JACKSON Brayan CHOURIO
Image of
Nickname:   N/A Position:   OF
Home: N/A Team:   BREWERS
Height: 6' 1" Bats:   R
Weight: 165 Throws:   R
DOB: 3/11/2004 Agent: Cesar Suarez
Uniform #: 11  
Birth City: Maracaibo, Venezuela
Draft: 2021 - Brewers - Free agent - Out of Venezuela
YR LEA TEAM SAL(K) G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO OBP SLG AVG
2021 DSL DSL-Brewers   45 159 31 47 7 1 5 25 8 3 23 28 .386 .447 .296
2022 SL BILOXI   6 23 0 2 1 0 0 4 2 1 2 11 .154 .130 .087
2022 MWL WISCONSIN   31 127 24 32 6 0 8 24 4 1 11 31 .317 .488 .252
2022 CAR CAROLINA   61 245 51 81 23 5 12 47 10 2 19 76 .380 .612 .331
2024 NL BREWERS   148 528 80 145 29 4 21 79 22 7 39 121 .327 .464 .275
Personal
  • Jan 2021: Chourio signed with the Brewers as a free agent, out of Venezuela for $1.8 million. The scouts were Fernando Veracierto and Luis Perez.

  • 2020 scouting report: His hit tool might be the most advanced part of his game at the moment, but his defense is not far behind. In fact, he shows good hands in the infield and an average arm now that projects to be a plus tool in the future. Like most prospects his age, Chourio is working on improving his footwork and internal clock, but he continues to make big strides in both areas. In the outfield, he has a good first step in center field and can cover lots of ground because of his running speed, which projects to be a plus tool in the future.

    At the plate, the teen shows good bat speed, an understanding of the strike zone, and the ability to put backspin on the ball. As a result, he can drive the ball out of the park to all fields, especially the opposite field. He is expected to have plus power as he matures and his body develops. There’s a chance his frame will force him to move to third base or a corner outfield spot, but for now, he’s staying put up the middle.  “Chourio has been praised for his makeup”. With strong character and a strong work ethic, Chourio has all the tools necessary to be a successful big leaguer.  (MLB Pipeline)

  • Jan. 16, 2021: The Brewers are adding an international prospect that has the potential to make an impact at two positions.

    The Brewers have an agreement with shortstop/outfielder Jackson Chourio of Venezuela, No. 18 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 International Prospects list, for $1.8 million, via scouts Fernando Veracierto and Luis Perez.

  • 2021 Season: A big-ticket international signing, Chourio was excellent in his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League, batting .296/.386/.447 with 5 homers, 8 steals, and nearly as many walks (23) as strikeouts (28) while playing at just 17 years old. His quick bat helps the ball jump more than one might expect and he projects to physically grow into plus power. His pitch recognition and bat-to-ball skills are regarded as advanced for his age.

    In his first season, Chourio played both second base and center field and has the tools to become an above-average defensive outfielder. He could mature into a legitimate power-speed threat.  (Kyle Lesniewski@Kyle_Lesniewski  Dec 14, 2021)

  • In 2022, the Baseball America Prospect Handbook rated Jackson as the 10th-best prospect in the Brewers' organization.

    But he was named their #1 prospect in both 2023 and 2024.

  • 2022 Season:

    Low-A/High-A/Double-A Stats (99 G): .288/.342/.538 (.879), 30-2B, 5-3B, 20-HR, 75-RBI 

    Minor League Gold Glove winner

    According to MLB Pipeline, Jackson Chourio was the #18-ranked international player available in 2021. He signed with the Brewers, as a shortstop, for a $1.9 million signing bonus. He hit .296/.386/447 (.833) with seven doubles and five homers in the DSL. He spent a little time playing in the Venezuelan Winter League this past offseason. 

    Chourio turned 18 in March and started his season at the Arizona Complex and spent a month there. On May 3, he moved up to Carolina and was one of the youngest players in the Carolina League and immediately made his proverbial presence known. He had two hits, including a home run, in his first game. Over his first seven games, he hit .467/.500/.767 (1.267) with six doubles and a homer. In 62 total games in Carolina, he hit .324/.373/.600 (.973) with 23 doubles, 5 triples, and 12 home runs. He moved up to High-A Wisconsin where he played in 31 games and hit .252/.317/.488 (.805) with six doubles and eight home runs. He even ended the season, at 18(!), at Double-A Biloxi where he went 2-for-23 in six games. 

    Chourio quickly moved up prospect rankings everywhere. He wasn’t in Baseball America’s Top 100 before the season. At midseason, he ranked around 30th overall, and after the draft, he is now the #2 prospect in all of baseball. And for good reasons.

    First, he’s young and dominated at the Low-A level. He moved up to High-A and more than held his own playing against some players 5-7 years older than him. But that’s just part of it. Chourio has incredible tools. The Brewers immediately moved him to center field to take advantage of his great speed and very strong arm. He hits for power to all fields. He went 16-for-20 in stolen base attempts. (Seth Stohs - Oct. 2, 2022)

  • Dec 22, 2022: Brewers breakout prospect of 2022: Jackson Chourio, OF (No. 1/MLB No. 10)

    If we’re making posters of 2022 breakouts, Chourio deserves to be featured in the hero spot. The Venezuelan outfielder famously skipped right over the Arizona Complex League and climbed three levels from Single-A to Double-A — all in his age-18 season.

    Chourio hit .288/.342/.538 with 20 homers and 16 steals in 99 games across those three affiliates, all while showing plus power, 70-grade speed and strong defense up the middle. Though some hit-tool questions persist, he now has the potential to be a No. 1 overall prospect before he graduates. (Mayo & Dykstra - MLB.com - Dec 22, 2022)

  • March 2023: The Brewers are taking fans behind the scenes with top prospects in a new documentary.

    Called “The Freshmen,” the docuseries comes from the Brewers’ in-house production team and will feature MLB Pipeline’s Top 5 Brewers prospects: Jackson Chourio, Sal Frelick, Joey Wiemer, Brice Turang, and Garrett Mitchell. Episodes will come in three weekly installments before Opening Day, with the potential for more episodes during the regular season.

    “The thing I like about it is it’s not just a normal interview,” Turang said. “There’s meaning behind it. It’s allowing people to know us better as the younger guys coming in, and how we get along with each other.” 

     Episode 1 introduces fans to the quartet of top position prospects in big league camp: Outfielders Frelick, Wiemer and Mitchell and infielder Turang, starting with Mitchell’s Major League debut last August and September. He was the first callup from this position player prospect wave, which has drawn comparisons to the mid-2000s group of Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks, J.J. Hardy, Corey Hart, and later on Ryan Braun. That crew helped lift the Brewers to postseason contention for the first time in a generation.

    Like that prospect group, this one is all homegrown. Chourio was the Brewers’ top international signee in the class of 2020-21. The others are Draft picks; Turang in the first round in 2018 out of high school, Mitchell (first round) and Wiemer (fourth round) in 2020 out of college and Frelick (first round) in 2021, also out of college. Turang, Mitchell, Wiemer and Frelick were all both within 18 months of each other.

