2023 regular season in review: Milwaukee Brewers
Entering the season as co-favorite to win the National League Central with the St. Louis Cardinals, the Milwaukee Brewers comfortably won the division with a record of 92-70.
With a nine-game lead over the second-place Chicago Cubs, they were led by a dominant pitching staff that saw them post an MLB-low 3.71 ERA. While the offense lacked consistency, it was able to do enough to help win games and seemed to turn things on toward the end of the season.
Let's take a look back at some of the key players and moments for the Brewers in 2023.
Hitter of the Year: William Contreras
2023 stats: .289/.367/.457, 56 XBH, 78 RBI in 141 games played
Acquired this past offseason in a trade that also saw them bring in relief pitcher Joel Payamps, Brewers catcher William Contreras was the team's best hitter during 2023.
Leading all catchers with a career-high .289 batting average and 38 doubles, the 25-year-old came through with clutch hit after clutch hit and really turned it on in the final month of the season.
Slashing .321/.398/.455 with three home runs and 13 RBI in September, he will likely be the front-runner for the National League Silver Slugger Award at catcher.
Under team control through the 2027 season, he could be a contract extension candidate this offseason as the Brewers look to lock in the young catcher for the foreseeable future.
Pitcher of the Year: Corbin Burnes
2023 stats: 10-8, 3.39 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 200 strikeouts in 193.2 innings pitched
Since joining the Brewers rotation in 2020, Corbin Burnes has been one of the best pitchers in all of baseball and he continued that trend in 2023.
Finishing the season sixth in the NL with a 3.39 ERA, the 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner also finished in a tie for fourth place in the MLB with a 1.07 WHIP.
While he did struggle with walks — allowing a career-high 66 this season — he was able to limit the damage by surrendering just 141 hits, good for sixth-fewest in all of baseball.
After a rift with the Brewers front office in February over his arbitration case, Burnes is likely to be one of the bigger names to be on the trade block this offseason and could be in a new uniform come 2024.
Minor League Player of the Year: Jackson Chourio
2023 stats: .282/.338/.467, 51 XBH, 91 RBI and 44 stolen bases in 128 games played
At only 19 years old, Brewers outfield prospect Jackson Chourio has made a name for himself and is on the fast track to make his MLB debut as early as 2024 with him reaching Triple-A in 2023.
With 22 home runs in Double-A this season, he also showed off his impressive speed with 43 stolen bases at the same level.
Currently ranked as the No. 2 prospect in baseball according to MLB.com, Chourio was a shortstop when he agreed to a contract with the Brewers during the international signing period in 2021.
Possessing the potential to be a five-tool player, Brewers fans are patiently waiting to watch him take his first at-bat at the major league level.
Play of the Year: Canha's grand slam sends Milwaukee home happy
One of the moves that the Brewers needed to make at the trade deadline in 2023 was to find another veteran hitter to help them for the playoff push in the NL Central, and they did just that by acquiring outfielder Mark Canha from the New York Mets.
Canha delivered a two-out grand slam in the bottom of the eighth inning versus the Washington Nationals to give the Brewers the lead and that turned American Family Field into a frenzy.
Canha was one of the more underrated deadline acquisitions in 2023, slashing .287/.373/.427 with 15 XBH and 33 RBI in his 50 games with the Brewers.
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