Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio etched his name in the record books in 2024, at 20 years old becoming the youngest player in major-league history to hit 20 home runs and steal 20 bases.

But in the end, it wasn’t enough to earn him notice as the top newcomer in the National League.

Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes was named the senior circuit’s rookie of the year, earning 23 of a possible 30 first-place votes, with San Diego Padres centerfielder Jackson Merrill finishing second (seven first-place votes) and Chourio third.

Skenes, 22, went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA and WHIP of 0.95 in 133 innings over 23 starts for a Pirates team that didn’t call him up from Class AAA Indianapolis until the second week of May.

Despite the delayed start, Skenes was the talk in baseball for most of the season, even becoming the first rookie to start an All-Star Game since 1995. He accounted for 4.3 Wins Above Replacement according to FanGraphs.

In 156 games, Merrill hit .292 with 24 home runs and 90 runs batted in with an OPS of .826 for a Padres team that finished with the same record as the Brewers – 93-69 – but in second place in the NL West behind the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Merrill, 21, also stole 16 bases and was named an all-star. He accounted for 5.3 WAR according to FanGraphs.com.

Then there was Chourio, who earned 26 third-place votes. Chicago Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga garnered the other four.

It was a little over a year ago Chourio signed a record-breaking $82 million contract extension with the Brewers despite having never played in the major leagues.

He made Milwaukee’s opening-day roster out of spring training as the youngest player in the majors and then scuffled for most of the first two months before finally hitting his stride.

By season’s end, it could have been argued that Chourio was the Brewers’ best all-around player. In 148 games, Chourio hit .275 with 21 homers and 79 RBI to go along with an OPS of .791.

He also stole 22 bases and despite switching back and forth between right and left field was a net positive with the glove having been credited with 12 defensive runs saved and five outs above average.

Chourio saved his best for last, as he racked up five hits and three RBI in Milwaukee’s wild-card series loss to the New York Mets. He slugged two homers in Game 2, making him the fifth-youngest player in baseball history to go deep in the postseason.

Chourio’s WAR total of 3.9 ranked third on the Brewers behind catcher William Contreras (5.4) and shortstop Willy Adames (4.8).

Right-hander Devin Williams is the last Brewers player to have been named rookie of the year (2020).

Milwaukee’s next shot at a Baseball Writers Association of America postseason award comes Tuesday, with Pat Murphy considered a favorite to be named NL manager of the year.

Who was the Milwaukee area’s top prep athlete last week? You tell us.

You can vote for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Athlete of the Week until 3 p.m. Saturday. You don’t have to be a subscriber to vote. Votes are limited to one per hour, per device.

You can make a nomination for a future player of the week by sending an email with statistics and context on their performance to mwhitlow@gannett.com and zbellman@gannett.com by 9 a.m. Monday. Do not send votes to these addresses.

Here is the ballot. If the poll does not display, refresh your browser.

Angel Gomez of St. Augustine Prep boys soccer was the winner of last week’s poll, earning 12,245 out of 24,758 total votes.

The Houston Rockets (9-4) head to the Milwaukee Bucks‘ (4-9) home turf at Fiserv Forum on Monday for an East vs West NBA showdown. The game is set to tip off at 8:00 p.m. ET.

The Rockets have been on an incredible roll, winning seven of their last eight matchups. Riding high on a five-game winning streak, they come into this contest fresh off a dominant 143-107 road victory over the Chicago Bulls last night.

In contrast, the Bucks are struggling to find their rhythm, with just four wins in their first 13 games this season. They’ll be eager to turn things around after narrowly losing 115-114 to the Charlotte Hornets in a heartbreaker on Saturday.

Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch the Milwaukee Bucks vs. the Houston Rockets NBA game, plus plenty more.

Milwaukee Bucks vs Houston Rockets: Date and tip-off time

The Milwaukee Bucks and the Houston Rockets will go head-to-head in a highly anticipated NBA game on Monday, November 18, 2024, at 8:00 pm ET/5:00 pm PT, at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

How to watch Milwaukee Bucks vs Houston Rockets on TV & stream live online

Fans in the USA can catch all the action between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Houston Rockets live on:

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Streaming the game with a VPN

Unable to watch this game due to broadcast restrictions? A VPN could be the answer to your problems.

When it comes to streaming live sports, NordVPN is our pick for the best VPN service in 2024. You can even try NordVPN risk-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

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How to listen to Milwaukee Bucks vs Houston Rockets play-by-play commentary on radio

Fans wanting to listen to the action live can do so via SiriusXM. 

SiriusXM offers play-by-play commentary from games in all major US sports. It also brings you closer to the action with exclusive interviews and expert analysis from league insiders and experts.

You can try SiriusXM for free with their one-month trial. After that, the All Access plan costs $9.99 a month. 

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Milwaukee Bucks team news & key performers

The hosts endured a heart-breaking loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday. LaMelo Ball led the charge for Charlotte, scoring 19 of his 26 points in the second half. Despite Giannis Antetokounmpo notching his first triple-double of the season—posting 22 points, 15 rebounds, and 12 assists—he couldn’t convert the game-winner at the buzzer.

The Bucks shot an impressive 51% from the floor, including a solid 41.7% (15-for-36) from beyond the arc. However, they were outworked on the boards, being outrebounded 53-40 and conceding 16 offensive rebounds. Adding to their woes, the Hornets capitalized at the free-throw line, attempting 10 more foul shots than Milwaukee.

Houston Rockets team news & key performers

On the other hand, the visitors delivered a commanding 21-point victory over the LA Clippers in Friday’s NBA Cup Group Play, thanks to a season-best performance from Jabari Smith Jr., who dropped 28 points on an efficient 11-of-17 shooting.

In their most recent triumph against the Chicago Bulls, Fred VanVleet took center stage, finishing with 28 points, seven boards, and seven assists. Alperen Sengun recorded a stellar triple-double, contributing 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists, while Jalen Green added a solid 18 points, shooting 6-of-9 from the field.

Head-to-Head Record

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