Just two days after Jackson Chourio blasted that walk-off hit in the National League Division Series, Brewers reliever D.L. Hall was asked what a pitcher even *does* when facing the 22-year-old October phenom. Hall didn’t even say a word, just grinned and held up four fingers. Yeah, he was signaling for an intentional walk, and honestly, can you blame him? Considering the absolute damage Chourio has already put up in his super-short playoff career, handing him a free pass sounds pretty tempting.
A Postseason Machine at 22
Chourio, at just 22 years old, is already one of the most decorated postseason players in Brewers history. This dude holds the Brewers’ playoff franchise records for both home runs and RBI. Think about that for a second. And get this: he’s tied with Hall-of-Famer Andruw Jones for the most postseason RBI ever for a player under 23, with 17. Jones needed 45 games to hit that mark. Chourio? He got there in just 16 games. Sixteen! Brewers reliever Aaron Ashby nailed it when he said, “Not that he’s much different in the regular season, but I think there’s a level of special that comes out when the postseason is here.” Seriously, how else do you explain a young gun just absolutely crushing it like this under the brightest lights? Ashby tried to break down his teammate’s silent, four-finger answer to the Chourio challenge, explaining, “When he’s locked in and he’s focused, it’s just his hands are so fast. I don’t know if, like, you can truly understand how impressive it is and how late of a decision he can make at the plate and still hit the ball like 110 [mph] the other way.” That’s just flat-out insane.
That Game 3 Walk-Off? Pure Insanity.
You want to talk about examples? Look no further than Game 2 of the NLDS. In the first real back-and-forth battle against the Padres, Chourio launched his fifth career postseason homer in only his 13th playoff game. That shot broke a tie with Prince Fielder and Orlando Arcia for the most in franchise history, and it erased an early two-run deficit in what turned into a nail-biting 3-2 win. But then came Game 3. One night later, Chourio delivered what’s easily been the hit of the playoffs so far, a moment that’s gonna live on highlight reels forever if Milwaukee’s 103-win season actually ends with their first World Series title. Brewers captain Christian Yelich summed it up perfectly: “He loves those moments. And he knows how talented he is and what he can do on a baseball field. He can do anything.” The stage was set: Brewers down by a run, bases loaded, two outs in the ninth, facing Mason Miller, arguably the most unhittable, overpowering closer in the game. Miller jumped ahead 1-2 on Chourio with three straight 100-plus mph fastballs. This is where Miller locks people down, too; in the regular season, hitters were just 7-for-101 (.069) with 71 strikeouts and only four walks against him after a 1-2 count. But Chourio? He battled. He fouled off a two-strike, 103.5 mph heater on the outer edge. Most players would be stoked just to make contact with that, but Chourio looked straight-up incredulous, smacking his bat and pacing in a semi-circle behind the plate like he couldn’t believe he didn’t do *more* damage. He’s a different breed, man.
The Brewers are chasing that World Series title, and with Chourio swinging a hot bat like this, you can bet every pitcher they face from here on out is gonna be thinking about D.L. Hall’s four fingers. What’s he gonna do next? We’re all watching.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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