"Just wants to be great" - Jackson Chourio not dwelling on AL Rookie of the Year honors, says Brewers hitting coach Ozzie Timmons
Jackson Chourio has been impressive for the Milwaukee Brewers during his rookie season. The game does not seem too big for him and he is handling his own for a division-leading squad.
He has started 102 games, hitting .274/.321/.437 with 14 home runs, 50 runs batted in, and 16 stolen bases. That performance has exceeded a lot of people's expectations, and he should only get better.
Chourio has put himself in contention to win the National League Rookie of the Year Award. However, that is not where his main focus is, per Milwaukee's hitting coach Ozzie Timmons.
"I think that will be important to him, but I think him in general just wants to be great. I always ask him, "Are you ready? You ready to go?' He goes, 'Look at me, look at me,'" - said Timmons.
Timmons mentions that the rookie just wants to go out there and be the best player he can be. If a Rookie of the Year award comes with that, great, but if not, it is not the end of the world.
"Him fighting for Rookie of the Year is I think important for any rookie, but I don't think he is dwelling on it because we are playing well and he's part of what's happening here" - said Timmons.
Chourio might be a rookie, but he is as mature as any veteran. He will be a big part of how far the Brew crew could go this season.
Who is Milwaukee Brewers rookie Jackson Chourio battling with regarding the NL Rookie of the Year Award?
Milwaukee Brewers slugger Jackson Chourio has some steep competition for the NL Rookie of the Year Award. There are about eight players that legitimately have a shot at winning the award.
The favorite, according to DraftKings is Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes. He is listed with -3500 odds while Jackson Merrill sits in second with +900 odds.
For Chourio, he has some work to do and a lot of ground to make up. His odds are listed at +3000, putting him tied with the fourth-highest odds. He, Michael Busch, and Masyn Winn all share the same odds on DraftKings.
It looks to be Skenes' award to lose, but there are still plenty of games left to be played. Chourio has time to close the gap if he can go nuclear from here on out.