    “I had a sneak preview, and it looks like they’ve done a great job with this,” Brewers farm director Tom Flanagan said. “Any time you can draw attention to these kinds of players, it’s a good thing for everybody. It’s a great behind-the-scenes look at these guys, maybe something different for the fans.”  

    Besides wearing microphones in workouts and, in the case of Spring Training roommates Frelick and Wiemer, inviting cameras into their apartment, each of the players sat for extended documentary-style interviews and talked about the others.

    “‘G’ is definitely the best behind the camera,” Wiemer said, referring to Mitchell. “Me, I’m not great behind the camera. But I got to see the first episode and I think it came out awesome. Not that I didn’t expect it to be good, but it exceeded expectations for me.” 

     “It’s fun to see what they came out with, and how it’s more getting to know us instead of us just running around and playing,” Turang said. “You actually get to hear us talking about each other.”

    Episode 2 has off-the-field footage with Frelick and Wiemer at home (early word is that Frelick is quite an entertaining poker player) as well as Mitchell and his wife, professional softball player Haley Cruse Mitchell.

    In Episode 3, fans will learn about the origin stories of each prospect in their own words, from Frelick’s New England upbringing to Wiemer’s Midwest roots in Michigan to Turang and Mitchell from Southern California.

    “It’s awesome to have guys to go through this with,” Wiemer said. “I think the show does a really good job of representing that. Behind the scenes, off the field, it’s really cool to be part of that group of guys.”  (Adam McCalvy)

  • The pitcher was throwing hard, and Jackson Chourio wanted some.

    It was the fifth inning of a mid-August game when the Brewers prospect leaned over to High-A Wisconsin manager Joe Ayrault for a quick scouting report. On the mound, mowing down Chourio’s teammates, was South Bend Cubs fireballer Yovanny Cruz. “How hard is that?” Chourio asked his skipper. The answer: 102 mph. It should have been intimidating, but a few months into his first full professional season, little had cowed Chourio so far.

    “I want to face that guy,” the prospect replied.

    It took two more games, but Chourio got his chance. Cruz entered the game in the seventh and rocketed a first-pitch fastball to the top of the zone. Chourio whipped his bat around, shooting the ball into left field for a single. The hit was Chourio’s fourth of the day, and the first of them had been even more impressive. Facing Cubs starter Danny Palencia, Chourio had turned around 100 mph for a two-run homer.

    “Some young hitters, they work themselves into a good hitter’s count and they just get big and they swing and fall down,” says Ayrault. “This was a perfect swing, smooth and effortless. I was like, ‘Wow.'”

    Clobbering triple-digit fastballs with regularity is a remarkable feat for anyone, but when Chourio does it, it’s all the more amazing. When he smoked those heaters against South Bend last year, he was just 18 years old. The media guide listed him at 165 pounds. He may have been a wunderkind, but he was not a man-child. “Baby-faced,” says Brewers hitting coordinator Brenton Del Chiaro. “Long and lean.” On average, Chourio was more than four years younger than the rest of the Midwest League. He was the only player in the league born in 2004.

    That he can do that, that he can leverage so much power from his still-maturing frame and lightning-quick hands, is exactly what makes Chourio the pride of the Brewers’ system and one of the best prospects in baseball. The Brewers saw a future star in Chourio first, but like the young outfielder facing 100 mph gas, everyone else has caught up quickly. Chourio started last year in extended spring training and didn’t make his full-season debut until May. After destroying the Low-A Carolina League for two months — Chourio hit .324 with a .973 OPS and 12 home runs — the Brewers jumped him to High A.

    By the end of the year, he was patrolling center for Double-A Biloxi. Ascents that rapid can give one the bends. Entering last year, Chourio was not listed among The Athletic’s Top 100 prospects. Going into this season, he’s No. 3. He’s a known quantity now, but familiarity breeds only further appreciation when it comes to the young Venezuelan. Now barely 19, he is only marginally taller and slightly more muscular than he was a year ago. His smile now beams with the glint of braces, underscoring his youth. Yet, despite outward appearances, he has matured. He still has those quick hands and that efficient swing, but he also has a better idea of how to deploy them. He is learning to attack his at-bats with precision, hunting for pitches he can destroy. Even pitches over 100 miles an hour. 

    In his first spring game with the big-league club earlier this month, Chourio hit balls with exit velocities of 104, 108 and 111 mph — two went for doubles — and cut down a runner at the plate. Two weeks later in a back-fields game, he smoked a hit at 108 mph and nailed a runner at home again.

    “You just start to stack all these things up,” says Cam Castro, the team’s vice president of player development, “and you’re like, ‘It should take more than four innings to see all of that from one player.'”

    Chourio was hardly a secret as an amateur in Venezuela, and his strength, speed and willingness to shoot balls to the opposite gap led the Brewers to lavish him with a $1.8 million bonus three years ago. He was the star of Milwaukee’s international class, but the light from stars usually takes a long time to reach Earth. What has surprised the Brewers is how Chourio put all of his various tools together so quickly.

    He is on a startlingly straight trajectory — few peaks and valleys, says Brewers farm director Tom Flanagan, “more arrows pointing up” — and Chourio is rapidly approaching its terminus. He climbed three levels last year, and while the journey will get tougher, little has seemed difficult for him to this point. He should reach majors before his 21st birthday, and possibly before he leaves his teens.

    Coming soon to Milwaukee: The Chourio Show. 

    Chourio is aware of the attention around him, although he shows few signs of being burdened by it. “As much as we think it’s the Chourio Show,” says Castro, “to him, it’s not.” His younger brother, Jaison, is a prospect with the Guardians, and when asked who is the better player, Chourio offers a skeptical “Me?” (There is another Chourio, an 11-year-old catcher named James, about whom Chourio is a bit blunter with his assessment. “He still needs a little strength,” he says. “He’s a little weak.”)

    His favorite player, Mariners star Julio Rodríguez, is only three years older than he is. Chourio is on pace to beat Rodríguez’s blazing timeline to the majors by at least a year. Pretty soon, they’ll be peers.

    But for now, Brewers fans can find Chourio on the back fields in Phoenix, putting on a show for Milwaukee staffers and a smattering of looky-loos and autograph hounds. In a matter of days, when camp breaks, the Chourio Show will hit the road, bound for the Midwest or the Deep South. Wherever the destination, spectators should get their tickets now.

    At least until it hits Milwaukee, it doesn’t tend to stick around for long. (Buchanan - Mar 23, 2023 - The Athletic)

  • In 2023, Jackson represented the Brewers in the 2023 All-Star Futures Game.

  • When Double-A Biloxi center fielder Jackson Chourio stole second base uncontested in the sixth inning of a Sept. 7 game against Birmingham, it seemed like just an everyday occurrence in the minor leagues.

    But in reality the 19-year-old had just joined an exclusive club.

    That stolen base marked Chourio’s 40th of the season, and he already had hit 21 home runs to that point. That made him just the fourth teenager since 1963 to amass at least 20 homers and steal at least 40 bases in the same season.

    Two of Chourio’s predecessors in the teenage 20-40 club are famous. Ronald Acuna Jr in 2019 at age 19 and Andruw Jones in 1995 at age 18. This season, Chourio finished his time at Double-A with a .280/.336/.467 batting line with 22 homers and 43 steals in 122 games. The Brewers promoted him to Triple-A Nashville on Sept. 19.

