The Edge of Their Seeds

 

The Brewers currently have the best record in the NL, and in baseball, and could very well have a higher seed than the Dodgers once the playoffs begin. However, the Dodgers have one of the easiest schedules in baseball this month, and barely have to play any teams over .500, while the Brewers still have to play the Cubs and Phillies, as well as spoilery teams like the Orioles and Cardinals. Therefore...clearly the Dodgers are the preferred frontrunners. That being said, the Dodgers don't have Shohei Ohtani at 100% right now, and the Brewers seem to only be getting stronger with time.

I think it's a little worrying that the wins are trailing off slightly. They were able to keep leverage against the Cubs to start out, and look to keep doing that [especially with the pitching], but they're in a more precarious position than they were. Kyle Harrison's fatigued now, clearly. He keeps getting lit up in starts, and we can't even blame Vegas anymore. The deadline acquisitions [Dustin May, Antonio Senzatela and Jojo Romero] have not been up to snuff. Even Miz got rocked a little in the past week. Grant Anderson just hit the IL, Sal Frelick and Christian Yelich are fairly mediocre, and now the league lead is around a game. And the Dodgers have to play the the Reds right now.

I still think the Brewers have the edge though. Everything the Dodgers claim they are, an unparalleled barrel of talent, the Brewers actually are. Bringing up Cooper Pratt and Luis Lara, and having both of them fit perfectly while also inspiring Joey Ortiz and Sal Frelick to start playing better, is incredible. Pratt is one of many sure thing prospects, and despite missing time he's hitting .275 with 3 homers and 29 RBIs, plus 13 steals, in 59 games. It's a bright start for the 21-year-old, who's probably gonna have shortstop going forward. Luis Lara, meanwhile, is unparalleled defensively and has a nice mean streak offensively, with 21 RBIs in 49 games. He was smoking the minors, maybe he'll start ramping up a little more. I don't know what that means for Mitchell or Frelick, but the depth is certainly a good thing. Also really good to have two excellent options at first. Bauers is still a top-tier hitter statistically, and Vaughn's a .300 hitter with less power perks and more pure contact ability. And they've got Gary Sanchez against lefties and David Hamilton as a utility man, not even going into Turang and Chourio on top of their game. There is so much going on in this lineup that even a Dodgers team might not be able to stop all of it this year.

I think the postseason rotation situation could be a little worrying if Harrison's acting up. Might be as simple as Miz-Henderson-Drohan, but you might need a larger sample size from Drohan in order to be alright with him there. If not, you just hope Harrison rebounds I guess? Or else it's Bobby Gasser, which could be brilliant or could be a recipe for disaster, you're never sure. At least the bullpen's pretty trustworthy, that's a start. 

I dunno, I still like the Brewers' odds. I don't know if the top seed is guaranteed anymore, but I think they could find their 2025 postseason momentum and make another strong run. They're still very much in the thick of their prime competitive run, and they're only gonna get better once Made and Williams are up, so if they go all the way now, they may not stop there. For a team that's never won, that's a very cool prospect.

Coming Tomorrow- One of my least favorite players in the game. Cause he's that good, and cause he's that bad.

Murph-ection

 

Heading into what could be the last MLB postseason before a lockout, there's one thing that the majority of MLB fans are hoping for, and that's a thwarted threepeat. The Dodgers winning isn't interesting anymore. Not that it isn't cool for the team with Shohei Ohtani to win rings, no that's fine, but it's not interesting that it keeps happening despite all the other more interesting stories coming out of the woodwork. The Dodgers are supposed to be the place-setter that other teams subvert. It didn't happen last year, even if it arguably should have.

So here we are again. The Dodgers are one of the best teams in baseball, and the Brewers currently have a better record than them. This week they have to play the Mets, perennial spoilers, and the Rangers, who are likely just about to decide they'd like to win the AL West after all, and- NO, DON'T CLOSE THE STREETS DOWN YET, LOS ANGELES.

I think I look for so much logic in baseball, a very illogical pastime, and I always expect the top team to face some bit of difficulty getting to the end since this is a larger playoff schematic, and...well, the ones I root for always do. So I try to expect something different given the recent subversions and changes and I still get gobsmacked by a trite, unexpected outcome that...ultimately is the most expected outcome.

The Brewers are currently the best team in baseball. They haven't been to a World Series since the 1980s. They've been to three NLCSs since 2010. They have a team with the depth to withstand just about anything. I really want this to happen.

Logan Henderson is a big piece of 'why this year', because it took him a while to stay healthy, and it took the Brewers a while to find room for him, but the stars aligned. This year he's been phenomenal, with an 8-2 record, a 2.60 ERA and a 0.894 WHIP in 13 starts. He's looking confident, durable and exactly as advertised. Misiorowski is obviously the takeaway, he's on a Cy Young path, and Harrison is a really nice, consistent second option, but having Henderson there as the strong third option makes for a really winning October combination. And Shane Drohan, Robert Gasser and Dustin May aren't too bad either. A whole onslaught of really impressive arms, plus arguably one of the best bullpens in baseball. Like, when even losing Abner Uribe doesn't really wound the unit, that's when you know you're alright.

