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The Brewers player finished the season with a tear that earned him the title of most valuable player in the National League.
Lou Saldivar, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Christian Yelich became the first batting champion of the Brewers with a .326 average. He also had 110 RBIs, 118 runs and 36 home runs.(Photo: Rick Wood / Sentinel of the Milwaukee Diary)

There were plenty of viable candidates for the NHL's most valuable player in the 2018 season, but as the respective races warmed in recent weeks, Milwaukee Brewers' Christian Yelich was separating from pack.

As a result, it was not surprising that Yelich was named National League MVP on Thursday at the polls unveiling by the US Baseball Writers' Association. Yelich was the vanquished winner, get 29 of the 30 first-place votes. The other first vote was won by pitcher Jacob deGrom of the New York Mets.

Yelich easily beat the other finalists, Javy Baez of the Cubs and Nolan Arenado of the Rockies. Mookie Betts of Boston was elected MVP of the American League.

Yelich, 26, became the fourth Brewers player to be named the league's most valuable player, including double winner Robin Yount (1982, 1989). Rollie Fingers was the winner of the American League in the 1981 division, and Ryan Braun won the honors of the NL in 2011, the last time the Brewers went in series until their breakthrough in 2018, led by Yelich.

The ballots were cast by two BBWAA members in each of the 15 cities of the NL, with voters being required to indicate their choices, ranked from 1 to 10. The first place votes are worth 14 points, with nine points for the second, eight for the third, and so on.

Nick Piecoro of the Republic of Arizona was the only elector not to have chosen Yelich first. Yelich finished with 415 points, followed by Baez with 250 and Arenado with 203. Brewers Lorenzo Cain, who received third place votes, finished seventh with 109 points.

RELATED: 7 MVP moments of Christian Yelich's season

Yelich was surrounded by family and friends, including Cleveland Brown quarterback Baker Mayfield, as well as his Brewers teammates, Ryan Braun and Mike Moustakas, now a free agent, when he learned the news at home, at the family home in Los Angeles. He wore a Los Angeles Fire Service cap and paid tribute to those who fought forest fires in his neighborhood and in other parts of California.

"It's great to share it with friends and family, people who have made a huge impact for most of my life," Yelich said. "It's nice to see a few smiles on people's faces after this region's hard week. Many of my friends were in their backyard, trying to keep their homes in good condition.

"I had to calm down the first time that they were singing [MVP]… "

MVP @ChristianYelich speaks of the support that he has received from fans, surrounded by @ Brewers teammates, family and friends, including @Browns QB @ BakerMayfield! pic.twitter.com/gp2RHAY6Lv

– MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) November 15, 2018

"It was a tough week here, not just with the fires, but with the mbad shootings (in a nearby disco) just down the road from where I grew up. There was a lot of destruction here. It's nice to see people smile for once."

Yelich said: "If I had seen it (I see it coming), I would have been a lot less nervous than I actually was.You are hoping for the best.It is a This season It's hard to talk right now, I appreciate it a lot. "

Yelich is qualified as the best player in the league after a second half for the ages. After the break, the southpaw beat .367 with a .449 percentage on the base and .770 in slugging, with 25 home runs – four more than his previous record for a full season – and a further 67 RBIs. 65 games. .

When the Brewers needed it the most in September, Yelich continued to improve his game. He beat .370 with a .508 OBP and .804 percentage, with 10 home runs and 34 RBIs in 27 games. It should be noted that Yelich scored 24 walks and eliminated only 16 times. The Brewers scored 20-7 to win the central NL crown, eliminating five defeats and defeating the Chicago Cubs in Game 163 at Wrigley Field.

"It was a magical second half, not only for me but for the entire team," Yelich said. "The environment in Milwaukee was amazing, you play in a pennant race, every game counted, we had to keep winning in order to play in the playoffs, and as a player I think it brings you the best."

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Yelich finished first at the NL with a batting average of .36, becoming the first league champion in the Brewers league, .598 slugging percentage, 1,000 on base plus slugging, 343 total bases, 164 on base plus slugging plus, .422 weighted average based and 166 weighted pbades created plus. He made a race at the Triple Crown before finishing tied with 110 RBI and tied with third position with 36 homers. Yelich was second with 118 points scored and third with a .402 OBP.

As if these bold numbers were not enough, Yelich became the first player in franchise history to score twice for the cycle and the first major player to do so against the same team – the Cincinnati Reds, the 30 August and 17 September.

Yelich regularly heard vocals from "MVP! MVP!" Brewers fans over the last few weeks of the season, and said it was at that time that he thought for the first time of the opportunity to win the prize.

"It's hard to describe what you feel, I remember having to calm down the first time," Yelich said. "You're trying to get rid of it because your team is in play. You're just trying to focus on winning, and you realize that all of this will happen afterwards."

Baez, whose versatility in infield boosted his candidacy for MVP, defeated. 290 with 34 home runs and 111 RBI, the best in NL. He compiled a percentage of .881 OPS and .554. Arenado beat .297 with a record of 38 championships, 110 RBIs, .561 slugging and .935 OPS.

The Brewers were hoping for a lot of success from Yelich when they sent four minor league hopefuls to the Miami Marlins in a deal on Jan. 25, including No. 1 Lewis Brinson. But he far exceeded those expectations with an exceptional season that helped the Brewers break a seven-year playoff drought.

On the same day, the Brewers signed an $ 80 million five-year contract with free agent Lorenzo Cain. They hoped that he and Yelich would turn an offense that had been pretty lightning in previous seasons. With Cain often in the lead and Yelich second, they always set the table for training while playing a superb defense in the field.

"It's hard to describe where I was 11 months ago and where we are now," Yelich said. "I do not take it for granted – I know how difficult it is to accomplish what the team has done this year, and individually as well."

Addressing the team, Brewers general manager David Stearns said: "We are all happy for Christian – it's a well-deserved recognition – he was the best player in the league. when it mattered most.I think we can all say that he deserved it. "