Jackson Chourio unfortunately did not bring the vibes to kick off the 2025 season.
The Milwaukee Brewers outfield phenom put together one of the worst Opening Day performances of all-time on Thursday against the New York Yankees. In an almost impressive feat of futility, Chourio was 0-for-5 on the day and ended up striking out not once … not twice … not three times … not four times … but all five times that he stepped up to the plate.
Yankees starter Carlos Rodon fanned Chourio on three pitches to lead off the first inning, got Chourio on five pitches in middle of the third inning, and sent him down on another three pitches to finish off the fifth inning.
Chourio’s luck did not turn either once the Yankees went to their bullpen. Mark Leiter Jr. struck out Chourio on five pitches to cap off the seventh inning, and then Devin Williams punched out Chourio on eight pitches (this time with two runners in scoring position) to stamp out a Milwaukee rally attempt in the ninth inning.
Ultimately, the Brewers lost to the Yankees 4-2, and a golden sombrero wasn’t even enough for Chourio. He went straight to the platinum sombrero with the shameful distinction of having struck out five times in a single game.
Take a look at some of the most ruthless meme posts about Chourio in the wake of his calamitous game.
Expectations are very high this season for the 21-year-old Chourio, who hit .275 with 21 home runs, 79 RBIs, and 22 stolen bases in 148 games for the Brewers as a rookie last season. Chourio even had some incredible heroics in the 2024 postseason to cement himself as a mainstay in the Milwaukee order despite his young age.
While one single game will not derail Chourio’s entire 2025 season, that was about as horrifying of a start as the Brewers could have imagined for their prized youngster. He became the very first Milwaukee player to strike out five times on Opening Day and only the second MLB player ever with a five-strikeout game in the opener (after Max Muncy did so for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Opening Day 2023).
