extremely rare in this day and age and should be appreciated and celebrated.

[Thurston Fluff]

10 minutes ago, titanrick said:

I can see both sides of this.  His at-bats most of the year have been dreadful, between swinging through center-cut fastballs and chasing every slider low and in.  When he finally connects, it's a rollover 4-3 putout.  It's really hard to watch as a fan who hangs on every at-bat.  So, this late in what has been a dreadful offensive year, heading to the post-season with WS ambitions, we suddenly decide to put a C on his jersey?  Feels like a cheap ploy to somehow motivate him out of his prolonged slump.  Definitely would have looked much better in March.

But the other side to this is I've always been frustrated that the players care less than we do.  For almost all of them, it's a job and they could be on a different team next year.  I'm 54 and live and die every year with the Brewers.  So, although I've never swung a bat or caught a ball for them, I'm way more invested emotionally than they are.  Look no further than "Greg" Counsell for proof that even the most die-hard Brewer "lifers" can turn on you if the money is right.  But I say all this to bring up that it seems like Yelich might be the exception to that rule.  You can just tell from his comments and body language that it is KILLING him to not be able to help this club more than he has.  The scene with Uecker (who truly was a Brewer lifer) confiding to Yelich his cancer diagnosis must have had a profound impact on him.  I also think back to the emotion Yeli showed early in the year when he hit the walk-off home run - very out of character for him.  He seems to have started out 8 years ago as "this is just my next stop in my career" and transformed into doing everything he can to give back to the Brewers and the city of Milwaukee.  Kind of like he's choosing to be the next Brewer "lifer" in the mold of Yount, Braun, and Uecker.  That's extremely rare in this day and age and should be appreciated and celebrated.

Well said. I'd add he signed a team friendly contract while paying at an MVP level to be a Brewer for the rest of his career. That alone is not usual but he did so while playing on a team friendly contract to begin with. He didn't bother testing the market in his prime choosing instead to stay here. He could have Paul Molitored it but he didn't. 

[Playing Catch]

Timing-wise, this is another Murph masterstroke. IF the Brewers are going to win a World Series, it will necessarily come with a tremendous amount of attention. Putting a very visible "C" on Yelich's jersey tells every national baseball reporter who to go to for a quote or an interview. Figureheads don't need to provide tangible value. They attract attention, thus diverting attention away from everyone else so that everyone else can focus on their jobs.

Attanasio clearly values Human Resources and developing talent of all kinds. He has made a habit of making good hires, and keeping good people that publicly represent the team's values. He kept Doug Melvin around, he promoted GMs and Scouts from within. His team in the front office has modeled this with their scouting and development hiring youngsters like scout Ginger Poulson, or jack-of-all-trades, Daniel De Mondesert, and promoting them. Obviously, Murph was promoted from within. They hired Weeks and Vogelbach -- perhaps untraditional hires, presumably because you can always find a role for the right person. Anyway, there are more than a few examples of the organization committing to people for the long-term --- OR helping people develop into the role they want, even if it's in another organization.

Attanasio clearly values marketing. The Brewers are a media-driven enterprise that depends heavily on marketing the team properly to derive as much value out of baseball's smallest market. He encourages the media department to provide the link between a winning ballclub and their fans. Uecker, BA, Rock, Sophia, Levering and Block, Provus. They are all examples of how the organization has valued their roles. But in addition, putting a "C" on the jersey certainly juices the "star quality" of a professional athlete be it in soccer or in the NFL. (But please, please, please MLB... Do NOT go to the NFL "C" program. Not every team will have a player that is deserving).

Captains are still a rare sighting in baseball, but the habit is established enough in sports that it's not totally born out of a marketing gimmick. High School and College coaches for eons have relied on captains to reinforce the message. Often those captains are experienced role-players. Yelich embodies the work ethic, personal development, humility, and team-centric focus with which the entire organization functions. He has been paid in order to serve in THIS role... not just his MVP role, and I think publicly acknowledging this is what separates Yelich or Sal Perez from other high-earners like Juan Soto or Zach Greinke (whom are both great ballplayers and good-enough teammates, but are NOT captains).

