Originally a shortstop as an amateur, Chourio joined the Brewers for $1.8 million out of Venezuela in January 2021. A year later, he enjoyed one of the biggest breakout seasons in recent memory, hitting .288/.342/.538 with 20 homers and 16 steals across three full-season levels before completing his age-18 season. Chourio’s 2023 campaign with Double-A Biloxi was less consistent, but he still capped it with a brief stint at Triple-A Nashville. With 22 homers and 44 steals, Chourio became the fifth 20-40 teenager in the Minors since 1958 and the first since Ronald Acuña Jr. in 2017. Milwaukee signed the outfielder to an eight-year, $82 million extension in December -- a record for a player with no MLB service time.
In addition to dealing with the Southern League ball changes, Milwaukee coaches thought Chourio was pressing to build on his 2022 successes early on at Biloxi, and by July (when he batted .388/.447/.718 with 14 extra-base hits in 19 games), he was back to playing into his own game. That starts with a vicious right-handed swing capable of driving the ball to all fields -- nine of his 22 homers went to right -- and he has the strength in his 5-foot-11 frame to eventually post 30-homer seasons. That loud contact fuels his average, and the approach should improve with more reps against upper-level pitching in his 20s.
With plus-plus speed, Chourio pushed the envelope more than ever on the bases last season. He’s more than capable of tracking down balls in the gaps as a center fielder, though he still needs work going aggressively into the walls. And while elbow trouble early in his career limited his arm strength, the Brewers gave him some looks in right. Chourio’s considerable tools have him on Milwaukee’s doorstep, and he has the makings of a potential superstar.
Chourio originally signed with the Brewers as a shortstop for $1.8 million, making him the club’s top international addition on Jan. 15, 2021. He started to pop in the Dominican Summer League after signing -- while arm issues pushed him into center field -- and entering 2022, Milwaukee realized it needed to find tougher assignments for the Venezuela native in his age-18 season. Chourio skipped right over the domestic Complex league to open with Single-A Carolina in May and ended the year at Double-A, hitting .288/.342/.538 with 20 homers and 16 steals in 99 games across all three levels. He was the only 2022 All-Star Futures Game participant with a 2004 birthdate.
Chourio brings multiple at least plus tools to the table. His 70-grade speed is perhaps the loudest, and it was a big reason why Milwaukee moved him to center field, where he could cover even more ground than shortstop. What’s more, his contact at the plate is loud and capable of playing everywhere in the park. Brewers officials were often awestruck at how the right-handed slugger thumped the ball to right almost as easily as he did to left.
All that being said, what keeps Chourio from being the gold standard among position-player prospects at this stage is his still-developing plate discipline and zone coverage. Early on in 2022, Chourio struggled against breaking stuff away, but as the season wore on, he made enough adjustments (especially with two strikes) to look like a potential above-average hitter. He’ll still be a teenager for the duration of the 2023 season, so he has time to continue to build on this impressive base and enter a prospect stratosphere all his own in the years (or months) to come.
Ranked No. 18 in the 2020-21 international signing class by MLB Pipeline, Chourio -- a Venezuelan outfielder -- signed with the Brewers for $1.8 million in January, making him the organization’s top addition in the class. He was invited stateside for the tail end of Minor League Spring Training, stayed in Arizona for extended and then moved to the Dominican Summer League for his first taste of pro ball. The results in the DR complex were solid -- a .296/.386/.447 line, five homers and eight steals in 45 games -- and the Brewers decided to test the 18-year-old with a move over the Arizona Complex League to Single-A Carolina. He’s been arguably the breakout prospect star of the 2022 season, with a power-speed combo that’s already fueled another rise to High-A.
Simply put, Chourio is one of the toolsiest players in the Minor Leagues. He generates incredible bat speed from the right side that’s helped him make loud, hard contact everywhere he’s played this summer. There are some swing-and-miss concerns, especially on breaking stuff away, but the young outfielder has shown an ability to adjust when given time to do so. He could be at least a 20-25 home run threat in the Majors, despite a relatively lean frame right now.
