Jackson Chourio added another marker to his fast-moving résumé in Baltimore on Sunday, becoming the first player in Major League history to post three 20-homer, 20-steal seasons before his 23rd birthday.
The Brewers center fielder reached the milestone in the sixth inning against the Orioles. Chourio drew a walk, then swiped second for his 20th stolen base of the season to pair with 24 home runs. Milwaukee successfully challenged the original ruling, which had called him out at the bag.
At 22, Chourio has now opened each of his first three big-league seasons with at least 20 homers and 20 steals. Julio Rodríguez and Bobby Witt Jr. are the only other players to begin a career with three straight 20-20 campaigns. Rodríguez has already made it five in a row, while Witt needs two more home runs to reach a fourth consecutive season.
A milestone with a brief sting
The inning did not end as Chourio would have liked. William Contreras followed the stolen base with a ground ball to third, and Chourio drifted too close to Orioles infielder Coby Mayo. Mayo applied the tag before the throw went across the diamond, turning the play into an inning-ending double play.
It was the kind of baserunning mistake that comes with a young player still refining every corner of his game. Chourio is the age of many college seniors, yet he is already compiling a record book that belongs to established stars.
“He’s an absolute talent,” Brewers teammate Sal Frelick said. “He has the quickest hands I’ve ever seen. It’s a pleasure watching him, especially when he gets going like this.”
Frelick noted that injuries and occasional slow starts may have kept Chourio from receiving broader recognition, including an All-Star selection. But he sees a player who belongs in the conversation with the game’s elite.
“He hasn’t been an All-Star yet, but I believe he is one of the best players in the league,” Frelick said. “He does not get the credit he deserves.”
Company far beyond his years
Chourio had already become the 17th player in MLB history to record three seasons with 20 or more home runs by the end of his age-22 season. The names ahead of him offer a measure of the company he has entered.
- Hall of Famers Mel Ott, Ted Williams, Eddie Mathews, Mickey Mantle, Al Kaline, Frank Robinson, Orlando Cepeda and Ken Griffey Jr.
- Tony Conigliaro, Bob Horner and Alex Rodriguez.
- Giancarlo Stanton, Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Carlos Correa and Juan Soto.
Eight of the previous 16 players on that list are already in Cooperstown, and several others have built careers that could eventually lead there. Chourio does not need that comparison to be useful in Milwaukee’s clubhouse, but the early production is impossible to overlook.
Twenty-four homers, 20 steals and a third straight 20-20 season: the Brewers have a young star whose legs can create a milestone in one play and whose next lesson can arrive on the very next ball in play.
