Baseball has a way of keeping you grounded.
The Milwaukee Brewers were expected to struggle this year after losing key figures like Craig Counsell, David Stearns, and Corbin Burnes. Even with new additions like Rhys Hoskins and Gary Sánchez, it didn’t seem enough to make up for the losses.
Surprisingly, by late August, the Brewers had the biggest division lead in Major League Baseball despite Christian Yelich’s season-ending back surgery . How did they manage this? Let’s dive into three key factors behind their unexpected success.
1. Internal Development
Young hitters like William Contreras, Joey Ortiz, Blake Perkins, and Garrett Mitchell have been crucial. But two standouts are Brice Turang and Jackson Chourio.
Turang is a defensive wizard at second base with 37 stolen bases from 42 attempts. His bat has improved too; he whiffs on only about 13% of his swings now. Though he may never be a top-tier hitter, his other skills make him invaluable to the team.
Jackson Chourio looks like a future star . The Brewers bet big on him with an $82 million deal before he even played in the majors. After a slow start, he’s been flirting with a .900 OPS since June. With his speed and power combo, fans expect some exciting seasons ahead.
Chourio has adjusted his swing rate and improved his contact quality over the season. He’s likely to achieve a 20-20 season soon and could even aim for 30-30 or 40-40 campaigns in the future.
2. Unexpected Contributors
Developing young talent is one thing; getting unexpected contributions from journeymen is another level altogether.
When analyzing the Corbin Burnes trade earlier this year, we noted DL Hall’s potential impact thanks to Milwaukee’s knack for maximizing pitcher performance—a skill attributed to Cameron Castro’s leadership in player development.
Four pitchers who weren’t initially seen as stars have become significant contributors:
- Bryan Hudson: Acquired from the Dodgers in January; boasts a 1.65 ERA over 38 appearances.
- Tobias Myers: Signed as a minor-league free agent; holds a 2.81 ERA across 19 games.
- Colin Rea: Retained on a one-year deal; sports an impressive 119 ERA+.
- Jared Koenig: A late bloomer with limited experience but now has a stellar 2.09 ERA over nearly 50 innings.
Fans might find it surprising how these lesser-known players have stepped up when big names like Brandon Woodruff and Devin Williams were sidelined due to injuries.
3. Central Dominance
Winning games is crucial for any team aiming for division dominance—especially against divisional rivals .
The Brewers have excelled here too: they hold a strong record of 72-52 overall and are particularly dominant within their division at 25-14 against NL Central teams (compared to their still-impressive record against others). This translates into potentially winning around 104 games if maintained throughout an entire season!
Against specific teams:
- They’re dominating St Louis Cardinals (6–1),
- Chicago Cubs (8–5),
- Cincinnati Reds (6–3).
Only Pittsburgh Pirates pose any real challenge so far (5–5).
With more divisional matchups ahead before season-end—if they maintain focus—the Brewers could clinch consecutive NL Central titles for first time ever!
What do you think? Can they keep up this pace till end?