    Chourio, facing the standard minor league ball in the second half of the season, compiled a 145 OPS+. That puts his offensive production more in the vicinity of Acuña in 2017 and should assuage concerns about Chourio’s upside potential based on a subpar first half. (Eddy - Sep 21, 2023 - baseballamerica.com)

  • 2023 Season: The Milwaukee Brewers announced their 2023 Robin Yount Performance Awards, naming infielder Tyler Black and outfielder Jackson Chourio as co-Minor League Players of the Year. Chourio is the first player in franchise history to earn Minor League Player of the Year twice, as he also took home the award in 2022. Rodríguez, who also won Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2022, joins Ben Hendrickson (2002, ’04) as the only pitchers to win multiple times. The Brewers began naming such awards in 1999.

    Chourio hit .282/.338/.467 with 26 doubles, 3 triples, 22 HR, 91 RBI, 88 runs and 44 stolen bases over 128 games between Biloxi (122g) and Nashville (6g).

    The 19-year-old spent most of 2023 in Biloxi where he batted .280/.336/.467 with 23 doubles, 3 triples, 22 HR, 89 RBI, 84 runs and 43 stolen bases in 122 games. He was promoted to Nashville on Sept. 18 and hit .333/.375/.476 with 3 doubles, 2 RBI, 4 runs and a stolen base over 6 games.

    Ranked as Milwaukee’s top prospect and the No. 2 overall prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline, Chourio led the organization in RBI (91), hits (150) and total bases (248). He ranked among leaders in runs (2nd, 88), extra-base hits (2nd, 51), stolen bases (2nd, 44), HR (3rd, 22), doubles (4th, 26) and slugging percentage (6th, .467). (MLB - Sept. 25, 2023)

  • Jan 18, 2023: It’s been a transformational offseason for the Brewers. Not only do they have a new manager, they’ve ushered in a new face of the franchise in Jackson Chourio, formalizing that role for their top prospect via a record-breaking extension in December.

    MLB.com's David Venn recently sat down with Chourio during the annual MLB/MLBPA Rookie Program to talk about Chourio playing for his home team in Venezuela, signing a long-term deal with Milwaukee and more.

    MLB.com: How has your life been the last two years with two Futures Games, rising up the Minor League system and, of course, the contract?

    Chourio: Really, I’d say it’s been exciting. Exciting and full of blessings, you know? Those experiences are unforgettable for me and well, the good thing is that I enjoyed them to the fullest. 

    MLB.com: Sometimes people see you and think everything comes easy, with everything you’ve done. The question is: Has it been that easy? Or should people know more about the effort?

    Chourio: No, no, no. They should know more. You prepare all year for the season, right? And you work hard to see those positive results. 

    MLB.com: Speaking of preparation and experience in baseball, how has it been for you in recent years to play for the Águilas del Zulia, your home team? 

    Chourio: I think that’s priceless, you know? It’s the team that I watched growing up. I love playing here in my country, having people support me. I grew up watching that team, and for me it’s like a dream to play there. 

    MLB.com: In a lot of cases, there are family members, friends from your city or from the city of a player that don’t have the chance to see them play in the United States. But they do when that player is in their home country. Is that the case with you? 

    Chourio: My family is pretty big, and they’re really happy to be able to see me play. 

    MLB.com: You are the No. 1 prospect for Milwaukee and No. 2 in baseball, and now you have the contract. How do you take on that responsibility at this stage in your career? 

    Chourio: The truth is, it’s a lot of responsibility, you know? It’s important, you know? I think that it's about trying to always be the best [that you can] in everything. And so I’ll always try to make the effort and always give the best of myself to have positive results, you know? 

    MLB.com: Now, the Milwaukee club has put a lot of trust in you, obviously. What do you think of that, and how will you go about rewarding it? 

    Chourio: Since the day I signed, they always gave me that confidence and gave me that opportunity. And thank God, I’ve been able to take advantage of it. That makes me really happy. Every time I go out and play, I go out and play without worry and calm, because I know that people have confidence in me. And thank God, things have turned out well. 

    MLB.com: You could start this season in Triple-A, but you could also start the season with the big league club. Have you thought about how your MLB debut will be?

    Chourio: I used to think about it. Obviously, I’d like my family to be present. It’s possible, but I think the visas have expired. But I’d just like them to be there.

    MLB.com: How excited are you to be with the big league team in Spring Training this year in Phoenix? And how much do you want to show the team what you have at this stage of your career?

    Chourio: The truth is, what’s happening with me is a blessing. Thank God, I’ve done really well these last few years and, well, I’m just going there to enjoy it, to get a little more experience, try to learn a little about everything and, well, work on myself to have a good year. (J Treza - MLB.com - Jan 18, 2023)

  • March 22, 2024: Few prospects in recent memory have ascended as quickly as Jackson Chourio, who was signed by the Brewers in 2021 at age 16, reached Double-A in 2022 at age 18 and logged his first time at the Triple-A level in 2023 at age 19. Now, less a month after turning 20, Chourio is headed to the Majors.

    Chourio made the Brewers' Opening Day roster after recently signing an eight-year contract with club options in 2032 and 2033, which made the youngster just the sixth player with zero days of MLB service time to sign an extension.

    Here’s what you need to know about MLB’s No. 2 overall prospect.

    FAST FACTS

    Birthdate: March 11, 2004 (Age 20 in 2024)

    Primary position: OF

    Height/weight: 5-foot-11, 198 lbs.

    Hometown: Maracaibo, Venezuela

    Signed: Jan. 15, 2021 (by MIL)ETA: 2024

    Destined for stardom

    Chourio’s baseball acumen has shown up early and often. Under the tutelage of his father, a former baseball player also named Jackson, the Venezuela native picked up baseball at a young age and immediately was a natural. His prowess was so evident that the Brewers signed him to a monster $1.8 million deal at the ripe age of 16 back in January 2021. 

    Unsurprisingly, his youth has been a common theme in his achievements since then. He was the youngest participant at the Sirius XM All-Star Futures Game in Los Angeles in 2022, as the only participant born as recently as 2004. He was also the youngest prospect in MLB Pipeline's Top 25 prior to the 2023 season and is the fifth-youngest as of December 2023. 

    Dominant first full season in Minors

    In his brief but dominant Minor League tenure, Chourio has proven that the hype is no fluke. Months after he signed with the Brewers, Chourio had an impressive showing at age 17 in the Dominican Summer League, hitting .296/.386/.447 with five home runs and a 28/23 K/BB ratio over 45 games. But the real breakout came a year later, when Chourio earned MVP of the Single-A Carolina League despite being promoted to High-A, and then Double-A, later in the same season. Chourio was also named the Carolina League’s top Major League prospect, after a 62-game Single-A outing in which he batted .324 with 23 doubles, five triples, 12 home runs, 47 RBIs and 10 steals.

  • For the entire year, Chourio batted .288 with 30 doubles, five triples, 20 homers, 75 RBIs, 75 runs and 16 steals in 99 games between Carolina, High-A Wisconsin (31 games) and Double-A Biloxi (6 games), finishing 2022 as the youngest full-season player in Minor League Baseball.

