Brewers Make Jackson Chourio Announcement Before NLCS

As the Milwaukee Brewers prepare to open the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, manager Pat Murphy has settled on a clear role for one of the club’s most dynamic young talents.

Jackson Chourio will bat leadoff and play left field in Game 1, a decision that places the 22-year-old Venezuelan outfielder at the center of Milwaukee’s attempt to seize early control of the series.

The full lineup, as reported by Underdog MLB, runs Chourio, second baseman Brice Turang, catcher William Contreras, first baseman Jake Bauers, designated hitter Andrew Vaughn, center fielder Garrett Mitchell, shortstop Caleb Pratt, right fielder Luis Lara, and third baseman Joey Ortiz.

Right-hander Jacob Misiorowski is scheduled to start. The arrangement keeps Chourio in the spot he has occupied for much of the postseason, even though the Brewers shuffled him through different lineup positions during the regular season.

His combination of speed, power, and plate discipline has made the top of the order a natural fit once the playoffs began.

Milwaukee enters the series after a hard-fought victory over the San Diego Padres in the Division Series.

Chourio contributed throughout that matchup, including a two-run home run that helped set the tone early and a two-run, game-winning single in the ninth inning of Game 2 that put the Brewers ahead in the series.

Those moments reinforced the sense that he thrives when the stakes rise.

Through four postseason games so far, he has recorded one home run and six runs batted in, though his batting average sits at .188. The sample is small, yet the timing of his hits has already shaped Milwaukee’s path to this point.

Facing the Dodgers presents a different test. Los Angeles enters as the two-time defending World Series champions, a club built around elite pitching and a deep lineup capable of punishing any early mistakes.

The Brewers understand that falling behind in the series would force them to dig out of a difficult hole against a team that has repeatedly shown it can close out opportunities.

With Chourio installed as the first batter the Dodgers’ starter will see, Milwaukee is betting that his ability to reach base and create pressure can tilt early innings in their favor.

The rest of the order reflects a balance of contact and power. Contreras and Bauers provide run-producing potential behind Turang, while Vaughn, Mitchell, and the lower half of the lineup offer additional ways to sustain rallies.

Misiorowski’s presence on the mound gives the Brewers a chance to set a strong tone if he can navigate the Dodgers’ order efficiently. Still, the spotlight will inevitably return to Chourio.

At an age when many players are still adjusting to the major-league grind, he has already established himself as the player Milwaukee expects to deliver in the biggest moments of October.

Whether that expectation holds against a championship-caliber opponent will begin to reveal itself in Game 1. For the Brewers, the decision is straightforward: give the bat that has already produced signature postseason swings the first opportunity to set the tone against the team standing in their way.