MILWAUKEE -- Christian Yelich took home most valuable player and top newcomer honors when the Milwaukee chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America announced its 2018 Brewers award winners on Wednesday.
Josh Hader was voted the team's most valuable pitcher, Jhoulys Chacin won the unsung hero award and Jesus Aguilar took the good guy award.
Yelich became the first Brewers player to win a batting title, leading the National League with a .326 average, a .598 slugging percentage and a 1.000 OPS to go with 36 home runs, 110 RBIs and 22 stolen bases in his debut season in Milwaukee. He was an NL All-Star for the first time.
Hader, also an All-Star for the first time in 2018, posted a 2.43 ERA with a .132 opponents' average while leading Major League relievers and setting a franchise relief record with 143 strikeouts, the most ever for a lefty reliever. His 46.7 percent strikeout rate was fourth-highest in history for a pitcher who logged at least 50 innings, trailing Albertin Chapman's record 52.5 percent for the Reds in 2014 and Craig Kimbrel's 50.2 percent for the Braves in '12 and 49.6 percent for the Red Sox in '17.
Chacin was 15-8 with a 3.50 ERA in a Major League-leading 35 starts, leading a rotation that was overshadowed by the team's flashy bullpen. Opponents hit .220 off Chacin, seventh-lowest among NL qualifiers
Aguilar received the good guy award, which is presented to the player who has the most outgoing, friendly presence in the clubhouse and interacts well with the media on a daily basis in a cooperative and pleasant manner. He put up career highs with 35 home runs and 108 RBIs and made the NL All-Star team via the Final Vote after a weeklong campaign by the Brewers drummed up 20.2 million online votes.
The chapter awards are an appetizer for next month's full BBWAA Awards. Finalists for the American League and National League Rookie of the Year Award, Manager of the Year Award, Cy Young Award and MVP Award will be announced Nov. 5, and winners named the following week. The MVPs are named Nov. 15.