    Continuing his ascent

    Chourio continued to burnish his impressive Minor League résumé in 2023, playing most of the season with Double-A Biloxi before making the leap to Triple-A Nashville for six games late in the campaign.

    He ended up hitting .282 with 22 home runs, 91 RBIs, 44 stolen bases and an .805 OPS over 128 games between the two levels, becoming only the fifth teenager to produce a 20-homer, 40-steal season in the Minors since 1958. At season's end, Chourio was named to the MLB Pipeline Prospect Team of the Year as a second-team selection.

    But Chourio wasn't done. He went on to tear up the Venezuelan Winter League to the tune of a .379/.453/.530 slash over 75 plate appearances spanning 17 games.

    With such great numbers come great expectations, as the baseball world has not shied away from projecting Chourio for future stardom. McCalvy wrote that the 19-year-old “is the most hyped Brewers prospect in years”, and that mindset has been matched by those who have shared a locker room with him.

    “He’s a hitter, man. It’s not hard to see,” Brewers then-manager Craig Counsell said after Chourio hit two doubles in an exhibition win over Great Britain’s World Baseball Classic team in March 2023. “He put up four good at-bats. That’s impressive in itself, no matter if you’re highly touted or not. He’s a good baseball player with an extremely bright future ahead of him.” “Right now, he's a different guy,” said Victor Estevez, Chourio’s then-manager at Single-A Carolina, in July 2022. “I compare him to a Ronald Acuña Jr. type of player. Any of those young guys who made it to the big leagues early, I compare him to those types of players, to be honest.”

  • Acuña, another Venezuelan outfielder who also climbed to the Single-A level for the first time at 18 years old, ended up making his MLB debut before turning 21. If and when Chourio makes his 2024 debut, he would become the first Milwaukee position player to play at age 20 or younger since nine-time All-Star Gary Sheffield did so back in the late 1980s.

    What can’t Chourio do? The list is slim, as he ranks above-average via the MLB 20-to-80 scouting scale in hitting, power, running, and fielding. He told MLB.com that his favorite aspect of the game is hitting, and that was backed up by Brewers vice president of player operations and baseball administration Tom Flanagan, who said in 2022 that Chourio’s “damage to the baseball is off the charts.”

  • According to MLB Pipeline, Chourio's "still-developing plate discipline and zone coverage" was keeping him "from being the gold standard among position-player prospects" entering 2023. However, he showed improvement in that area last season with the help of his most trusted coach of all: his father, who watches every game on MILB.tv.

  • “Every time we have a conversation, he's telling me, ‘They’re just pitching outside to you. You better make an adjustment,’” said Chourio in 2022. “‘You’re swinging at those pitches in the dirt.’ Every time I call my dad, we have a really good conversation about every single at-bat.”

    After striking out in 26.9% of his plate appearances in 2022, Chourio trimmed his strikeout rate to 17.8% in '23 while holding his walk rate steady at 7.4%.

    Jackson Chourio isn’t the only one who has been helped out by Dad’s advice. There’s another MLB prospect in his immediate family. And believe it or not, the other one is even younger than him. Jackson’s younger brother, Jaison Chourio, doesn’t turn 19 until May 2024, and he is already in the Guardians organization, having played 88 games in their system across 2022-23.

    Jaison, another outfielder, was also 16 when he signed his first professional contract, and his contract came at a hefty price of $1.2 million, the largest bonus of that year’s Guardians international signing class. (C Jackson - MLB.com - March 22, 2024)

  • March 27, 2024: Chourio will debut having played only six games at Triple-A, after reaching that level late last year and then signing a historic extension with Milwaukee over the winter..

    Here's what to know about Jackson:

    Jackson Chourio, OF, Brewers

    Overall prospect ranking: No. 2Opening Day age: 20 years, 17 days

    Hometown: Maracaibo, Venezuela

    The eight-year, $82 million big league contract Chourio signed in December includes two club $25 million options that could keep him in Milwaukee through 2033 – and make the deal worth $140 million over the next 10 years. If that’s not investing in your prospects, nothing is. No team has ever guaranteed so much money to a player with zero Major League service time; Chourio’s deal with the Brewers far out-strips the six-year, $50 million pact Luis Robert Jr. inked with the White Sox in 2020.

    Everything in Chourio’s development indicates he’s the right player to make that kind of history. Signed for $1.8 million as an international free agent in 2021, Chourio enjoyed an enormous breakout the following year and reached Double-A as an 18-year-old. He spent most of 2023 dominating at Double-A Biloxi, where he finished with 22 homers and 44 steals. He became only the fifth teenager to reach the 20-40 plateau in the Minors since 1958, and the first since Ronald Acuńa Jr. in 2017. (J Trezza - MLB.com - March 27, 2024)

  • May 15, 2024: He has played 39 games so far this season, making him just the fourth player in Major League history with five home runs and five stolen bases to log those totals in that amount of time.

  • May 18, 2024: Sarah Langs emerged with the incredible statistic. In their first career 39 games at age 20 or younger, Chourio joins Fernando Tatis Jr., Carlos Correa, and Ken Griffey Jr. as players who accomplished this feat this quickly. 

  • In Milwaukee on Aug 12, Chourio faced Clayton Kershaw. 

    Chourio, 20, was four years old when Kershaw made his debut, also at age 20, in 2008. It was exciting to face him, Chourio said later, because Kershaw is his father’s favorite pitcher. He flied out and grounded out in his first two at-bats, then ran the count full in his third. The next pitch was shoulder-high, easily ball four, but Chourio could not resist.

    He reached up and swung hard, as if knocking a beehive out of a tree, and smashed the ball off the right-field fence. Chourio hit it so hard that he stopped at first base, right where he’d be if he’d taken the pitch. But the Brewers could not complain.

    “To be able to get to that pitch and drive it, it kind of encapsulates what he’s about,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “To me, that’s that young talent. You can’t teach that kind of stuff.” He’s vaulted himself into the fun, flashy field of National League Rookie of the Year contenders.  Jackson is one of six players in MLB history with 15+ HR & 15+ SB at age 20 - 157 days. 

    The big leagues, Chourio said, have brought no surprises.

    “To be completely honest with you, it’s kind of what I was expecting it to be,” he said through an interpreter, Brewers assistant coach Daniel deMondesert. “I know it’s the highest level and it’s a difficult level to play at, so I knew I was going to have to make adjustments when I was here. And that’s how it’s been.”

    Murphy said Chourio never stopped smiling, even when he dropped him in the order, benched him or pinch-hit for him. Ozzie Timmons, a Brewers hitting coach, said Chourio was uncommonly self-assured — “I’ll ask him, ‘Are you ready to go?’ because sometimes he looks like he’s not even here, and he goes, ‘Look at me, I’m always ready!’” (Kepner - Aug 16, 2024 - The Athletic) 

  • Topps has been producing stand-alone sets featuring Major League Baseball players as Garbage Pail Kids for several years now, but 2024 Bowman Chrome, which was released on Wednesday, Sep 10th includes a first-ever GPK insert set in a wider, more traditional product.

