Grading the Milwaukee Brewers rookies through the first quarter of the 2024 season

The Milwaukee Brewers have gotten off to a strong start to the 2024 MLB season as they sit atop the NL Central with a record of 26-17, two games ahead of the Chicago Cubs. For a team that lost its manager, Cy Young winning pitcher, and other pieces in the offseason, the young players have stepped up and kept up the winning culture that has developed in Milwaukee in recent years.

They have continued to win games despite the losses in the pitching staff. Six pitchers are currently on the injured list in some regards, with more experienced position players in Rhys Hoskins, Garrett Mitchell, and Joey Wiemer also on the injured list.

The Brewers have the ninth youngest team in baseball with an average age of 28.3 years old. There are many bright spots with veterans showing their experience but the younger players showing why so many of them are highly rated and the bright futures that lie ahead.

Here are the grades for the Milwaukee Brewers' rookies and how their fledgling MLB careers have begun through the first quarter of the 2024 season.

Jackson Chourio

Jackson Chourio has had an intriguing start to the season, with him really starting off strong to begin with but recently has found him finding playing time harder to come by. The center fielder is batting .219/.263/.352 on the year, which aren't outstanding numbers but it is a good start for someone so young into his professional baseball career. His five home runs, 15 RBIs, and six stolen bases are a great sign for what is to come in the future.

In May, his stats are up slightly with him batting .258/.281/.355, picking it up in the final two games of the series with the Pittsburgh Pirates following a hitless run of three games. Chourio made the jump up on Opening Day and as we have seen across the board with rookies this year, it has been difficult for many position players. The top prospect in Jackson Holliday was called up for 10 games before being optioned back to Triple-A for Baltimore, getting just two hits.

There was a four game stretch in which Pat Murphy decided to go without Chourio in the lineup and then coming in to finish the final three of that stretch. Murphy told reporters he wanted to give Chourio a bit of a mental break and let him watch the game and watch the veterans go about at-bats.

Four straight games of starting and completing the game has put Chourio right back in the lineup and so there is no suggestion of him being demoted. He was always going to find it tough this first season but he is getting that experience and learning from it whilst putting up solid numbers.

Overall, it's a strong start to his MLB career and there are signs he can go on to be one of the best players in the majors.

Grade: B+