Christian Yelich had one request before becoming Brewers’ first captain
The Milwaukee Brewers made franchise history on Saturday by naming Christian Yelich their first official team captain, but the honor came with one requirement. Before taking on the role, Yelich wanted approval from Brewers legend and Hall of Famer Robin Yount.
“He had one request that we ask Robin Yount before we do such a thing. Robin agreed wholeheartedly. Because in Yeli’s mind, Robin was the first captain,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy remarked via Hunter Baumgartner.
The Brewers settled on the move during a team meeting ahead of their penultimate regular season matchup with the St. Louis Cardinals. The idea initially surfaced within the clubhouse before reaching Pat Murphy, who then discussed it with principal owner Mark Attanasio and president of baseball operations Matt Arnold. After getting their input, Murphy brought the proposal to Yelich.
At 34 years old, Yelich will now wear a “C” on his jersey, placing him among a select group of active MLB captains. He joins New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge and Kansas City Royals captain Salvador Perez as the only three active players currently carrying the designation.
Christian Yelich with the Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers may have only made Yelich’s leadership official now, but the veteran has filled that role within the clubhouse for much of his Milwaukee career. Some teammates have even given him the nickname “Cap.” Since arriving from the Miami Marlins in 2018, Yelich has appeared in 1,089 games for the Brewers, which ranks 13th in franchise history. Across those games, he has hit .277 with an .847 OPS, 186 home runs and 616 RBIs.
Yelich’s rise to stardom began with an MVP campaign in his first season with Milwaukee, when he captured the National League award in 2018. He came close to repeating the feat in 2019, finishing second in the voting before a foul ball struck his kneecap in September and ended his season. Yelich reached another milestone in 2024 by earning his third All Star selection, then followed it up with 29 home runs and 103 RBIs in 2025.
Heading into Saturday, Yelich had posted a .236 average with 12 home runs, 58 RBIs, a .697 OPS and 0.2 bWAR. During his nine seasons with Milwaukee, the Brewers have reached the postseason eight times, winning the NL Central six times and claiming the division in each of the past four seasons.
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