    For example, there’s "Jackpot Jackson". On his card he is depicted smiling wide with his arms in the air on a yellow twisty slide accompanied by many baseballs travelling down with him as well. (Peck - Sep 11, 2024 - The Athletic)

  • Sept 13, 2024: A 20-20 season at age 20? Chalk it up as another history-making moment for Brewers rookie Jackson Chourio.

    When Chourio powered an opposite-field home run through the cold air at Oracle Park in the eighth inning of Thursday’s 3-0 win over the Giants, he became the first Major Leaguer to secure a 20-homer, 20-stolen base season before his 21st birthday. (A McCalvy - MLB.com - Sept 13, 2024) 

  • Oct 11, 2024: It wasn’t a poor showing, by any means. But Jackson Chourio, the wiry 14-year-old from Maracaibo, Venezuela, who played the infield and outfield but mostly liked to play “hitter,” wasn’t barreling the baseball when he showcased in Davie, Fla., for a crowd of scouts from across Major League Baseball. The Brewers’ representatives, Fernando Veracierto and Luis Pérez, knew enough about Chourio on his good days to know that this wasn’t one of them. They hoped other teams departed unimpressed.

    “I think we are blessed that the kid on that day had -- I would say it was a fair showcase,” said Veracierto, Milwaukee’s Latin America crosschecker. “Luis and I didn’t care if the kid hit the ball or not that day. We knew he was special.”

    So, they put it in writing. The Brewers’ brass, up to then-assistant GM Matt Arnold, believed. And a couple of years later, Chourio is not only Milwaukee’s most hyped prospect in years. He's also a big part of the franchise's future, after signing a record 8-year contract with two team options that could keep him with the Brewers through 2033.

  • Veracierto and Pérez both want it to be known that this is not just a story about two dogged scouts. It’s a story about an entire scouting and player-development apparatus, from the area scout in Maracaibo to the front office in Milwaukee, all of whom made a commitment to a teenager with immense promise. And of course it’s a story about the talent and drive of that young man himself.

    “I said, ‘If you want to sign the No. 1 international player, don’t miss Jackson Chourio,” said Pérez. “Our bosses supported us. Our bosses believed us.”

    Said Veracierto, coming up on two decades in scouting with the Red Sox and Brewers: “We had the blessing to sign one of the most talented kids I’ve ever seen in my career. He can do things like Juan Soto, like Ronald Acuña Jr., like Fernando Tatis Jr., like Julio Rodríguez. … We have plenty of players that have a chance to be really good. But Chourio, he is a different animal.”

  • Chourio knows about the hype. He isn't yet 20 and seems to perpetually wear the smile you’d expect on someone coming off the most joyous baseball season of his life. Chourio comes in at No. 2 in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100; he began the season at No. 6 thanks to a remarkable 2022 season in which he was the youngest player at Single-A, the youngest player at High-A and the youngest player at Double-A. He’s the highest-ranked Brewers prospect since Orlando Arcia reached No. 6 overall in 2016.

    Baseball America had Chourio ranked No. 3 overall going into 2023. That made him the highest-ranked Brewers prospect in the history of that publication’s Top 100, just higher than Rickie Weeks (No. 5 in 2004) and Ben Sheets (No. 5 in 2001), according to Editor in Chief JJ Cooper. The only Brewers outfielder ever to crack BA’s Top 10 before Chourio was Greg Vaughn, who ranked ninth in 1990.

    Does Chourio track these matters?

    “Not really, but I have a feel,” he said last spring. “I understand what has happened.”

    What happened was what Brewers vice president and special assistant to the general manager and baseball operations Eduardo Brizuela called an “unbelievable” performance in 2022. Chourio entered the year highly regarded but somewhat unknown, then became known to everybody by slashing .288/.342/.538 in 439 plate appearances between Single-A Carolina, High-A Wisconsin and Double-A Biloxi. He hit 20 homers, 30 doubles and five triples while stealing 16 bases. His superior speed and quick reflexes made him a fine center fielder.

    By the time he made it up to Wisconsin, the hype was intense. Coaches there watched closely to see how Chourio would handle it all.

    So did the Brewers’ general manager.

    “We had a Major League player on rehab. I won’t say who because it might hurt his feelings,” said GM Matt Arnold, breaking a smile. “I went up to see him in Wisconsin. The whole crowd was over to get balls signed by Chourio, and not by our big leaguer on rehab. It didn’t faze Chourio at all. I think he kind of likes it in a way -- but with some humility. He knows he’s a big deal.”

    Arnold has been around players like that over the years. Early in his career when he worked for Texas, it was Alex Rodriguez. In Cincinnati, it was Ken Griffey Jr.

    “Those guys had this next-level ease about how great they are,” Arnold said. “It’s not fair to compare [Chourio] to those types. But the ease with which he operates is like that.”

    Arnold occasionally had to remind himself of Chourio’s youth.

    “He was doing all this at an age he could have been playing at Whitefish Bay High School,” Arnold said, referring to the Milwaukee-area hamlet that he and former Brewers manager Craig Counsell call home. “When you think of it like that, this is unbelievable what he’s doing.”

    Also watching closely was Brizuela, who happens to be one of the highest-ranking officials of Venezuelan heritage in baseball. He was conscious of the pressure building on Chourio as his star rose throughout the summer.

    “That’s something that we always ask ourselves as we go through this process, just to have a sense of protection for the kid -- especially with him being so young,” Brizuela said. “With him, we have no indication that is going to affect him.

    “He’s very humble, he understands where he stands right now, he understands there are going to be a lot of high expectations. But at the same time, it’s most important that he understands that he needs to get better, that there are still areas for him to improve. That’s what drives him every single day when he gets to the park.”

    Chourio hit a career-high 22 home runs in a 2023 season spent mostly at Double-A Biloxi, then kept hitting in the Venezuelan Winter League, where he slashed .379/.453/.530 in 17 games before calling it a season.

  • Chourio has been driven since he was very young. He began playing baseball at age 4 and says he believed in his heart by the time he was 12 that he could play professionally. He credited a longtime coach, Jorge Cequera, and his father, also named Jackson Chourio. It’s clear the younger Chourio comes from good genes. Chourio’s younger brother, Jaison, is playing in the Cleveland Guardians organization. And there’s another brother, 11 or 12 years old, Veracierto said, whom scouts are following closely.

    “My dad was there every day, seeing how I was working out and helping me improve throughout the years with my game,” the younger Jackson Chourio said.

    He was the centerpiece of the Brewers’ international signing class in January 2021, scoring a $1.8 million bonus. Like so many good scouting stories, this one is a story of relationships.

    Pérez, who was then Brewers assistant to the international scouting director, and Veracierto, who was Venezuelan scouting supervisor, had played winter ball for Tiburones de La Guaira with Chourio’s advisor, Cesar Suarez. When Chourio was 14, Suarez convinced Pérez to take a look. Pérez was so impressed that he called Veracierto, who was at a tournament in Medellín, Colombia, with Brewers international scouting director Mike Groopman, and told them to come to Florida as soon as possible.

    “When you see a Venezuelan kid with those tools at 14, 15 years old, that’s not common,” Veracierto said. “We identified quickly that, hey, we have something special here.” Scout Fernando Veracierto and Chourio, when he was just 16 years old.