And beyond that, the core of Jackson Chourio, Jake Bauers, William Contreras, Brice Turang and Garrett Mitchell is truly excellent. Chourio's still one of the most unstoppable young players in the league, Bauers is having a career year and might get to 25 homers, and nearly everybody is hitting. Luis Lara and Cooper Pratt are also both contributing and having excellent moments. Lara's a great contact hitter with great outfield coverage, and Pratt's already making shortstop his own, despite the recent surge from Joey Ortiz. The talent runs so deeply, and the forward progress is across the board.

I really think the Brewers can go deep this year, and learn from the 2025 loss to become even better going forward. Obviously the MLB itself would prefer a Dodgers win...but a Brewers win might be even cooler.

Coming Tomorrow- A second-year outfield bat from a team nobody is stopping from winning the division. 

Outlegged

 

Anyone else breathing a little easier now that the Dodgers aren't in first?

I mean yes, it's been tough matchups, they've had to play a surging Cubs team, they're beginning to cool off, and they will obviously be back because they're the Dodgers but...how about the fact that the best team in baseball right now is the self-made, lower-budget Milwaukee Brewers, the team that everybody thought was punting and would sink under the Cardinals and Reds? The Brewers are solid as hell and have enough reinforcements for days, and right now they're absolutely cruising, going 13-6 since the all-star break. 

The rotation still amazes me, because right now they're without Freddy Peralta, Brandon Woodruff and Quinn Priester, three guys who absolutely made the 2025 team as good as it was. And it's still one of the best rotations in baseball. Jacob Misiorowski is still having a Cy Young caliber season, going 11-5 with a league-leading 1.63 ERA and a league-leading 195 strikeouts. The velocity's high and he's still untouchable, and hopefully this is a sustainable metric because, as we're seeing with Paul Skenes, it takes some wear and tear. But even behind him, you have Kyle Harrison pitching a terrific year, 9-2 with a 2.84 ERA, Logan Henderson finally staying healthy in the bigs with a 6-1 record and a 2.70 ERA in 10 starts, Shane Drohan having an excellent rookie campaign with a 6-4 record and a 3.48 ERA, Robert Gasser surprisingly doing alright for himself as a fill-in, and now Dustin May, who had a terrific first start with only 2 runs allowed. That is an onslaught. So many terrific starting options. And that is why you deal a Peralta, because you know you have Drohan coming. 

Additionally...the bullpen crew have been so damn concise this year. Abner Uribe's having another god-tier season, with a 2.14 ERA, 47 Ks and 6 saves. Combine that with Trevor Megill, still good as the primary closer, Chad Patrick, who's been excellent as a longman, Aaron Ashby who has 12 wins and a ton of great long work, and somehow D.L. Hall, Bryse Wilson and Antonio Senzatela who are all suddenly ace relievers at this point. It's a really impressive unit with a lot of very steady pieces who are all going the right direction, and directly overtop of that is a lineup of prime Jackson Chourio, prime William Contreras, prime Brice Turang, rookie Cooper Pratt and Luis Lara, and the Jake Bauers season the Rays convinced themselves would never happen. The swiss army effect with this team is real, and there's so many guys that can beat you in so many ways.

And the strange part is...they haven't even needed Jett Williams or Jesus Made, because Joey Ortiz has had a crazy second wind and Cooper Pratt has been worth it at short. He's now hitting .289 with 17 RBIs and 10 steals, and finally feels like a valid MLB option, even at 21. The fact that there is a Made waiting in the wings to make this team even better is still insane.

The Brewers have the Twins and Padres next, two decent teams that wanna be the spoiler even if they're not definite playoff teams yet. They need to stay hot and command enough of the rest of this season if they want to stand any chance against the inevitable Dodgers October offense. I so badly want the Brewers to upset the Dodgers, because they're the more fun team and are trying to do something terrific here, even with a fraction of the budget the Dodgers have. And I really hope this can be the year.

Coming Tonight: A week or so ago, his team was in first and looking to buy. Now he's just trying to keep the lights on.

Everything Lines Up

 

There's a plot point in the second Thor movie, which isn't very good, where like 9 different realms or universes are going to line up at the same time, like a solar eclipse but more cosmic, and it only happens once every hundreds of thousands of years and of course it's happening during the events of this film. Like when else would everything come together like that? This Milwaukee Brewers team is acting similarly to that alignment, because this team is consisting of so much random shit that may not ever align this way again. Could this be the best season of Jacob Misiorowski's career? Is this the peak of Jake Bauers's improbable comeback? Will we ever see Garrett Mitchell this healthy again? Will we ever see Logan Henderson healthy at all again? It's funny how it's all working out.

