The Brewers have the best record in baseball, and they are playing like the best team in baseball, regardless of prestige.
If you’re like me, you’ve probably noticed that the Milwaukee Brewers have become a frequent discussion topic on MLB Now. The analytics show on MLB Network includes segments on managerial decisions and team fundamentals, and the Brewers often receive top marks. But recurring guest Rob Parker of MLBbro.com doesn’t believe in them.
“I’ve got one Brewers number,” Parker said in August. “They’ve lost 11 of their last 13 playoff games, so they got to show me.” He also added, “the problem I have is, again, baseball has a way of correcting itself.”
The veteran journalist isn’t the only one who doubts the Brew Crew can win in October. Plenty of knowledgeable people are impressed by the Brewers but are skeptical that a small ball team can make a deep run. And there is real evidence to back up that skepticism. No team that ranked in the bottom half of the league in home runs has won the World Series since the 2015 Royals. For their part, the Brewers are tied for 20th in home runs in 2025. Front offices have figured out that in the age of analytics, long balls win titles.
But this current Brewers squad, with Manager Pat Murphy at the helm, might be able to buck the StatCast trends. Three of our writers correctly picked them to win the NL Central. But can a small ball team win the World Series? That is unclear at this point, but tons of fans will be rooting for a different style of baseball to crash the large-payroll party in October.
Roster Composition
It is easy to picture the Brewers as just another 85-win team squeaking by with a good bullpen and web gems, but this is not the same Milwaukee team as the early part of the 2020s. The Brewers do have a solid bullpen (8th in ERA) and reliable defense (12th in DRS), but they are no longer elite. OF Christian Yelich and C William Contreras are still good hitters, but they are not MVP candidates. SP Corbin Burnes is long gone, and SP Brandon Woodruff has been hurt most of this year.
The Brewers characteristically lack home run hitters, and as I said, that is still the case. But they score in a number of different ways. They lead the Majors in scoring unearned runs, and the gap is enormous. Opponents committing errors sounds like total luck, but the scrappy Brewers, with all of their speed, force the issue. By consistently running out grounders, they make plays closer and force defenders to rush throws sometimes. This leads to mistakes and extra bases without the ball leaving the infield.
All the speed helps in other ways, as well. In true 1980s turf fashion, the Brewers steal bases and bunt. The Brewers are 2nd in the MLB in steals, and they have seven players in double digits. Amazingly, the Brew Crew are 25-for-48 on bunts with 26 sacrifices. The only team that bunted more often are the San Diego Padres, who hit even fewer home runs.
Internal Improvements
I have kind of buried the lead here, because the Brewers have the best record in baseball. They aren’t just a playoff team; they are one of the favorites. In a year where no one will win 100, Milwaukee has 96 wins. Having the best record isn’t the same thing as being the best team, but this club must be in the conversation. Without much star power, the Brewers have a balanced roster where everyone understands their role.
SP Freddy Peralta is the lone ace on the staff, but he has some help around him. The Brewers acquired SP Quinn Priester in a desperation trade in April, but he has become the “win day” pitcher. Priester had less than 100 innings of MLB experience before the trade, but the Brewers are now 21-7 when he pitches. A team isn’t supposed to play that well behind an unproven starter. Speaking of unproven, SP Chad Patrick was merely a mid-level prospect who debuted this season. With a 3.56 ERA and a matching FIP, Patrick has outperformed anyone’s wildest expectations. Plus, Milwaukee has rookie phenom SP Jacob Misiorowski, and they might move him to the bullpen to be a postseason weapon.
While an unheralded rotation has become a strength, the gains in the lineup have been more crucial this season. Some of the speed-and-defense players are adding more at the plate. 2B Brice Turang had one of the slowest swings in baseball in 2024, but he has added a whopping 4 MPH to his swing. In turn, his home run total has ballooned from 7 to 18. Meanwhile, 3B Caleb Durbin was a throw-in trade acquisition, but he has actually outplayed both RP Devin Williams and SP Nestor Cortes. The rookie has been a quintessential Brewer by making contact, squaring up the ball, and playing reliable defense.
The Brewers also managed to turn around 1B Andrew Vaughn’s career in the blink of an eye. A team filled with player development magic is one opponents–and observers–should take seriously.
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