    Said Pérez: “When you have been seeing Venezuelan players for 10 years, you can realize, ‘That guy is different than other ones.’ When I saw Jackson, I said, look, time out. I know he is a little bit inconsistent in BP and against pitchers, but he is totally different than other players.”

    During a phone call, Arnold asked Pérez, “Are you 100 percent sure?”

    Pérez was close but wanted one more look at Chourio against live pitching. He and Veracierto organized a private showcase in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, with all of the Brewers’ Venezuelan staff -- everyone from supervisors to area scouts to video technicians to strength and conditioning specialists. They brought in the best pitchers they could find.

    “The first at-bat, he struck out,” Veracierto said. “Second at-bat, Chourio struck out. But it’s not all about swing and miss, right? It’s about what can this kid flash us at a young age?”I thought to myself, this is the right guy. There’s no doubt. I asked Fernando, ‘What do you think?’ He said, ‘Luis, don’t miss that guy.’ So, I put my neck on the table for that kid.

    In Chourio’s third at-bat, he faced an older prospect who was throwing 90-92 mph with advanced breaking stuff and command. Chourio hit a hard ground ball to shortstop and the scouts clocked his sprint to first base at 4.1 seconds. That opened eyes.

    He had one more at-bat.

    “Same pitcher,” Veracierto said. “Fastball, middle away. Chourio was able to hit a line drive to the opposite field to the wall. We knew we were in front of a pretty special talent.”

    Said Pérez: “I thought to myself, this is the right guy. There’s no doubt. I asked Fernando, ‘What do you think?’ He said, ‘Luis, don’t miss that guy.’ So, I put my neck on the table for that kid.”

    Pérez phoned Arnold and Groopman.

    “This is the kid,” he told them.

    When it came time to finalize an agreement, Arnold was in Biloxi visiting the Brewers’ Double-A team. He was having dinner at that steakhouse tucked into the large casino that neighbors the ballpark and answered the phone while navigating to a quiet spot away from the noisy slot machines.

    An hour later, a deal was in place that represented the Brewers’ biggest investment in an international prospect since shortstop Gilbert Lara received a record $3.2 million bonus in 2014. Lara’s story reflects the risk inherent in multimillion dollar investments in teenagers.

    Nine years later, he has played seven games above the Double-A level and has yet to make the Majors. The Brewers traded Lara to the Nationals in a 2018 deal that landed Gio Gonzalez.

    “What really helped us with Chourio is we had a lot of early history with him,” Arnold said. “You have to be careful in that space. You can go to a workout and the balls are fake, or the pitcher is tipping signs, or the bat is juiced. All these things can happen.

    “Our group, to their credit -- Fernando, Luis Pérez -- did a wonderful job. You could feel the passion on the line about this player.”

    Going on four years later, that hasn’t changed.

    “We did our job as scouts and we had the support of our bosses,” Pérez said, “They trusted our evaluations and they approved the signing bonus for Jackson Chourio. He is so mature. He plays the game the right way with high energy. He loves to compete. He loves baseball. You can have all the tools, but you have to love baseball.”

    Pérez has been fortunate to see Chourio play all over the past few years, from the Dominican Complex League to the Venezuelan Winter League to Zebulon, N.C., and Appleton, Wis. He was there when Chourio debuted for the Timber Rattlers in front of a big crowd and smacked a single up the middle on the second pitch he saw.

    “He’s a player that knows what he’s got,” Pérez said. “But he plays hard and he plays right. I’m proud for Jackson Chourio.” 

  • Chourio wasn't in the Brewers’ big league camp in 2023, but he looked right at home when he’s around big league players. Last winter, he spent some time at American Family Fields of Phoenix hitting with a number of the Brewers’ Major League players, and said he took a particular liking to fellow outfield prospect Garrett Mitchell. One of the other hitters on hand was Keston Hiura, the last Milwaukee prospect before Chourio to crack MLB Pipeline’s Top 100.

    “He’s a lot younger than I was when I went through it,” Hiura said. “The biggest thing is having fun. Through the Minor Leagues and these days in Spring Training, this is when you make some of the best memories of your life. Absorb as much as you can from everything around you. And have fun.”

    “With the language barrier, and as young as he is, the fact he seems as comfortable as he is, that’s huge,” Mitchell said. “He’s the next up and coming. He was at Double-A, so he’s a call away. And he’s a good dude. If this is where he ends up being in the future, we want to make him comfortable and give him hugs and let him be himself. He has to remember that the way he plays the game is what got him here. I think the Brewers do a good job of letting us be ourselves.”

    Chourio made his first appearance of 2023 in the Brewers’ exhibition against Great Britain’s World Baseball Classic club and doubled twice, including a line drive that carried over the left fielder’s head. He also threw out a runner at the plate from left field. You know a prospect is for real, Counsell said, when other players in the dugout take immediate notice.

    “Hype is great,” the manager said last spring. “The player earns the hype. You should celebrate it because the player earned it; absolutely he earned it. At the same time, those hurdles, the player learns they never stop. Somebody keeps putting a hurdle in front of them. Somebody keeps putting something else in front of them. It's never-ending. I'm sure he's started to feel that.

    “He's got to perform for the rest of his life, you know? He got exposed to the rest of the world for the first time last year, and hopefully he does that stuff for 20 years.”

    Chourio was asked what he believes to be the strength of his game.

    He smiled and said, “To hit.”

    Is that the best part of baseball?

    “Yes,” he said. “I like it a lot and I feel like I’m really good at it.” (A McCalvy - MLb.com - Oct 11, 2024)

     

    TRANSACTIONS

  • Jan 2021: Chourio signed with the Brewers as a free agent, out of Venezuela for $1.8 million. The scouts were Fernando Veracierto and Luis Perez.

  • Dec 1, 2023: Chourio has a new contract with the Brewers for eight guaranteed years and $82 million, with two club options for 2032 and 2033 (plus incentives), which could push the total value to $142 million over 10 years. MLB Network insider Jon Heyman reported that guarantee, which would be the richest deal signed by a player with zero years of MLB service time, eclipsing Luis Robert Jr.’s $50 million contract with the White Sox. 

    Now, the pressure shifts onto the shoulders of Chourio, who signed out of Venezuela in 2021. He has enjoyed two stellar minor league seasons and is coming off a strong 17-game showing for Zulia in the Venezuelan League.

    “There’s definitely a little bit of pressure,” Jackson said. “But I’m going to work really hard. This money’s not going to change me, and if something changes, it’s definitely going to be for the better.

  • Nov 18, 2024: - Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio finished third in NL Rookie of the Year Award balloting on Monday, tying a bow on a special debut for the youngest player to appear in a Major League game this season.

    Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes won the award after appearing first on 23 of the 30 ballots cast by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill received the other seven first-place votes and finished third ahead of Chourio, who finished third on 26 ballots. (A McCalvy - MLB.com - Nov 18, 2024)

Batting
  • Chourio's contact at the plate is capable of playing everywhere in the park. Brewers officials were often awestruck at how the right-handed slugger thumped the ball to right almost as easily as he did to left.