And let's be clear, there's already a lot of Brewers that have missed this window. Quinn Priester will not be appearing this season. Brandon Woodruff might have overworked himself into another shortened season. And this moment might not even require Jeferson Quero, Jett Williams or Jesus Made. Maybe it will, maybe they'll be late callups. But everything this Brewers team has done has been without those guys, and with this ever-shifting mass of very intriguing people.

To give you an idea. The only constant this season in the Milwaukee outfield has been Garrett Mitchell. AKA the guy that usually gets hurt a week into the season. Everyone else has missed time. Chourio obviously had his first month out, Perkins has been in and out, Frelick just went on the IL, Lara just came up, Lockridge is hurt. Mitchell's been the constant, and he's hit .277 with an .826 OPS, 8 homers and 45 RBIs. Far and away Mitchell's fullest season to date, and 5 years into his career. He's currently got Chourio and Lara flanking him, so that's a little more consistent, and Lara is beginning to pick things up. Also, Chourio is having the kind of year where, if he hadn't missed a month, he'd be getting MVP votes. 

I also think it's wild that Shane Drohan and Logan Henderson have swung in to replace Brandon Woodruff and Kyle Harrison, and they've done a bang-up job. Drohan had another strong start yesterday, he's got a 3.20 ERA, 76 Ks and a 5-3 record, he might be something for these guys. Henderson's fantastic too but he needs to stay healthy. Brandon Sproat is slowly getting his ERA down with some better starts, and Robert Gasser's doing his best, obviously waiting for Harrison to come back. I also think Craig Yoho has swung into the bullpen at the right time, and might be a keeper. 

I still think they're the secret team to beat in the NL this year, and they might go about as far this year as they did last year. The Dodgers and Braves have had off weeks, the Brewers have been pretty steady throughout. I think something can be done here, and though a lot of this team's window may close very soon, there's enough bubbling that they could stay this good for a while.

Coming Tonight: From a swing-in starter to a lights-out closer, a guy who's finally found the right niche with the Rangers.

Enclosed with a High Ceiling

 

So, to recap. At the MLB level right now, the Milwaukee Brewers currently have, up and thriving, Jackson Chourio, Jacob Misiorowski, Kyle Harrison, Brandon Sproat, Brice Turang, Cooper Pratt, Shane Drohan and Logan Henderson. And then waiting in the minors, they have Jett Williams, Jesus Madé, Jeferson Quero, Luis Pena and Luis Lara. And remember, right now, with all those great players still waiting, they are a 1st place team with one of the best records in baseball and the second-most wins of anyone. For a rebuilding team, they could not be doing better.

And again, last year when people kept referring to the Brewers as a 'rebuilding team', despite the fact that they'd just made the NLCS and were expected to compete again, I had faith they'd be doing something like this. The signs were there. Obviously flipping Freddy Peralta, Caleb Durbin and Isaac Collins for prospects was a cost-saving measure that was meant to lower the payroll, but the windfall they got in return was enough to keep them competitive. They got David Hamilton, Kyle Harrison, Brandon Sproat, Jett Williams and Angel Zerpa for those guys, and those have been very crucial organizational pieces this year. So I fully predicted they'd be a league power this year, and of course they are.

It was mostly the marquee guy above that pointed me towards that. Jackson Chourio is 22, a 3-year vet, and already one of the most reliable hitters in Milwaukee. Even with a month removed, he's still a serious piece of this team, hitting .291 with an .863 OPS, 11 homers and 31 RBIs. In just 48 games. If there was any justice, Chourio would be an all-star this year. I'm not sure if it's going to happen, though someone will need to replace Acuña if he makes it on, and it might have to be him. This guy feels way older than 22, and hits like a season veteran even this early on. He's great in the outfield, he's great hitting for contact, he's a great power bat, his base stealing is down a little from last year but he's still capable. I know Yelich still exists, between injuries, but Chourio is the kind of guy a team can be based around, and he really does offer a lot of hope to this team, who got so close last year but were trounced by LA.

Chourio, Turang, Contreras, Bauers and Vaughn make up a truly powerful core, and Cooper Pratt is juuust figuring things out as well, with 8 hits and 2 RBIs in 13 at-bats. You're also seeing production from Shane Drohan, who's being handed more starts and has made the most of his last few opportunities. Harrison's getting his ERA back down after Vegas, Sproat's trying to balance things out, Miz is still killing it, and Woodruff's been working a clinic as well. I do worry a bit about the number of pitching prospects the Brewers have tried this year that haven't especially worked [Craig Yoho, Coleman Crow, Carlos Rodriguez, Brian Fitzpatrick], but...with everything that has worked, and with how young most of them are, it's likely not worth it. 

