3 young Brewers whose hot starts are sustainable past 2024

Baseball is an ever changing game, and absolutely nothing is constant in the game of baseball. Except for maybe William Contreras, but that's not the point. The Brewers are off to a fast start in 2024 and have received contributions from numerous players.

The Brewers continue to win ball games and advanced metrics prove that this is no fluke. They have been raking at the plate and not just hitting for contact, but power too. The 2024 Milwaukee Brewers are 4th in the league in batting average, 3rd in slugging percentage, and 2nd in OPS behind only the Dodgers.

These numbers are substantially improved from 2023, but how was there such a drastic change in just one season?

Well, the answer is the young production that this team has received. The Brewers have the ninth youngest team in baseball this year, with an average age of 28.3 years old. Inside of that youth, there have been a few very bright spots. Here are three young players whose advanced metrics back them to have promising careers.

1. William Contreras

It would be impossible to write this and not bring up the greatness of William Contreras in 2024. This is a guy who the Brewers acquired as the "third team" in a three team trade prior to the 2023 season.

Contreras is now playing at an MVP level, as he's slashing .359/.434/.553 and holds an OPS of .987 through just over a quarter of the season. According to Baseball Savant, Contreras is in the 99th percentile of Batting Run Value.

An added premium for Contreras' value is his ability to play every day. He's been in the lineup every day for through the first 43 games, and he has intentions to play all 162 this season. Contreras is a run producing machine, as he's scored the most runs in the league thus far with 39. He also adds a remarkable WAR (Wins Above Replacement), as he has totaled 2.6 already this season. That puts him on pace to go way over his 5.7 WAR from last season, which was already good.

On top of being good at the plate, Contreras also finds himself in the 86th percentile of Caught Stealing Above Average, which shows ability to throw runners out when he catches. He really is a do-it-all player and the Brewers are lucky that he won't become a free agent until 2028. Contreras is already amongst the best in the league and he is only 26 years young. His success should carry far beyond the 2024 season and we should get used to hearing his name in MVP conversations.