Brewers' Jackson Chourio comes up short in NL Rookie of the Year race

The Milwaukee Brewers entered 2024 with a very legitimate Rookie of the Year contender in Jackson Chourio. After signing the 20 year old outfielder to an eight year, $82MM contract extension in the offseason, Chourio was primed for Opening Day and if he delivered on his promise, the award was well within sight.

Chourio struggled over the first two months of the 2024 regular season. When Chourio did finally get things going in June, he vaulted himself into the ROY conversation but was well behind the eight ball with two other strong contenders in the NL in finalists Jackson Merrill and Paul Skenes.

Ultimately, it was Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes that won NL Rookie of the Year.

Brewers' Jackson Chourio finishes 3rd in NL Rookie of the Year voting

There's nothing wrong with a third place finish in the Rookie of the Year balloting. The hype was very real coming into the season but with the early season struggles, this is not an unexpected result. The important thing for the Brewers is that Chourio was able to get himself in position to be a finalist and prove that he is more than capable of handling the big leagues. They gambled big on his potential and he delivered in year one.

That win for the organization is far more important than winning the Rookie of the Year award. While the award would have been nice and would have been just the fourth Brewers winner of the ROY award, Milwaukee is not going to be too upset about these results.

The important thing for the organization too is that the Brewers were not going to receive a Prospect Promotion Incentive (PPI) pick for Chourio's placement in this race anyway. Teams that promote top 100 prospects on the Opening Day roster are eligible to receive an extra early draft pick the next year if that player finishes in the top two of ROY voting. Because Chourio signed a extension prior to his debut, the Brewers were not eligible to receive a PPI pick for his placement.

So, really, the results are no skin off their nose. There's no harm for the organization with a third place finish instead of a second place or first place finish. Chourio was a very deserving candidate and in most years, being the youngest player ever to have a 20 HR/20 SB season would have guaranteed the award, this was a strong rookie class in the NL in 2024.

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