Jackson Chourio did a few impressive things this past year. Let’s get to know him.
- Born: March 11, 2004
- B/T: Right/Right
- 6’1″, 165-lbs
- Signed by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2021 out of Venezuela.
The Numbers
His raw numbers are listed above courtesy of baseball-reference.com. Let’s aggregate by year then focus on the important numbers for minor leaguers:
What did you do when you were 18? At 18, Jackson Chourio climbed three professional levels all the way to Double-A. Do you want to be the one to tell him that he produced a negative wRC+ at that final level? No, didn’t think so.
I rarely show foreign stats because the quality of competition is spotty. But that’s all we have for 2021, and the one thing we can glean is he was’t a free swinger. Showing good bat skills is a good sign no matter where you are.
So he starts 2022 at A ball, and really produces. He has power (his Hard Hit% for this full year was 35.2% which is one of the higher readings I’ve seen — this kid’s power is for real). And considering he only weighs 165, but stands 6’1″, and as still a teen could potentially grow his frame some more, it’s clear the power potential is real. Potential? He already hit 20 HRs this year.
He jumps to High-A, and continues to show the power, and actually reduces the strikeout rate while slightly improving the walk rate. Very impressive, young man.
It’s not until mid-September before he gets a few cups of coffee at Double-A, and sure, the numbers aren’t good, but he gets a mulligan for being a tired 18-year-old at the last gasp of his first full professional season.
Monthly Splits
Love that OBP and power combo until the final month. The speed is steady: Chourio wakes up and decides he needs to add to his three stolen bases that month. The strikeout rate fluctuates, but three of five months are decent numbers. The walks help him get on base.
Handedness K% and BB%
A (vs RH): 27%K and 6%BB. (vs LH): 33%K and 11%BB.
A+ (vs RH): 24%K and 7%BB. (vs LH): 13%K and 13%BB.
Another impressive thing: He jumps to High-A and improves his batting skills, particularly against lefties. That 33% rate in A-ball could have been a sign of trouble, but he erased it and then some in High-A.
He just didn’t get enough plate appearances to draw any meaningful conclusions, so I ignore it.
The Scouts
- Rotowire: #5 on their Top 400
- Fantrax: #4 on their Top 400
- RotoProspects: #6 on Top 500
Warnings
Clearly the scouts love him, and his struggles in a few games at Double-A were at the end of a tiring season. That said, 2023 will be his chance to show he can master that level too. If he does, he’s a top-10 speed/power/on-base guy. If he struggles to start the year, it will be time to slow down the hype unless he’s hurt or something.
Conclusion
He’s so young, that he’s done what he did last year is all the more impressive. That said, there’s no rush with him. He’ll spend 2023 as a 19-year-old starting in Double-A where he will be four or five years younger than his opponents. Let him fully solve that level, then move him to Triple-A, and maybe if all goes well we can get a peak of him in the majors late in the year.
More likely we see him trying for a starting job as a 20-year-old in 2024’s spring training. Yeah, he’s that good.