Signed as a shortstop, Chourio has put plus-plus speed to good use in center field since he was in the DSL, and he could be a defensive star as well. Carolina manager Victor Estevez said earlier in the summer that Chourio needed to be challenged and that he could be on a Ronald Acuña Jr.-type trajectory, at least when it comes to speed of ascent. In a system loaded with outfielders, no Brewers prospect has a higher ceiling than Chourio. That may be true of all prospectdom soon enough.
Chourio ranked 18th on MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 International Prospects list in 2020 before the Brewers signed him for $1.8 million in January 2021, their top signing in the class. In a normal year, the Brewers would have brought Chourio to Phoenix at the end of Spring Training so the organization’s coaches could make assessments and decide whether to send him back to the Dominican Summer League or keep him in Arizona. The amended signing calendar and expected restrictions on Minor League camps delayed the start of Chourio’s pro career, and as a result, he did end up beginning his career in the DSL.
Long and lean at 6-foot-1 and 165 pounds, and with experience at both shortstop and center field, Chourio’s hit tool was ahead of his defense as he entered pro ball, but only by a hair as he impressed scouts with good hands in the infield and an arm that projects to be a plus tool in the future. He’s athletic enough to play in the outfield and has a good enough first step in center field to project as a five-tool, Adam Jones-type outfielder, with speed to cover lots of ground. Scouts are split on whether Chourio winds up on the infield or in the outfield.
At the plate, the teen shows good bat speed, an understanding of the strike zone and the ability to put backspin on the ball. He can drive the ball out of the park to all fields, especially the opposite field. There’s a chance Chourio’s frame eventually could force him to move to third base or a corner outfield spot, but for now, like so many top prospects beginning their career in the Brewers system, the club is committed to keeping him up the middle.
Chourio is tall and lean with a projectable body and enough athleticism play shortstop or center field in the future.
His hit tool might be the most advanced part of his game at the moment, but his defense is not far behind. In fact, he shows good hands in the infield and an average arm now that projects to be a plus tool in the future. Like most prospects his age, Chourio is working on improving his footwork and internal clock, but he continues to make big strides in both areas. In the outfield, he has a good first step in center field and can cover lots of ground because of his running speed, which projects to be a plus tool in the future.
At the plate, the teen shows good bat speed, an understanding of the strike zone, and the ability to put backspin on the ball. As a result, he can drive the ball out of the park to all fields, especially the opposite field. He is expected to have plus power as he matures and his body develops. There’s a chance his frame will force him to move to third base or a corner outfield spot, but for now, he’s staying put up the middle.
Chourio was a star on Venezuela’s youth teams and evaluators love his ability to perform in big games. He’s also been praised for his makeup. The teenager trains at CJ Baseball Academy in Maracaibo, Venezuela, with Jonathan Herrera and is represented by Beverly Hills Sports Council’s Cesar Suarez, a member of MLB’s Trainer Partnership Program. The Brewers are the favorites to sign him.
These run values are leveraged, meaning the base/out situation at the time of the event does impact the run value (thus introducing context outside the batter's own contribution).
Note: xHR tells how many of this player's home runs would have been out of other stadiums. The "Adjusted" view here accounts for different wall heights, distances and environmental effects using Statcast Park Factor data.
Standard
Year
HR
2024
23
19
18
25
19
25
28
22
21
14
20
23
24
21
29
19
22
21
27
25
24
25
30
25
19
20
17
14
27
26
21
Player
23
19
18
25
19
25
28
22
21
14
20
23
24
21
29
19
22
21
27
25
24
25
30
25
19
20
17
14
27
26
21
Note: xHR tells how many of this player's home runs would have been out of other stadiums. The "Standard" view here accounts for different wall heights and distances but excludes environmental effects. It is based purely on the observed trajectory of the hit.
! Note: Shifts are through the 2022 season, Shaded starting from the 2023 season, Shift: three or more infielders are on the same side of second base, Shade: positioned outside of their typical responsible slices of the field. Learn more about how positioning is defined here
