The Chourio brothers are in the midst of a postseason push down in Venezuela

The last time Milwaukee Brewers fans saw their star outfielder, Jackson Chourio, in action, he was battling through a frustrating hamstring injury that he sustained in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Chicago Cubs. Though the injury persisted throughout the postseason, popping up at various points and forcing Chourio to exit the game, Milwaukee's budding superstar still started every playoff game that the Brewers played this season, displaying an impressive level of toughness.

On top of that, Chourio didn't let the injury impact his performance in October; the 21-year-old crushed 2 HR and collected 8 RBI en route to posting a stellar .890 OPS in his second season of postseason play. Therefore, keeping Chourio off the field, despite uncertainty surrounding the true severity of his hamstring injury, was seemingly not an option for Pat Murphy as his offense struggled to find any spark during the National League Championship Series.

But Chourio's performance isn't the only reason it was seemingly impossible for Murphy not to include his name in the starting lineup; his mentality also played a big role. In what isn't necessarily the case for all big-leaguers, Jackson Chourio simply loves playing baseball. His passion for the game was not only evidenced by how he downplayed his hamstring injury after every game in October, knowing it was his best chance of being back in the lineup when the next game arrived, but it's also made clear by the fact that Chourio never stops playing baseball all year round.

Whereas most players take a break from the game in the offseason, instead focusing on healing and resting up for the next season, Chourio has returned to his home country of Venezuela to compete in the country's Winter League throughout his professional career. Each year, Chourio suits up for the Águilas del Zulia, which translates to "The Zulia Eagles" in English. This year, Chourio's Venezuelan Winter League debut was delayed due to his hamstring injury, but last week he finally made his debut with just seven games left in the league's regular season. He joins Las Águilas in the midst of a playoff push, with a teammate Chourio knows very well alongside him.

Jackson Chourio and his brother, Jaison, are in the midst of a postseason push with their Venezuelan Winter League team, the Águilas del Zulia

Chourio's participation in the Venezuelan Winter League isn't just a way for him to play more baseball while MLB is in the middle of their offseason; it's also an opportunity to play with his brother, Jaison, who is currently one of the top prospects in the Cleveland Guardians' organization. Though Jackson has been playing for Zulia dating back to the 2021-22 season, Jaison, who is a year younger than his brother, didn't join the team until the following year.

Additionally, the two were managed by Nestor Corredor (pictured above alongside Jackson), the Brewers' major league field coordinator, during the 2023-24 Winter League season, serving as another Milwaukee connection to the Águilas del Zulia. Former Seattle Mariners draft pick Lipso Nava took over as Zulia's manager last season and remains in the role this year.

Entering play on Sunday, the Águilas, who haven't lost since Jackson joined the roster, are in third place in the league, trailing only the Cardenales de Lara and the Bravos de Margarita. Four teams make the league's two-round postseason, meaning the Águilas are in for an exciting final week of the regular season.

Though Jackson is understandably off to a slow start, collecting just two hits in his first 16 plate appearances of the winter, Jaison has been on fire at the plate; he's slashing .327/.405/.433 through 41 games, and on Friday, he collected 7 RBI in the Águilas’ 14-3 win over the Leones de Caracas.

For Jackson, who is coming off a postseason run with his MLB squad, being thrown right back into the action after taking several weeks off to let his hamstring rest is no easy task, but one that he surely welcomes. Playing meaningful games in his home country, alongside his brother Jaison, has to be an amazing experience for the Brewers' budding star.