    What’s clear is that Chourio is an electric talent with standout tools and skills at a premium position. His explosiveness is evident in his bat speed, which helps him drive the ball out to any part of the park. He has plus-plus raw power and is content letting the ball travel deep and hammering the ball to right-center field, with more than half of his home runs going to center or right field. Chourio is a good hitter who doesn’t swing and miss much at pitches in the strike zone, though he will need to tighten up his plate discipline. He’s not a free-swinger, and he did chase less as the season progressed, but continued improvement with his swing decisions will be critical for him to achieve his potential. (Ben Badler - Baseball America - Spring, 2024)

  • 2023: What keeps Chourio from being the gold standard among position-player prospects is his still-developing plate discipline and zone coverage. Early on in 2022, Chourio struggled against breaking stuff away, but as the season wore on, he made enough adjustments (especially with two strikes) to look like a potential above-average hitter. He’ll still be a teenager for the duration of the 2023 season, so he has time to continue to build on this impressive base and enter a prospect stratosphere all his own in the years (or months) to come. (BA - Spring 2023)

  • Chourio has precocious feel for the barrel from both sides of the plate, recognizes pitches well and controls the strike zone. His power is mostly projection now because he makes a lot of ground-ball contact and his 6-foot-1 frame needs more muscle, but he should eventually provide 15 or more homers per season. (Spring 2022)

  • Jackson Chourio's 2022 Season: It began with Low-A Carolina on May 3 and finished with Double-A Biloxi. In between he made a stop at the Futures Game before landing at No. 2 on the August update of the Top 100 Prospects

    All at just 18 years old.

    In 93 games split between Carolina and High-A Wisconsin, Chourio hit .300/.354/.562 with 20 home runs, 14 stolen bases, 30 walks and 117 strikeouts in 93 games. He went just 2-for-23 at Double-A, with the caveat being that he was the only 18-year-old at the level.

    “We’re very excited and very proud of how he handled himself,” Brewers vice president of minor league operations Tom Flanagan said. “We kept challenging him throughout the year, and he answered every one of those challenges.

    “Just an outstanding first full season, and at that age to go from extended spring training to finishing the year at (Double-A) and putting up numbers at each stop was more than we could have asked for.” 

    Jackson became the fifth player since 2006 to hit 20 or more homers in his age-18 season while playing exclusively in full-season leagues. (Todd Rosiak - Baseball America - Oct. 2022) 

  • The Brewers came away most impressed by Chourio’s knowledge of the strike zone and his ability to lay off bad pitches at such a young age. That’s backed up by his near-even 28/23 K/BB ratio at the lowest level, and they’re hopeful it’s a tool that he can carry as he climbs. Coming from a frame listed at just 6-foot-1 and 165 pounds, Chourio’s power is mostly about projection over present ability at this stage, and it helps that he already shows solid bat speed. (Spring 2022)

  • The Venezuela native hit .296/.386/.447 with five homers in 45 games in the DSL. His overall hit tool projects to be above average at the least right now, and he shows the potential to be a plus runner in center field as well. Even if he grows into some power, he fits the mold of a top-of-the-lineup type, and that could be more evident when he moves stateside starting in 2022. (Spring 2022)

  • Jackson is an explosive, quick-burst athlete. That explosiveness is evident in his fast, whippy bat speed, which helps the ball jump off his bat more than expected for a hitter with such a wiry frame. His five home runs were the most among either of Milwaukee's two Dominican Summer League (DSL) clubs, and he has physical projection remaining to grow into plus power.

  • Chourio works counts and knows the zone well. His swing works, good body, frame is good. There’s a lot to like. (May, 2022)

  • More than just a slugger, Chourio stands out for his ability to recognize pitches, manage at-bats and make frequent contact for his age. He has a chance to be an average hitter as he continues to mature and develop. (Ben Badler - Baseball America Prospect Handbook - Spring, 2022)

  • At the plate, the teen shows good bat speed, an understanding of the strike zone and the ability to put backspin on the ball. He can drive the ball out of the park to all fields, especially the opposite field. There’s a chance Chourio’s frame eventually could force him to move to third base or a corner outfield spot, but for now, like so many top prospects beginning their career in the Brewers system, the club is committed to keeping him up the middle. (Spring 2021) 

  • Jackson generates lift and backspin with his swing to profile as a potential power/speed threat in the middle of the diamond.

  • Jan 15, 2021: At the plate, this teenager shows good bat speed, an understanding of the strike zone and the ability to put backspin on the ball. He can drive the ball out of the park to all fields, especially the opposite field. There’s a chance Chourio’s frame will force him to move to third base or a corner outfield spot, but for now, he’s staying put up the middle.

  • 2021 Season:  Jackson Chourio, OF (No. 16)

    Chourio was Milwaukee’s top international signing in January 2021 took little time showing off why. The Venezuela native hit .296/.386/.447 with five homers in 45 games in the DSL. His overall hit tool projects to be above average at the least right now, and he shows the potential to be a plus runner in center field as well. Even if he grows into some power, he fits the mold of a top-of-the-lineup type, and that could be more evident when he moves stateside starting in 2022. (Mayo, Callis, Dykstra - MLB.com - Jan 28, 2022)

  • 2022 Season: 

    Chourio has exhibited twitch, power and barrel control well beyond his years. He hit .324/.373/.600 with 12 home runs in 62 games with Low-A Carolina before moving to High-A Wisconsin on Aug. 17.

    Chourio’s ability to generate power that would rank above-average in MLB is nearly unheard of for a player this young. His average exit velocity of 89.2 mph would rank among the top 80.

    Chourio’s ability to make hard contact is uncanny. His 18% barrel rate would rank within the top 20 in MLB. This is particularly remarkable when considering his overzealous approach. He was swinging at more than half of pitches he was seeing, while still managing to make hard contact at a rate typically reserved for MLB’s most conservative swingers. This puts Chourio’s fringe-average strikeout rate and contact rate in perspective.

    Hitters typically do two things as they gain experience. They add strength and improve their plate discipline. When we consider that Chourio is the same age as the recent high school draftees, it’s easy to anticipate both added strength gains and improvement in swing decisions in the coming years.  (Geoff Pontes - Baseball America - Sept. 2022)

  • 2022 Brewers Prospect of the Year - Jackson Chourio, OF (No. 1, MLB No. 10)

    The breakout prospect of the year, Chourio skipped right over the Arizona Complex League and proceeded to hit .288/.342/.538 with 20 homers and 16 steals in 99 games between Single-A, High-A and Double-A. Oh, he did all that at just 18 years old, and he could be on track for a Major League debut before his 20th birthday.

     The outfielder did have some swing-and-miss concerns and might have his power tested with a move out of more hitter-friendly environs. But 55 XBH at the same age as an American high school senior will always raise more than a few eyebrows. (Callis, Dykstra & Mayo - MLB.com - Oct 13, 2022)

  • Chourio is a skinny young man but is able to drive the ball with surprising authority — 60 grade power, with a 55 grade hit tool.

