Jackson Chourio's strong award season reinforces Brewers' 2023 gamble

In his third MLB season, Jackson Chourio once again proved why he's one of baseball's brightest young stars. Despite missing the first month of the season with a hand fracture and appearing in just 127 regular-season games, Chourio still managed to establish career highs across several offensive categories. He set new personal bests in home runs (25), stolen bases (23), hits (152), runs scored (96), walks (47), batting average (.291), on-base percentage (.351), and slugging percentage (.487).

To top that off, Chourio once again took things a step further in the postseason, proving he can deliver on the biggest stage. During this year's World Series run, Chourio established himself as the Brewers' "Mr. October" by establishing new franchise records for postseason home runs and RBI. A few of his highlights included a walk-off game-winner against Mason Miller in the NLDS and recording a hit in all five World Series games, which included four multi-hit performances and a four-hit game.

Chourio also made his presence felt defensively, coming up with several impressive catches and reads, such as when he caught Ty France's fly ball off the roof at American Family Field in Game 1 of the NLDS or when he recorded the final out of the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He also added a crucial outfield assist by throwing out Liam Hicks at home plate during the World Series.

With the season now officially in the books, Chourio has already added another accolade to his resume, earning his first Gold Glove award. Chourio, who was always considered a strong defender during his time in the minor leagues, proved his "five-tool" abilities this year by taking his defense in left field to another level. Then, Chourio kept the awards season rolling with a Silver Slugger finalist nod on Thursday. Winners of this year's Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Awards will be revealed on November 17 exclusively on FanSided's "The Baseball Insiders podcast and YouTube show.

With a Gold Glove already secured and the possibility of adding a Silver Slugger, Chourio is continuing to reward the Brewers' faith in him. As he prepares to enter his fourth MLB season in 2027, it's worth looking back at Milwaukee's decision to sign the then-prospect to an eight-year, $82 million extension before he had even recorded a major league at-bat (a record amount of money at the time for a player who hadn't yet debuted), and just how well that investment has paid off.

Brewers' decision to give Jackson Chourio a record-breaking contract extension continues to look better and better

Across Chourio's first three MLB seasons, his contract counted as a total payroll hit of $13.75 million. Those years typically fall within a player's pre-arbitration window, when salaries are generally below $1 million annually. Beginning in 2027, however, Chourio is set to earn $8.25 million, which would have otherwise been his first season of arbitration eligibility.

With his performance and accolades, there's little doubt that this financial investment will soon start to turn in the Brewers' favor. While the comparisons aren't necessarily apples to apples, they help put the value of his contract into perspective. Gunnar Henderson, who was a Rookie of the Year winner for the Baltimore Orioles and Silver Slugger, earned $8.5 million this year in his first year of arbitration, while Elly De La Cruz of the Cincinnati Reds, who has no awards to his name, is projected by MLB Trade Rumors to earn $7.9 million this offseason in his first year of arbitration.

With a Gold Glove Award already secured, a potential Silver Slugger on the way, and a postseason performance that helped deliver a World Series championship, Chourio likely would have landed toward the higher end of arbitration projections, potentially approaching Henderson's $8.5 million figure. Instead, the Brewers have him locked in at $8.25 million for 2027.

However, the Brewers' return on investment will presumably continue to rise as Chourio would have moved through the arbitration system and hit free agency. For example, had the Brewers not signed Chourio to a long-term deal, he would have hit free agency ahead of the 2030 season. If he continues to play as he has, it's not out of the realm of possibility that Chourio's first free agent contract would have exceeded $30 million in average annual salary. The Brewers, however, will pay Chourio just $16.25 million for the 2030 campaign. Whereas Chourio has been slightly more expensive than he otherwise would have been through his first three seasons in MLB, the Brewers are about to start reaping the rewards of their long-term investment, and said rewards could be significant.

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