Did this Brewer’s postseason performance solidify him as the new face of the franchise?

It's kind of difficult to talk about the Milwaukee Brewers' 2025 postseason performance in a positive light after their complete no-show in the NLCS, but let's not forget all that this squad accomplished.

They won a playoff series for the first time since 2018, they won a winner-take-all playoff game for the first time since 2011 (NLDS vs Arizona Diamondbacks), and they made the League Championship Series for only the third time since 1982.

Sure, the Los Angeles Dodgers outplayed them when it mattered most, but that NLDS win over the Chicago Cubs will go down as one of the best moments in franchise history.

One of the key drivers of all this success was Jackson Chourio, the 21-year-old phenom who continues to make good on the Brewers' decision to extend him before ever playing a game in the MLB.

He was brilliant as ever this postseason, batting .303/.314/.576 with two home runs in nine games, further cementing his status as one of the best playoff performers in the sport. In fact, in conjunction with the unfortunate October struggles of Christian Yelich, it feels as though the torch has been officially handed off in Milwaukee.

Jackson Chourio cemented "face of the franchise" status with brilliant playoff run

Considering that Chourio spent all of October nursing a hamstring injury that he suffered in Game 1 of the NLDS, it's hard to overstate how good he was in the Brewers' two playoff series.

Like last year's Wild Card series against the New York Mets, Chourio was simply unstoppable while facing the Cubs. He hit .389/.421/.667 in 19 plate appearances in the NLDS, with back-to-back multi-hit, three-RBI efforts to open the series.

Meanwhile, Yelich was a disaster all month long. He hit .182/.289/.212 combined against the Cubs and Dodgers, with just one extra-base hit (a double) and nine strikeouts to show for his efforts. And while it's true that the entire offense was anemic in the NLCS, Chourio's .654 OPS in that series was more than 250% better than Yelich's .259 mark.

That's not to say the 2018 NL MVP can't produce in big moments -- he went 4-for-8 against the Mets last year -- but rather that Chourio is clearly the top dog in Milwaukee now. It's true that the elder outfielder has been superior to the young phenom in the regular season since Chourio debuted (132 wRC+ vs. 115 wRC+), but the 33-year-old Yelich hasn't stepped up when it's mattered most.

Chourio, on the other hand, is only two seasons into his career and is already tied for the most postseason home runs in franchise history. With club control extending all the way to 2033, he's got a chance to become one of the most recognizable names in franchise history—if he isn't already there.