I sincerely hope the Brewers can keep this up and hopefully be a match for the Dodgers and other monoliths in the playoffs. Chourio I still get a very good vibe from, much like the rest of this team, and they seem to be after something this year in particular.

Coming Tonight: The Mariners searched for a homegrown ace after Felix Hernandez left. It did not take long for one to show up, but it took a bit for him to fully embrace ace status.

The Bauers That Be

 

Not looking forward to the Brewers having to play the Phillies right now. Not that we're bad, but we're throwing Derek Hill out as a starter. The Miz game is the day Andrew Painter has to start. It's not gonna be pretty.

I don't know if the Brewers are the best team in the NL, but they might be the most lethal. Similar to the Braves, they've filled the lineup with people that are doing 100% what they were brought here to do, but unlike the Braves, there's like 5 or 6 more 'OH MY GOD' prospects waiting for one of the genuinely effective people to get hurt. We're still waiting on Jett Williams, Jeferson Quero, Jesus Made, Luis Lara, Cooper Pratt, Luis Pena even...and this team is currently extremely good without them. The infrastructure is there to insure that they will continue to be this good for a while. The Braves have some of that but not to this degree. Same with the Dodgers honestly.

Like, to give you an idea, the current mega-prospects who are working for this team at the MLB level are Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, Jacob Misiorowski, Kyle Harrison, Logan Henderson, Brandon Sproat and Shane Drohan, plus secondary prospect guys like Robert Gasser, Coleman Crow, Chad Patrick and Sal Frelick. That's already the majority of the team. And not only are these guys working, they're elite. Chourio, despite the late start, is having a phenomenal year, hitting .304 with 6 homers and 20 RBIs in 32 games. Turang's chasing MVP numbers again, with 10 homers, 11 steals, 42 RBIs and some of the best 2B play in the league. The Miz has a 1.50 ERA, 116 Ks and a 0.808 WHIP. Video game numbers. And Kyle Harrison, even after the Vegas start where you could tell that playing in an a-ball park really hurt the pitching, has a 2.72 ERA and 7 wins.

The triumph might be some of the people brought in for nothing. Last year Quinn Priester was a terrific bargain acquisition, and though he's yet to appear he looms large over the second half. Jake Bauers was a low-rent utility guy who'd succeeded in Cleveland and New York, and now suddenly he's the starting 1st baseman, hitting .277 with 12 homers [meaning his next one will mark a career high] and 43 RBIs. And even crazier is Andrew Vaughn, who's now splitting time with him, is still on fire, hitting .370 with 2 homers and 18 RBIs in 29 games. I might even throw in Gary Sanchez, who's become a terrific DH/backup choice in his later years and has an .845 OPS in 39 games. Even David Hamilton's become a terrific utility infield option, topping even Andruw Monasterio, who he was traded for.

The Brewers are an efficient, deep, varied team that can beat you several different ways, and look like they're gonna get even better as they go, with Woodruff and Henderson expected back soon. I am really worried that the Phils might not be able to get anything done against these guys this weekend, but...can you blame them if not?

Coming Tonight: I follow Mina Kimes on Bluesky, and she just had a very nice interview with this guy on there. Pretty sure he's the real deal.

A Matter of Thrust

 

2026 has seen a lot of potential purveyors of 'new school' MLB thinking, guys like Blake Butera and Tony Vitello who have a younger, more advanced approach to building a winning team. And you hope that there can finally be a new breed of five-steps-ahead manager who can revolutionize how people think about running a team. I think about what Stephen Vogt's done in Cleveland, and how he's turned that team into a run production machine. Kevin Cash counts, all the analytics is driving the bus rather than contracts. Perhaps Darren McCaughan also fits. 

But one of the main reasons I want there to be a new breed of managers is because there's still a handful of them who are living too far in the past. I thought getting rid of Tony LaRussa was gonna help this. Now I'm fearing there's still some of this 'pro-decorum' energy about.

The Giants, for reference, have this outfield thrust they do when they win games. And it's Harrison Bader, Jung Hoo Lee and Drew Gilbert mostly, they do this hug-thrust thing when they win. Tony Vitello seems to be fine with it. Let 'em have fun. Well, Abner Uribe of the Brewers does this triple-crotch thing when he strikes out the side the other day, and it's full on reliever dominance stuff. And then after the game, Pat Murphy's going 'well, that's not how we do things here'. 

I can never tell where the line's gonna be with these guys. It's just a thrust, it's not like he assaulted someone, and even then he'd probably keep his job anyway. Pat Murphy's doing the whole 'this is the way things are done' schtick that I hated when LaRussa did it. And it's not like Murphy's comparable to LaRussa in that many other ways. Murph was taking pancakes out of his pocket last year. How is that 'the way things ought to be done'?? I'm pretty sure they're meant to go on a plate. I dunno what upscale restaurant Pat Murphy's going to, where the waiters put the pancakes directly in your pockets, but if that's The Way We Do Things Round Here than why not get silly and go 'your mum' when you strike a guy out, or whatever the hell Uribe's doing? Who's he hurting? 

