Milwaukee’s rags-to-riches “average joes” mythos is unraveling really fast, all thanks to the Dodgers’ rotation, who are shutting them down in the NLCS. After erupting for runs in the regular season, Milwaukee’s offense has dried up. They are staring down at a 0-2 hole in the NLCS, and in two games against the Dodgers, their offense has produced just two runs on five hits! And front and center in that struggle is Christian Yelich, the team’s hopes and dreams, and the former MVP.

But with Yelich going 0 for his last 17, you can’t help but ask the burning question—should he be benched? Has the time finally come?

Yelich has gone cold! 

The bitter truth is that Yelich is ice cold—given he hasn’t hit since Game 3 of the NLDS. It’s like the balls of his bat are drawn to the fielders, and his stat line—it’s looking less like a star hitter and just a hitter in search of answers.

He has five strikeouts in his last 13 at-bats. For a player who is counted as a run producer, this is the gut punch to the team and possibly at the worst time possible. The @uncoveredmlb Instagram page just detailed that. Since the Brewers gave Christian Yelich a 7-year, $188M contract extension in 2020, he’s given this team sad results:

• 1 year with 25+ HR’s (this year)
• 2 years with 75+ RBI’s
• 2 years with 150+ games played
• 2 years with .275+ avg
• 0 playoff HR’s
• 0 playoff RBI’s
• more injuries than signature moments

But this is not just about Yelich going cold.

Milwaukee’s offense as a whole has been calmer than usual. The first two games against the Dodgers were defined by just how good Blake Snell was in Game 1 and how Yoshinobu Yamamoto followed the same footsteps in Game 2.

After Jackson Chourio’s leadoff homer, Yamamoto shut the Brewers down all the way, allowing just one run and three hits. It was a masterpiece!

As for Yelich, he went 0-4 with a strikeout and three groundouts. But while fans can’t help but panic, Pat Murphy seems cool as a cucumber.

“He’s getting pitched really, really tough. They’re very aware of his abilities…That’s a really small sample size. I know it’s critical because it’s now, but I’m not worried that Yeli won’t respond,” mentioned Murphy. Well, Murphy might not be wrong.

Baseball stars do have cold streaks, and it can end at a single swing—look at Vladimir Guerrero Jr. But for now, the odds are not in the Brewers’ favor.

The weight of October is not new!

This is not Yelich’s first October struggle. Across the five postseason runs, he has slashed .223/.354/.330 with two home runs and just three RBIs. To put how bad this is here is the context.

He has hit .300 in his Brewers career, so his postseason numbers sting. So fair or not, fans are starting to see this more as a pattern than a slump.

Even then, the idea of benching Yelich feels extreme and almost unthinkable.

He was the Brewers’ best offensive player in 2024. He finished just one home run shy of 30 with 103 RBIs, averaging with runners in scoring position. When the Brewers needed a big swing all season long, it usually just came from his bat. Hence, it’s evident why Murphy still has faith in Yelich, given that he has been the player who grinds through the rough patches.

Even now, Yelich is taking accountability for his errors.

“It’s not an ideal start to the series, by any means. It’s not what you want to get off to, but we have to continue to battle and find a way to get the offense better. I’ve got to be better. We’ve got to be better.” And history actually talks about why he won’t necessarily be benched.

Why Yelich won’t be benched

The truth is simple: The Milwaukee Brewers’ fate is on Yelich’s shoulders. They are 80-43 in games where he reached base at least once this season, so that’s a 105-win pace. When he didn’t reach base, they were at 9-18—and that is saying something. Milwaukee needs Yelich; he is the barometer for their success and the veteran who helps fire up the lineup.

Benching him wouldn’t just remove a struggling hitter—it would remove the team’s emotional anchor. It’s the same with Brice Turang, who is also struggling at 2-for-23 in his last stretch. And together they are the engine for their offense.

When they both reached base a combined three or more times in the regular season, Milwaukee went 64-25. This is not a coincidence; it’s an identity.

Even Murphy knows that the conversation around Yelich is born out of the timing right now, not the truth. “If this was midseason, nobody would say a word. But now, we’re chirping about it like there’s something wrong with Yelich. He’ll respond. He always does.”

The postseason does magnify everything, be it the success or the slump. Unfortunately, now Yelich is on the sad end of the spectrum.

The final word

The Brewers are in huge trouble, and Yelich does look lost at the plate right now. But Milwaukee’s best chance to get out of this losing wheel lies with the leader, not without him. It’s do-or-die time, and the numbers may seem bad, but if Yelich heats up, they turn into a 100-win team overnight. So there’s not a chance that Yelich can be benched—because if he gets going, the entire team follows.