    Jackson is an explosive, quick-burst athlete. That explosiveness is evident in his fast, whippy bat speed, which helps the ball jump off his bat more than expected for a hitter with such a wiry frame. His five home runs were the most among either of Milwaukee' s two DSL clubs, and he has physical projection remaining to grow into plus power. More than just a slugger, Chourio stands out for his ability to recognize pitches, manage at-bats and make frequent contact for his age. He has a chance to be an average hitter as he continues to mature and develop. (Ben Badler - Baseball America Prospect Handbook - Spring, 2023)

  • Chourio brings multiple at least plus tools to the table. His 70-grade speed is perhaps the loudest. What’s more, his contact at the plate is loud and capable of playing everywhere in the park. Brewers officials were often awestruck at how the right-handed slugger thumped the ball to right almost as easily as he did to left.

    What keeps Chourio from being the gold standard among position-player prospects at this stage is his still-developing plate discipline and zone coverage. Early on in 2022, Chourio struggled against breaking stuff away, but as the season wore on, he made enough adjustments (especially with two strikes) to look like a potential above-average hitter. He’ll still be a teenager for the duration of the 2023 season, so he has time to continue to build on this impressive base and enter a prospect stratosphere all his own in the years (or months) to come. (Spring 2023) 

  • July 21, 2023: As the saying goes, Jackson Chourio is in mid-season form. Since appearing in the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game on July 8, the top Brewers prospect has collected multiple hits in six of his seven games. The latest was a three-hit game that featured his 14th home run of the season and two stolen bases to boot.

     Both remarkable performances and favorable results are starting to look familiar for Chourio, as the Shuckers coasted to a 6-1 victory over the Biscuits. Biloxi is 5-2 in its last seven games thanks in large part to Milwaukee's No. 1 prospect, who just happens to still be only 19 years old. During this stretch, MLB's No. 2 overall prospect according to MLB Pipeline has been scorching. He is batting .500 (16-for-32) with three home runs and two doubles. He has also contributed some late-game heroics, driving in the go-ahead run in the ninth inning.

    According to Biloxi development coach Christian Correa, Chourio's uptick in batting average is the result of swing changes:

    “He’s been very steady, very consistent. Me and our hitting coach, Chuckie Caufield, we talked a little bit about him comparing video from last year to this year to see the difference in what he is doing. He made the adjustment, and you can tell stuff is paying off. He’s hitting the ball very hard."

    These adjustments and attention to detail are particularly impressive given Chourio’s age: at 19, he is the youngest player at the Double-A level — and one of the best.

    He ranked first in hits (89) in the Southern League. His 58 RBIs are tied for second in the league alongside fellow top prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Cubs. His 26 stolen bases also place him in the top five league-wide.

    While his recent batting average might not be sustainable, his upward trajectory might just be. (A Mast - MLB.com - July 22, 2023)

  • 2024 Brewers TopPower-Hitting Prospect: Jackson Chourio, OF (MLB No. 2)

    Fernando Tatis Jr., Giancarlo Stanton and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. all reached Double-A in their age-19 seasons. None of them hit more homers at that age and level than Chourio did with his 22 over 122 games. The right-handed slugger has gone deep 42 times over his last two campaigns, and his quick swing continues to astound with the way it drives balls over fences all around the ballpark. Even if he needs some period of adjustment against MLB pitching, the power could play quickly in The Show upon Chourio’s 2024 arrival.

  • April 20, 2024: According to Sarah Langs of MLB.com, Chourio is the fourth-youngest player since 1900 to hit at least 4 home runs over their first 17 career games. The only players to accomplish the feat at a younger age were Lou Klimchock in 1958 (19 years, 345 days), Andruw Jones in 1996 (19 years, 138 days) and Tony Conigliaro in 1964 (19 years, 120 days). 

  • 2024 Season: In his rookie campaign, Chourio rewarded Milwaukee for the investment in him by making the major league roster out of spring training. He struggled over his first 51 games (.207/20/5/16/7 over 164 at-bats) due to a rise in his strikeout rate (27.3). For the remainder of 2024, his bat proved to be major-league-ready (.305 over 364 at-bats with 60 runs, 16 home runs, 63 RBIs, and 15 stolen bases). Over this span, his strikeout rate (18.4) beat the league average while needing work with his walk rate (7.3).

    His exit velocity (89.7 mph) ranked 90th for batters with at least 400 plate appearances. Chourio finished with higher success in hard-hit rate (44.9 – 65th). He had a groundball swing path (48.3%) with strength in his HR/FB rate (16.4). His bat lacked punch against left-handed pitching (.267/21/3/15/8 over 161 at-bats). (Shawn Childs - Feb. 4, 2025 - SI)

Fielding
  • Jackson is a quick-twitch athlete who does a fine job at shortstop or center field.

    Chourio has the speed, acceleration and lateral range to be an above-average defender in center field. He’s still learning to finish plays at the wall consistently, but his reads and routes have all improved since getting more full-time reps in center field. He is a 60 grade center fielder with a 45 grade arm. (Spring, 2024)

  • He brings multiple at least plus tools to the table. His 70-grade speed is perhaps the loudest, and it was a big reason why Milwaukee moved him to center field, where he could cover even more ground than shortstop.  (BA - Spring 2023)

  • Chourio signed as a shortstop, but his fringy arm strength doesn't fit at the position, and he is more comfortable in center field, where he played nearly all of his games in his pro debut. He' s a plus runner who glides around well in the outfield and has the attributes to develop into an above-average defender. (BAPH - Spring, 2023)

  • Chourio brings multiple at least plus tools to the table. His 70-grade speed is perhaps the loudest, and it was a big reason why Milwaukee moved him to center field, where he could cover even more ground than shortstop. (Spring 2023)
  • 2022: Signed as a potential shortstop, Chourio made 32 of his 38 defensive starts in center field in 2021. (The other six came at second base.). Plus speed makes him a solid fit there, and the increased chances of him sticking up the middle have only raised his profile. Stateside challenges are coming for the second-year Minor Leaguer, but the combination of present skills and growth still to come has only added intrigue to his profile since his signing. 

    Chourio signed as a shortstop, but his fringy arm strength doesn’t fit at the position and he is more comfortable in center field, where he played nearly all of his games in his pro debut. He's a plus runner who glides around well in the outfield and has the attributes to develop into an above-average defender in center. (Spring, 2022)

  • Long and lean at 6-foot-1 and 165 pounds, and with experience at both shortstop and center field, Chourio’s hit tool was ahead of his defense as he entered pro ball, but only by a hair as he impressed scouts with good hands in the infield and an arm that projects to possibly be a plus tool in the future. He’s athletic enough to play in the outfield and has a good enough first step in center field to project as a five-tool, Adam Jones-type outfielder, with speed to cover lots of ground. Scouts are split on whether Chourio winds up on the infield or in the outfield, but the Brewers planned to start him as a shortstop.  (Spring 2021)

  • Chourio’s hit tool might be the most advanced part of his game at the moment, but his defense is not far behind. He already shows good hands in the infield and an average arm that projects to be a plus tool in the future.

    He’s athletic enough to play in the outfield and has a good first step in center field. His speed allows him to cover lots of ground.
Running
  • Chourio brings multiple at least plus tools to the table. His 70-grade speed is perhaps the loudest, and it was a big reason why Milwaukee moved him to center field, where he could cover even more ground than shortstop. 

    He is also a speedy base-runner. (Spring 2023)