So now you're gonna have Abner Uribe out there, stock serious at gunpoint, afraid to have fun. This is what got Yermin Mercedes run out of the leave, cause some old codger with a superiority complex told him The Way Things Are Meant to Be Done, regardless of any, ahem, difference in background or heritage. Carlos Estevez does the 'I am about to pulverize you like the man from the anime' stance every time he notches a save- nobody starts a shit-fit. He's not literally going 'I am going to pulverize you', just like Abner Uribe isn't actually saying he's gonna perform any lewd acts on anybody. The Way Things Ought to Be Done is just a gatekeeping tool men of a certain generation use to prevent anyone from reaching their level of success. Pat Murphy's committed to a lot of new school tactics, but this could be costly.

And it takes the sting out of a really excited, and varied, Brewers team, succeeding as very few [including me] knew they would. Losing Freddy Peralta hurt, but Miz and Harrison have been incredible, and have instilled a rotation stability that many thought was still a few years away. And yes, Logan Henderson's hurt again, but look at Coleman Crow filling in for him. They're being VERY careful with his service time, but he's succeeding at the MLB level. The team is hitting, and William Contreras is hitting .308 with 33 RBIs, which is a very strong stat for a catcher. Turang, Bauers, Chourio, Yelich and Mitchell are all following behind. And when not being yelled at by a manager, Abner Uribe's working out in the ninth, with 5 saves already. The interesting bit about this team is how many former starting options, like Aaron Ashby, D.L. Hall, Carlos Rodriguez and Shane Drohan, are working better as relief pieces than they would have been otherwise. A variation on the Dodgers' 'whatever you do don't hand the ball to a reliever' strategy from last fall [which has subsided to reveal a pretty fantastic bullpen actually].

The Brewers are a great team hitting their stride. The last thing they need is random decorum BS to bring them down, much like the 2021 White Sox were brought down by theirs. Hopefully good prevails here.

Coming Tomorrow- In 2025, the reaction to his presence in the Mariners' lineup was '...you're absolutely right, Leo Rivas IS the better option'. Now, he's finally delivering what he was supposed to. 

Immediate Dividends

 

You know, I think a lot of people, at the end of the dealings the Brewers made pre-season, probably thought the biggest immediate piece they gained was somebody like Jett Williams or Brandon Sproat. But uh...looking like it's Kyle Harrison. Meaning the Giants saw what they had, relegated him to 5th starter, and traded him for Rafael Devers, and then the Red Sox barely used him and traded him for Caleb Durbin before anybody really realized what they had with this guy. 

And considering that he's in a pitching staff that includes Chad Patrick, dealt for both Jace Peterson and Abraham Toro before landing in Milwaukee, Quinn Priester, who was an afterthought in two different deals before landing in Milwaukee, and Coleman Crow, dealt for Eduardo Escobar and Adrian Houser in two different deals both teams currently regret, not even factoring Sproat in...it's very clear the Milwaukee Brewers know something that a lot of other teams don't. 

Think about it. Woodruff, Misiorowski and Henderson were drafted by them, the other guys were scouted and picked up for nothing. And they've all found success there. The rest of the team's full of that mentality. When they were dealt, nobody was thinking anything about Andrew Vaughn, Joey Ortiz, Brandon Lockridge and David Hamilton, and they've become vital pieces of this team. Lockridge is very much a 'use when Chourio is hurt' guy but he's not bad in his own right. Also, William Contreras is only on this team because the Braves wanted a catching upgrade and the A's wanted Manny Pina as a backup. So, you know, if you've lost hope in him, we'll take a chance. The gambles that most other teams take don't pay off as much as the Brewers' do because the Brewers just seem to have the right information most of the time. They do their homework, bet on the right horses and reap the benefits. 

So Kyle Harrison's very impressive debut is a shock to everyone...except the Brewers. 3-1 record, 35 Ks, 2.12 ERA...yeah, they knew. It's not a starring role exactly, as that would be the Miz's distinction, but it's arguably a better statistical start than the balls-to-the-wall flame throwing the Miz is doing. And if it's sustainable, and the Brewers can keep him around, that's a foundational guy. Funny how all these foundational guys keep showing up at the right time for this team. 

So even as this team is still technically a last place team, nobody's really referring to them as one because they're within reach of the nearest two teams and they're about to regain momentum due to the return of Jackson Chourio, already on fire. The Yankees series may make that a little difficult, but this is still a great team looking to surprise a lot of people.

Coming Tomorrow- For years he'd been the outer satellite of one of the most consistent rotations in the bigs. Now, when his team needs him the most, he's finally stepped up.

