Milwaukee Brewers: Has Christian Yelich locked up the NL MVP?

Christian Yelich has had a season to remember for the Milwaukee Brewers. He is in line to receive the game’s most prestigious honors, but has he locked up the NL MVP award?

After yesterday’s win against the rival St. Louis Cardinals, the Milwaukee Brewers have moved within half a game of the Chicago Cubs for the NL Central division title. Christian Yelich has carried this team on his back all year, and most importantly in September. His six-RBI performance yesterday has definitely helped him take a big step in winning the National League’s highest honor.

One of the most important months of the season is September. The MVP award should be decided on who performed better when their team needed them most, but has Yelich done enough?

Christian Yelich in September

Yelich seems to have gotten hot, or hotter, at the right time while Javier Baez has slumped a bit. The results have put their teams in very different positions compared to where they started at the beginning of the month.

Yelich has helped his cause, and his team, in more ways than one. In September, he is batting .347/.462/.693. He has hit six homers and driven in 22 runs in that span. For his personal accomplishments, he not only has surpassed the century mark in RBIs, but he is now just one home run shy of tying Baez in that category as well.

Javier Baez September stats

Baez’s September has looked a little different. So far, he has slashed .275/.326/.525. He has also seen a dip in power as well. He has hit two homers and driven in only 12 runs. These numbers aren’t bad, but since he started to under-perform, so has his team. The Chicago Cubs have surrendered a comfortable division lead during the final month of the season

Has Yelich locked up the NL MVP?

The term ‘MVP’ is to be given to a team’s most valuable player. Yelich has clearly been that and then some for the Milwaukee Brewers. Especially in the last month, when all the pressure is supposed to start to take a toll on even the games best hitters.

To go along with a possible batting title, he is leading the league in most offensive categories including slugging percentage, and OPS.  The award is all but his, especially if the Milwaukee Brewers pull off an NL Central Division title.