Yelich quickly bouncing back into All-Star form

NEW YORK -- Christian Yelich’s last All-Star Game was in 2019, the year he was runner-up in NL MVP Award balloting after winning the year before. If you’ve followed the Brewers in any capacity during the ensuing seasons, you know what came next: A knee injury, a mega-contract and nothing like that level of dominance.

Now, Yelich is filling up the box scores again. He tallied three more hits in Wednesday night’s 5-2 win over the Mets at Citi Field, a performance capped by a game-breaking two-out, two-run single in the eighth inning that gave the Brewers their eighth victory in the past 12 games, and made a trip to the Midsummer Classic in Seattle at least within the realm of possibility.

“The numbers he put up for two years were video-game numbers,” said Brewers left-hander Wade Miley, a teammate of Yelich's in 2018 at the height of his powers, and now a teammate again after stints with the Astros, Reds and Cubs. “He’s still been a really, really good baseball player the last few years, but he's been discredited a little bit for what he's done.

“It's really cool to see him getting back and almost relaxing a little bit and just getting back to having fun playing the game.”

Said Brewers designated hitter Jesse Winker, who knows what it is to reach an All-Star level, then scratch and claw to try to get back: “He’s such a dynamic player. He means so much to the city of Milwaukee and obviously to the Brewers. It’s great to see, and I’m happy for him.”

Over his past 20 games, Yelich is 27-for-76 (.355) with 14 runs scored, 12 extra-base hits, 12 walks and 11 RBIs. His 2.5 wins above replacement (per FanGraphs) this season is sixth best among NL outfielders. Yelich's 121 wRC+ is 13th. He ranks in the 95th percentile in average exit velocity (92.9 mph) and in the 96th percentile in hard-hit percentage (55.1%), according to Statcast.

Yelich has a .444 on-base percentage in the first inning, including a double to start the game Wednesday night. Winker eventually followed by delivering a two-out, two-run double to cash in after the Brewers squandered similar opportunities the previous two nights.

In the first plate appearance of his 58 games batting leadoff, Yelich is 19-for-50 (.380) with eight extra-base hits, seven walks and a hit-by-pitch. All of that adds up to pressure against opposing pitchers like the Brewers placed on the Mets’ Kodai Senga on Wednesday, and has helped a Milwaukee team with a relatively meager offense remain at or near the top of the NL Central standings all year.

Yelich is also having one of his finest defensive seasons. His four outs above average is a dramatic improvement from last year’s -5. With input from coaches, including pitching coach Chris Hook, Yelich shortened his throwing motion to prevent opposing teams from taking so many liberties on the basepaths when he’s playing left field.

That’s the essence of his All-Star case as the Brewers reach their mathematic midpoint with Thursday’s series finale against the Mets.

Whether Yelich makes it depends on the makeup of the rest of the NL team.

The Brewers’ only sure bet for Seattle is closer Devin Williams, who breezed through a 13-pitch save to finish five more scoreless innings of relief for a Milwaukee bullpen that has a 1.62 ERA over the past 11 games and is on a streak of 14 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings.

“I think [Yelich] is playing really well, and he’s played really well for a long time this season now,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “He’s turned it into where every at-bat is really tough. … I’m definitely looking for his spot to come around in the lineup, because it seems like something’s going to happen right now.”

For Yelich, this began last offseason, when he went home to Southern California and unplugged entirely from baseball. By the standard of a non-MVP, his 2022 production was just fine: A 111 wRC+ and 154 games played in his age-30 season.

But he set a higher standard during his first two seasons with the Brewers, and he was intent on reporting to 2023 Spring Training with a clear head.

“I had a better outlook on things,” Yelich said before correcting himself. “Not better, just a different outlook. And just staying after it. I’m working on it every day, and it’s going good so far.”

Miley’s assessment that Yelich appears more relaxed may be exactly right.

“It feels like you’re in control of your at-bat,” Yelich said. “Obviously you’re not going to get a hit every time, but if you feel like you’re in control and swinging at pitches you want to swing at, that leads to success if you can make good decisions up there.

“It’s not going to go your way every time, but if you’re making good decisions, swinging at good pitches, then good things happen. It sounds easy in theory, but obviously it’s a lot harder than it is.”