The sporting discussion in the state of Wisconsin currently revolves around Milwaukee Brewers breakout star Jackson Chourio.
The 20-year-old outfielder is hitting .339 (62/183) with 9 home runs and 34 RBI in his last 50 games, leading the Brewers to a 66-49 record — only 0.5 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers for the second-best record in the National League.
Related: Every former Wisconsin Badger currently on an NFL roster entering 2024 training camp
His season-long numbers are up to .274/.321/.758, 14 home runs, 50 RBI and 16 stolen bases. The rising star could near a 20 home-run, 20 stolen-base season. That mark has only been previously accomplished by two players of his age: Mike Trout (2012) and Vada Pinson (1959), numbers courtesy of MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy.
The summary: after an offseason full of headlines including former manager Craig Counsell taking the Chicago Cubs job and ace Corbin Burnes being traded to the Baltimore Orioles, a young rising star has become the story of the season. The age of that rising star (20 years old) is the story almost as much as how his play is helping the team.
Wisconsin Badgers fans are familiar with such a storyline. A mention of age was at the center of every discussion regarding running back Braelon Allen during his breakout true freshman season in 2021.
Allen was only 17 years old at the time after reclassifying in high school and joining the Badgers early.
Flash-forward three years, the 20-year-old Allen is a rookie on the New York Jets and enters the 2024 NFL season as the youngest player in the league. He is the league’s first active player to be born in 2004.
Allen’s age is a strong point of comparison for Badgers fans after his decorated college career. It can help contextualize Chourio’s record-setting breakout.
For further context on the Chourio’s headline-grabbing 2024 season, he’s actually 51 days younger than the former Badger running back, that note courtesy of @JaymesL on X.
Jackson Chourio is even younger than Braelon Allen pic.twitter.com/k39RDS0uEz
— Jaymes (@JaymesL) August 8, 2024
Chourio recently signed an 8-year, $82 million extension with the Brewers in April. The club gave him the deal on April 4, 2024 — only five games into his professional career. That vote of confidence has already begun to pay off with his play this season.
Allen’s professional career, meanwhile, is beginning outside the state of Wisconsin, so he’ll no longer command the same headlines as when he was rushing for 1,200-plus yards with the Badgers. But his age can still serve as a benchmark for topics like this one — when another team in the state has a young player in the midst of a breakout.
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