Christian Yelich of the Milwaukee Brewers has one of the worst MLB contracts
Christian Yelich won the NL MVP award in 2018 and followed that breakout performance with a runner-up finish in MVP balloting in 2019. So you’d think his $26 million salary in 2023 would be somewhat of a bargain, right, especially as free agent prices continue skyrocket?
Unfortunately, that’s not the case.
Yelich has really struggled over the last three seasons, falling to an OPS under .800 and clocking in at roughly league average by OPS+ standards (110, 101, 111). Last season was actually Yelich’s best season of the last three, but that bar has been lowered significantly, in line with his recent output.
The 31-year-old can’t live off his MVP glory forever; three straight subpar seasons will erase those memories. And he’ll need to prove he’s worth the $26 million he’s owed in 2023 if the Brewers have any chance to unseat the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Central.