[MrTPlush]

2 hours ago, Ron Robinsons Beard said:

I am probably completely off base, but I can't help but have this feeling in the back of my mind that perhaps Yelich has let a select few in the organization know that he intends to retire after this season, and this is the organization's way of honoring him without letting the cat out of the bag. He doesn't seem like the type that would want the fanfare of a retirement tour. 

Yelich is not donating his remaining $60mil back to us. Just not happening.

Hopefully he finds a way to rebound next year. Great leader, but a sub .700 OPS DH is rough.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

10 minutes ago, MrTPlush said:

Yelich is not donating his remaining $60mil back to us. Just not happening.

Hopefully he finds a way to rebound next year. Great leader, but a sub .700 OPS DH is rough.

Logically, I agree. Wouldn't make any sense financially for him to hang them up. But he's also a guy who has a lot of pride, and its pretty easy to see how frustrated he's been this season. My head tells me he isn't going anywhere, but my gut is telling me that maybe this is it ...

That said, I think he'd be a natural for a future front office role.

[PlayerHader]

On 9/27/2026 at 9:05 AM, dlk9s said:

Murphy told Yelich of his captaincy with a letter from Uke.

This was well done... 😄

[PlayerHader]

I don't get the "embarrassing" or "weird" takes. It's new. It's fitting and makes sense, though. Why not?

[tmwiese55]

2 hours ago, Ron Robinsons Beard said:

Logically, I agree. Wouldn't make any sense financially for him to hang them up. But he's also a guy who has a lot of pride, and its pretty easy to see how frustrated he's been this season. My head tells me he isn't going anywhere, but my gut is telling me that maybe this is it ...

That said, I think he'd be a natural for a future front office role.

also, he could 'retire' but its done in a buyout type fashion where he still gets the money.  Basically a mutually agreed upon way to depart.  He obviously just has to show up or wait to be 'cut' and he gets it all. And obviously no way he walks from it.  But they can talk and agree its best to just let him have the money but to free up the roster spot.  With their relationship, maybe the buyout could negotiate to spread the money out over extra years while he serves some kind of ambassador type role.  Which could help free up money right away to help win. 

My guess is that he'll still play next year though and hope for a rebound back to roughly his 2025 level. But if next year goes like '26, then that buyout/retire thing comes into play for the '28. 

Funny, about two weeks ago this idea popped in my head. Maybe an announcer called him captain or something. But I had recently looked up if he was named captain, how common that was in baseball, etc just a week or two prior to this going down

[kestrel79]

I'm calling it right here. Yeli is going to have a game or hit where it will be something cemented in Brewers lore until the end of time this Playoffs. The table is set with having a down year, lots of people writing him off. It's going to happen. Too positive for something not in the optimism thread? :)

[sveumrules]

11 minutes ago, kestrel79 said:

Too positive for something not in the optimism thread? :)

Not at all, Yelich's few positive outcomes this year have come at the most needed times...

Bases Empty
256 PA of 80 wRC+
Runners On
244 PA of 104 wRC+
Scoring Position
150 PA of 127 wRC+

Low Leverage
228 PA of 71 wRC+
Medium Leverage
223 PA of 100 wRC+
High Leverage
49 PA of 151 wRC+

Two Outs
160 PA of 63 wRC+
One Out
156 PA of 94 wRC+
No Outs
184 PA of 114 wRC+

Trailing in Game
141 PA of .747 OPS (117 sOPS+)
Late and Close
71 PA of .809 OPS (132 sOPS+)
Runner on 3rd, less than 2 outs
33 PA of 1.080 OPS (157 sOPS+)

Put all those ascending situational splits together and out of 267 players with at least 300 PA this season Yelich finished with +1.34 Win Probability Added (59th, fractions behind Chourio at +1.35) and a 1.64 Clutch Score that was 9th highest on the same leaderboard.