Cold as Brice

 

If you were wondering what a Brewers team without Jackson Chourio, Quinn Priester, Andrew Vaughn or Christian Yelich looks like, and how it stands a chance without those pieces, well...Pat Murphy could manage his way out of a tornado if he was given the opportunity. This is a team where Brandon Lockridge or Brandon Sproat can be the hero. Anything's possible, even without Yelich. That was always the fear, when Yelich became the MVP guy, it was always a worry of 'what is this team without him'. And without him, the Brewers still have Brice Turang.

Brice Turang is one of those players who can do just about anything. Hit for average, hit home runs, steal bases, play great 2nd base, get on base, lead the team. Between Chourio, Turang and Contreras, the Brewers have a lot of those multifaceted guys. But Turang right now is the most crucial, because he's hitting, leading the team in WAR, and leading the team in OPS. Turang has quietly become one of the most crucial players in baseball since breaking out in 2024, and as a former high-tier prospect in this organization, it's very affirming. That's what's great about the Brewers, their top prospects pay off. Jackson Chourio, Jacob Misiorowski, Logan Henderson, Brice Turang, and now Coleman Crow have all delivered on the promises the scouts have made. So with Jesus Made and Cooper Pratt on the way, and possibly Jeferson Quero if they can manage to keep him up for more than 5 seconds, it's very reassuring. The last true 'sure thing' to dive-bomb out of Milwaukee was Keston Hiura. 

The Brewers' ability to grow around injuries has served them well this season. Jake Bauers has been covering 1st, and he's been doing pretty well, leading the team in homers with 5. Joey Ortiz is doing his best to avoid being replaced by Jett Williams or Jesus Made, and so far it's working, with 4 steals already. Brandon Lockridge is aware he's just a placeholder for Jackson Chourio but he still had a nice day at the plate today. And Kyle Harrison, Brandon Sproat and Coleman Crow have all capitalized on a freer rotation. It's a shame Logan Henderson couldn't run on that opportunity, but Crow seems ready, and Harrison and Sproat are more than willing to let their former teams regret trading them.

Truth be told, the Brewers' season this far has been pretty sporadic. A hugely successful stretch to start, then six straight losses, and now 4 straight wins. I think they've got enough leverage to ram back into the lead, and this is even before Chourio comes back. 

Coming Tomorrow- It is so refreshing to not have to play this guy like 16 times a year anymore. I already dug him fundamentally but now that he plays for a team I enjoy I think it's safe to say I do really like this guy. Anyway he's been hitting well.  

Miz-ery Business

 

Here's a fun fact about the Milwaukee Brewers, looking to defend their momentous NL Central championship from last year: only one person who's played in a game for the team so far is over 30. Christian Yelich. Obviously there are a couple others on the pitching staff who haven't appeared yet, Jared Koenig and Trevor Megill and Brandon Woodruff, but this is a very young team. The Cardinals are similarly young, but there's not a single all-star to be found on that team, whereas the Brewers have Contreras and Yelich and Sanchez and the Miz. And that's the thing: this may be a young team, but there's still infrastructure. I genuinely believe that they've built enough to get them far.

Now, again, after the trades this team made to get the payroll down, that may seem ambitious. Not only is Freddy Peralta, the staff ace, gone, but so are Caleb Durbin and Isaac Collins, two guys that could have been young stars going forward. But the idea I'm getting is that they have so many young pieces that they want to build properly and not trap guys that could be MLB options under perennial stars, or the Jasson Dominguez tract as it's known in the biz. Therefore, Collins gets dealt so Frelick, Mitchell and Lockridge can play, Durbin gets dealt so there's eventually room for Jett Williams and Jesus Made, and Peralta's dealt so Henderson, Miz and even Carlos Rodriguez can see starting time. So even without those pieces, the Brewers can still stand a chance, as they have so far.

The Miz start on Thursday was the stuff legends are made of. He gives up a home run early, fine, but he locks in, K's 11 and cements his place at the top of the rotation. There was some hesitation putting Miz out there Game 1, as the Brewers have Brandon Woodruff, and could have leaned on veteran presence rather than putting the kids out there immediately. But Misiorowski does have the stuff, and the controlled innings last year gave him enough juice to power through a full year this year. The optimal idea would be for Henderson, Chad Patrick and potentially Robert Gasser and Quinn Priester to line up behind Miz for a formidable rotation going forward. It's really just a matter of if all these guys are durable. 

I also look at somebody like Joey Ortiz, who's very much a placeholder til Williams and Made are here. Ortiz put in the work to improve at the plate during the spring, and he's already got 3 hits and 2 RBI as I write this to begin the season. Even if he knows he's cannon fodder once the prospects are ready, he's performing better than he has to date, and he wants to make this team great. Same with David Hamilton, he's clearly filling third for the time being, but he's got even more perks than he did in Boston, and has the needed contact prowess to fit in with this team. I put Lockridge into that category as well- like last year, he's filling in for Jackson Chourio, but he's excellent in the outfield and he gets on base. He's gotta be valuable while he can.

