Jul 30, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Milwaukee Brewers designated hitter Christian Yelich (22) waits for his turn during batting practice prior to the game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

Brewers' Christian Yelich seeing improvement with new swing motion

Originally posted on WI Sports Heroics | Last updated 7/30/22

On March 6, 2020, Christian Yelich signed a nine-year, $215 million dollar contract. The deal was a seven-year extension to the two years remaining on his existing deal. At the time, Yelich was coming off of back-to-back MVP-level seasons and was quickly becoming the new face of the franchise. The contract seemed like a win-win since it made sure Yelich would be a Brewer for the prime of his career at a price relatively team-friendly for his MVP-level production.

Over two years later, Yelich is now seen as only a shadow of his former self.

A few weeks before the 2022 All-Star break, the Brewers decided to move Yelich into the leadoff spot. He was struggling mightily to drive in runs, so it no longer made sense to keep him batting in the third or fourth spot. With the removed pressure, Yelich began to slowly raise his batting average and get on base more often.

In June, Yelich led the team in walks (14), runs scored (18), hits (30) and stolen bases (five). He also had a 12-game hitting streak, with 17 hits in the streak.

As the Brewers entered the final week of July, it was clear that Yelich needed to make some adjustments. After working with coaches, Yelich made a noticeable change to his swing. That one major adjustment in his swing was the toe tap.

Christian Yelich talked a bit today about the toe tap experiment. "It's just something I decided to try out. It changes a lot of stuff. ... Different timing mechanism, I guess. I'm trying to get my body to work a little bit better than it has been. That's the simple answer." https://t.co/rpBMLRSmiE
— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) July 29, 2022

Although it seems minor, the adjustment has allowed Yelich’s bat to stay in the strike zone longer. This often leads to more opportunities for batters to barrel up the ball. In Yelich’s first four games since making the adjustment, he’s 7-for-15 with four extra-base hits and six walks.

It’s unlikely that Yelich will ever return to his 2018 or 2019 performance levels, but there’s still a chance he can return to a hitter who can bat over .280 and be an offensive leader for the Brewers.

This article first appeared on WI Sports Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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