2020 MLB season: Would you rather have Christian Yelich or Mookie Betts?
Ahead of the 2020 MLB season, Christian Yelich to sign $200M extension. With that said it’s time to play who would you rather sign, Yelich or Mookie Betts.
During the 2020 MLB season, it’ll be interesting to compare two of the league’s premier outfielders. With Christian Yelich, the Milwaukee Brewers star, the consistent difference is age. He is one year older than Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts and has played one more season than Betts.
Let’s dive into the numbers between the two.
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Their numbers are eerily similar, Yelich has a career slash line of .301/.383/.492 in seven seasons while Betts slashes .301/.374/.519 in six seasons. Not a whole lot of a difference between the two 2018 MVPs of their respective leagues.
This really doesn’t allow for a decision to be made. If you look at their season averages, they are as follows:
- Yelich averages 24 HR and 88 RBI per year with 22 SB and 118 strikeouts
- Betts averages 28 HR and 96 RBI with 26 sS and 77 strikeouts.
The reoccurring theme here is that both of these players are really good and really similar in a lot of ways. Both of them have the same fielding percentage at .990 and so it may just come down to preference here.
They are both in the prime of their career and are playing at a very high level, but unfortunately, Betts also has a higher career WAR numbers with 42 compared to 33.6 for Yelich.
Other than that their numbers are so similar that I don’t think statistically you can really decide which player is better than the other.
I am choosing Mookie Betts here.
Their main reason is the amount of postseason experience. Not only has he played in more series than Yelich, but he has a World Series title under his belt form 2018.
Next. MIL: Why the Christian Yelich signing is good for baseball. dark
Both of these players are elite and are playing as such for their respective clubs, it’s just that Mookie is slightly better than Yelich and has the edge of postseason experience.