Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Christian Yelich

How Christian Yelich built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Christian Yelich is an American professional baseball left fielder currently playing for the Milwaukee Brewers in MLB. Prior to joining the Brewers, he played for the Miami Marlins. He represented the United States in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, contributing to Team USA's gold medal victory. His performance in the tournament earned him a spot on the All-World Baseball Classic Team.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

2010: Signing Bonus and Debut in Gulf Coast League

In 2010, Christian Yelich agreed to a $1.7 million signing bonus with the Miami Marlins and played six games for the Gulf Coast League Marlins before being promoted to Class-A.

2010: Drafted by the Marlins

In 2010, Christian Yelich was selected by the Marlins in the first round of the MLB draft, marking an early milestone in his professional baseball career.

2011: Greensboro Grasshoppers and Minor League Player of the Year

In 2011, Christian Yelich played for the Greensboro Grasshoppers, batting .348, and was later named the Marlins' Minor League Player of the Year.

July 23, 2013: Promotion to MLB

On July 23, 2013, Christian Yelich was promoted to MLB by the Miami Marlins from the Double-A Jacksonville Suns.

2013: MLB Debut

In 2013, Christian Yelich made his MLB debut for the Miami Marlins, marking the start of his major league career.

March 22, 2015: Contract Extension with the Marlins

On March 22, 2015, Christian Yelich finalized a seven-year, $49.57 million contract extension with the Miami Marlins.

2016: Starting Outfielder for the Marlins

In 2016, Christian Yelich was a starting outfielder for the Miami Marlins, playing alongside Marcell Ozuna and Giancarlo Stanton. He hit three doubles against the San Francisco Giants on April 23, tying a franchise record.

2017: Trade to the Brewers

During the 2017-18 offseason, Christian Yelich was traded from the Miami Marlins to the Milwaukee Brewers.

2017: World Baseball Classic

In 2017, Christian Yelich played for the United States national baseball team in the World Baseball Classic and was named to the All-World Baseball Classic team.

January 25, 2018: Trade to the Milwaukee Brewers

On January 25, 2018, Christian Yelich was traded from the Miami Marlins to the Milwaukee Brewers.

September 10, 2018: Selection for MLB Japan All-Star Series

On September 10, 2018, Christian Yelich was selected to play with the MLB All-Stars at the 2018 MLB Japan All-Star Series, but later withdrew from the event.

2018: Successes and Awards

In 2018, Christian Yelich finished the season with a .326/.402/.598 slash line, 36 home runs, and 110 RBIs, winning the first NL batting title in Brewers history. He was also named the National League recipient of the annual Hank Aaron Award and named Most Valuable Player of the National League.

2018: National League MVP

In 2018, Christian Yelich was named the National League's Most Valuable Player, a significant achievement in his career.

2018: MVP-Caliber Seasons

In the 2024 season, it was noted that Christian Yelich's stats nearly matched his weighted runs created plus (wRC+) from his MVP season in 2018.

March 31, 2019: Home Run Record

On March 31, 2019, Christian Yelich became the sixth player in MLB history to hit a home run in each of his team's first four games.

July 1, 2019: Brewers' Home Run Record

On July 1, 2019, Christian Yelich became the first player in Brewers franchise history to reach 30 home runs before the All-Star Break.

2019: Unique MLB Achievement

After the 2019 season, Christian Yelich became the only player in Major League Baseball history to have consecutive seasons hitting .325 or higher with 35 or more home runs and 20 or more steals.

2019: Second National League Batting Title

In 2019, Christian Yelich won his second National League batting title and led the major leagues in slugging percentage (.671) and OPS (1.100), while achieving other significant offensive statistics. He also won the NL Hank Aaron Award for the second year in a row.

2019: Near-MVP Seasons

In the 2024 season, it was noted that Christian Yelich's stats nearly matched his weighted runs created plus (wRC+) from his near-MVP season in 2019.

March 6, 2020: Contract Extension with the Brewers

On March 6, 2020, Christian Yelich signed a nine-year, $215 million contract extension with the Brewers, the richest in franchise history at the time.

May 11, 2022: Third Career Cycle

On May 11, 2022, Christian Yelich hit his third career cycle, becoming the sixth player in MLB history to do so, and the first player to accomplish three cycles against the same team, the Cincinnati Reds.

2022: Season Statistics

In 2022, Christian Yelich had the highest ground ball percentage of all major leaguers (58.6%), the lowest fly ball percentage (23.0%), and batted .252/.355/.383.

May 5, 2025: 1,500th Career Game

On May 5, 2025, Christian Yelich played his 1,500th career game against the Houston Astros, marking a significant milestone in his MLB career. In the game he went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, two RBIs, and a stolen base, becoming the 730th player to reach that milestone.