The big indication that the rebuild will happen as the team's competing was the news today that Jeferson Quero's joining the team, filling in for Andrew Vaughn. What this allows for, I'm guessing is for Gary Sanchez to DH more often, Jake Bauers to cover 1st more often, and Quero to become the go-to backup catcher. Quero was this team's big prospect before Made came along, and I'd love to see Quero cash in the second he gets the chance and give this team even more stability at a position that previously seemed a non-issue. 

So yeah, even if some of the exclamation point has dissipated, this is still a very strong Brewers team, and I still see them accomplishing great things this year, despite the competition. 

Coming Tomorrow- Fresh off surprising a lot of people in the WBC, he settles in as a reliable depth option for another reigning champ.

How Do You Get Anywhere?

 
Obviously the discourse surrounding the planned salary cap/floor has been completely normal and has been met with absolutely rational thinking. 

Right.

The players don't want a cap, the owners don't want a floor. Manfred has discussed a floor, who knows how high it'll be. The whole point is to incentivize small-market teams to actually build competitors and not be afraid to spend money on high assets. Already this past offseason, you've seen the Athletics, Orioles and Pirates spend more money than they have in years on genuine pieces to grow from, ranging from extended young players to contracted veterans. Obviously some did more than others, and the Pirates arguably should have done more of the extending, but a change does seem to be apparent.

And yet there still continues to be teams that are good, and will continue to be in the conversation, yet consistently let homegrown talent go for the sake of keeping the payroll low. The Brewers and Guardians may still compete this year, and both are expected to. The way both youth movements are going, they will be fine for a while. But this marks another year for both teams where stars have been traded, or left via free agency, and have been replaced with cheaper options. And that's not the direction teams should be going. There's running it back and then there's taking a running start and breaking into a stroll instead.

The Guardians' offseason was very 'business as usual' knowing them. No extreme moves, no big departures, but...that in itself is telling. In 2024, the Guardians made an ALCS, then they traded Andres Gimenez and Josh Naylor and mostly 'ran it back'. Then in 2025, with mostly the same team and even more youth, they traded Shane Bieber midyear then somehow still won the division after an incredible September. And then...repeat. Running it back, relying on young stars, not building on it. On one hand, I sort of get it- signing the occasional free agent, like Eddie Rosario or Josh Bell, hasn't really worked for this team. Rhys Hoskins was a late-offseason signing that only happened because Dave Dombrowski foolishly didn't want him back. 

But on the other...the only way this team can ensure a more dominant regular season performance that doesn't need to rely on late momentum is by putting money into the team. Having a young team helps, but there are people in the league who could do better than a ton of these starters. Arias, Rocchio, Jones, Martinez...they're not proven MLB options right now. It's nice that the rotation looks better this year, and that Gavin Williams has finally proven himself as an MLB starter, but you're kinda hoping that Slade Cecconi, Joey Cantillo and Parker Messick can do full seasons of what they all showcased for like a month. 

I forget who said this, but someone in an interview let on that Jose Ramirez was undervaluing himself in order to stay in Cleveland. As in, because he enjoyed the organization so much and saw loyalty towards it, he was intentionally not taking better money elsewhere. And this player said this as if it was a disparaging thing, like the optimal thing is asking for Shohei Ohtani money as a mid-level star. Jazz Chisholm will never get the contract he wants because he's limited in a few respects. Jose Ramirez could theoretically be making Ohtani money, but getting to play in Cleveland as a legend til he retires is more important to him than taking a paycheck somewhere he's not as certain about. Honestly, more players should be like Jose Ramirez. It doesn't excuse the Guardians refusing to pay other players, but at least the players they do pay have the right idea. 

Then you have the Brewers. The Brewers could have been a World Series team last year, and were unlucky enough to have to face the Dodgers in an NLCS. They succeeded where so many other Brewers teams failed, and built a strong enough squad to master the second half, even outdoing the Cubs late. In response to that finish, the Brewers traded Freddy Peralta, Caleb Durbin and Isaac Collins, three crucial members of the team, to competitors. Trading Durbin and Collins felt really short-sighted, as they're both young players with a lot of upside. But the object in Milwaukee is to make room for other young talent, like Jett Williams and Jesus Made and Logan Henderson.

And that angle I sort of get. This farm system is popping out gold on the reg, then having absolutely no opportunity to play, oftentimes because of other prospect dumps. Durbin was from the Devin Williams trade [already undone], Joey Ortiz was from the Corbin Burnes trade [already undone], Chad Patrick was dealt for Abraham Toro, a deal no one remembers. And now you're seeing it happen again, as David Hamilton, who came over for Durbin, is now a favorite to start at third, meaning Williams might be waiting even longer here than he would have in Queens. 

