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. He previously played for the Miami Marlins. Yelich is known for his batting ability and is a key player for the Brewers.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

2010: Drafted by Marlins

In 2010, Christian Yelich was selected by the Marlins in the first round of the MLB draft.

2011: Minor League Statistics and Honors

In 2011, Christian Yelich batted .261 with 43 hits and 4 home runs. He was also named the Marlins' Minor League Player of the Year.

July 23, 2013: Yelich promoted to MLB

On July 23, 2013, the Miami Marlins promoted Christian Yelich to Major League Baseball from the Double-A Jacksonville Suns.

2013: MLB Debut

In 2013, Christian Yelich made his Major League Baseball debut for the Miami Marlins.

March 22, 2015: Contract Extension with Marlins

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

2016: Starting Outfielder

In 2016, Christian Yelich was a starting outfielder for the Miami Marlins and increased his power output.

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.

2017: Traded to Brewers

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

January 25, 2018: Traded to the Brewers

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

September 10, 2018: Selection to MLB 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 he later withdrew from the event.

2018: Achievements

In 2018, Christian Yelich won the first NL batting title in Brewers history, received the Hank Aaron Award, and was named the National League MVP.

2018: MVP-Caliber Season

In the 2024 season, Christian Yelich's early season stats nearly matched his 2018 and 2019 performance.

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: 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: MLB History Record

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, led the major leagues in on-base plus slugging (OPS), and won the NL Hank Aaron Award for the second year in a row.

2019: MVP-Caliber Season

In the 2024 season, Christian Yelich's early season stats nearly matched his 2018 and 2019 performance.

March 6, 2020: Contract Extension with Brewers

On March 6, 2020, Christian Yelich signed a nine-year, $215 million contract extension with the Milwaukee Brewers.

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%) and the lowest fly ball percentage (23.0%), batting .252/.355/.383.

2025: Potential Return

In 2024, Christian Yelich's early season stats nearly matched his 2018 and 2019 performance. However, he was placed on the injured list with a back issue on July 24, and underwent back surgery in August to return in 2025.