MLB Superstar Accomplishes HR Feat No Other Reigning MVP Has Ever Done
Reigning National League MVP Christian Yelich entered some pretty exclusive company on Sunday.
In the Milwaukee Brewers’ 5-4 come-from-behind win over the St. Louis Cardinals, the Brewers right fielder hit a solo home run in the bottom of the first to become only the 6th player in MLB history to hit home runs in each of their first four games of the season.
The others are Willie Mays (1971), Mark McGwire (1998), Nelson Cruz (2011), Chris Davis (2013), and Trevor Story (2016), according to ESPN.
He also became the first reigning MVP to notch home runs in the first four games of the season. Barry Bonds hit homers in the first two games of 2002 and Albert Pujols did it in the first two games of 2006 after winning the MVP awards the previous years, ESPN reported. Both are multiple time MVPs and all-time greats.
Christian Yelich is on pace for a cool 162 home runs this season
(via @fswisconsin)pic.twitter.com/t2YuEOzO0W
— SI MLB (@si_mlb) March 31, 2019
But that wasn’t even the story of the game. In the bottom of the ninth with the Brewers trailing 4-3, Yelich delivered once again.
With Ben Gamel on third and Lorenzo Cain on first, Yelich drilled a shot to the left-center field gap to drive home Gamel and Cain for a walk-off two-run double.
He went 2 for 2 with 3 walks, 3 RBIs, and 3 runs scored.
Through four games, Yelich is batting .500 with 4 home runs and 8 RBIs. He’s tied for first in home runs with the Cardinals’ Paul Goldschmidt and the Oakland Athletics’ Khris Davis. He’s second in RBI’s behind the Seattle Mariners’ Domingo Santana, and he’s tied for third in batting average behind the Atlanta Braves’ Freddie Freeman (.600) and the Cards’ Kolten Wong (.571).
When asked about what’s behind his hot start, Yelich was at a loss.
“I don’t know, honestly,” Yelich said, according ESPN. “I’m just trying to stay within an approach.”
His teammates were not, however.
“He’s on another planet, man,” Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff said. “He’s so special. Just watching him, he’s so balanced. He’s not fooled that much. He’s on time with pretty much everything. It’s pretty cool to watch.”
Brewers manager Craig Counsell had high praise as well.
“He’s making really hard stuff look pretty easy,” Counsell said.
“I’m really just trying to be present in the day, no matter if it goes good or bad the night before,” Yelich said. “Just reset and stay disciplined with your cage work with your team during (batting practice). Just focus on each day as its own solo (thing), I guess you could say. Don’t get hung up on the past or the future.”
The Brewers improved to 3-1 while the Cardinals fell to 1-3. Jacob Barnes (1-0) got the win for Milwaukee while Jordan Hicks (0-1) took the loss.
No one has ever hit home runs in each of their first five games of the season. Yelich could become the first tonight in Cincinnati.
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