Christian Yelich caps impressive comeback season with major award nomination

It isn't the easiest time to talk about Christian Yelich, as the longtime Milwaukee Brewers star struggled badly in October. He hit .182/.289/.212 combined against the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers, with just one extra-base hit (a double) and nine strikeouts to show for his efforts.

However, it shouldn't be forgotten that he was a driving force of their regular season success. After undergoing major back surgery that ended his 2024 campaign prematurely, Yelich returned near the peak of his powers this season.

In total, the 33-year-old designated hitter hit .264/.343/.452 with 29 home runs, 103 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases, good for a 121 wRC+ that ranked second on the team.

That impressive stat line has earned Yelich some recognition, as FanSided announced that he is one of three National League finalists for the Silver Slugger Award at the DH position.

Christian Yelich deserves Silver Slugger nomination, though he'll have a tough time winning in loaded NL field

Yelich was inarguably one of the better designated hitters in the Senior Circuit this year. Among players who drew at least 400 plate appearances at DH this year, Yelich ranked third in wRC+, OPS (.801), ISO (.195), and home runs.

That his nomination effectively prevented Chicago Cubs slugger Seiya Suzuki from being a finalist only makes the recognition sweeter.

However, that Yelich ranked third in all those aforementioned stats is an ominous sign for his chances to win the award. The two players above him in every notable metric -- Kyle Schwarber and Shohei Ohtani -- will likely be MVP finalists this year as well, and it's hard to imagine voters finding a ton of ways to justify picking Yelich over that pair.

Ohtani hit .282/.392/.622 with a 172 wRC+. His 55 home runs ranked second behind only Schwarber, and the two-way phenom posted jaw-dropping figures in ISO (.340), runs scored (146), and xwOBA (.439).

Meanwhile, Schwarber slashed .240/.365/.563 with 56 home runs and 132 RBIs. His 152 wRC+ ranked fifth in the National League in 2025.

So, yeah, the competition is steep. But even if he doesn't win, that Yelich is even being mentioned in the same breath as these guys again is a testament to the unbelievable amount of work he's put in since his back surgery one year ago.

Alongside Yelich, William Contreras (catcher) and Brice Turang (second base) were named Silver Slugger finalists at their respective positions for the Brewers. The winners will be announced at 6:00 p.m. ET on Nov. 6, exclusively on The Baseball Insiders live stream on YouTube.