But at the same time...if you have an opportunity to go 'that was our opportunity, we can't let it happen again', you have to go for more than that. There were tons of free agents available, and they wound up with Brandon Woodruff for one last ride essentially and Gary Sanchez. And we're back in rebuild mode essentially. Like 'well this MIGHT work, but who knows'. You're trying to outdo the Cubs, who CAN overspend on a competitor, and you're hoping the same luck that happened in August this year can happen again, without a portion of what made it possible. 

So now the pressure is on people like Chad Patrick, who was good last year but at least could be under Freddy Peralta, or Quinn Priester, who was a winning man for the Brewers for a while with a more varied lineup, or Andrew Vaughn, who finally figured it out at the plate midyear but saw the HRs drop over time, to repeat their luck. Everyone has said that if Jackson Chourio finally has an Acuna-style breakout year this is within reach, and I agree. The team wouldn't have signed him to a major contract before he'd even played a game if he didn't have the potential to be a team giant, and last year pointed in that direction. This team just needs to build on 2025, and hopefully they can do so with a lighter payroll, even as the Cubs reload theirs. 

I always want the small-market teams to do well. But the point is that under the current imbalance of power in the MLB, it's becoming harder and harder for them to do so. I want the Guardians and Brewers to do well, but I also want them to be able to afford sustained success. Hopefully that's at all possible.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2025: Brewers

After years of being in position to dominate and constantly getting knocked out in the first round of the playoffs, the Milwaukee Brewers finally had a team that could go the distance. For the first time since 2018, the Brewers made the NLCS, and though they weren't any match for a surging Dodgers team, they proved that with a lineup like this, and with the young pitching they've developed, this may be a regular occurrence. You can see we're beginning to shift from the team of Yelich, Woodruff and Peralta to the team of Chourio, Contreras and Misiorowski, and both factions could unite this year to produce a team that even edged out the Cubs thanks to a blistering second half. 

With so many great players to choose to make customs of every week and a half, that means some even more worthy subjects had to be kept until December. Meaning I had to wait until now to make a custom of Rookie of the Year candidate and immediate Milwaukee success Caleb Durbin. I dunno, maybe I'm still mad that we traded him for Devin Williams. That could have been OUR third baseman, man. Regardless, Durbin was fantastic in his first full season in the bigs, hitting .253 with 11 homers and 53 RBIs, plus 18 stolen bases and some strong defensive work at third. Between Durbin and Collins, the Brewers immediately found some answers at even more positions, and are firming their team up to be at this for a while.

2026 Prediction: Firmer stats in a second year, closer to 25 homers perhaps.

Joey Ortiz has found a niche as the nine man in this lineup, but even he had some strong moments this season, hitting .343 in August with 24 hits and 12 RBIs in 20 games. Clearly the Brewers love Ortiz for his defense, even if it wasn't as good this year at short [his first year there after Adames' departure], but he's definitely capable of some contact moments.

2026 Prediction: If the Brewers are gonna make any upgrades this offseason, it will be at shortstop. Meaning Ortiz might need to get used to utility/bench work.

After Jose Quintana's start to this decade, where he fell apart for the Cubs and was too injury-waterlogged to make any impact for the Angels, I did not think his career had much longevity left in it, especially after a decade of strong work with the White Sox and Cubs. But lo and behold, the 2022 season brought him back, and Quintana even became a crucial healthy arm for the Mets last year. The Brewers took a flyer on Quintana on a similar role, a veteran starting arm that could step in for injured guys. And even as an Opening Day guy, Quintana outdid everyone's expectations, going 11-7 in 24 starts with a 3.96 ERA and 86 Ks. Quintana could still be a big game guy for this team, even with much younger and starrier options around him, and proved himself even at 36. 

2026 Prediction: Who even knows. Look, I see somebody like the Phils or the Giants picking him up, and...it not going nearly as well.

After a terrific rookie season in 2023, Abner Uribe had a chance at becoming closer in Milwaukee, and blew it, getting hurt in April and leaving the position open for Williams again. Which honestly proves that Uribe might just be better as a middle relief guy right now. Anyway, moved back to the eighth in 2025, Uribe had an even better season, with a 2.7 WAR, a 1.67 ERA and 90 Ks. Once the closing option got injured, he even held his own in the ninth and notched 7 saves. He was also fantastic in the playoffs, striking out 6 in 6 innings, with one save. 

2026 Prediction: After a year like that it's gotta come down somewhat, but I still see him being healthy enough to play a big role in this team's October success.

The primary closing option, a year after Devin Williams' departure, was Trevor Megill. Megill, like Williams, is a reliever first and a closer afterwards, but Megill's strong work in Milwaukee led to him being RP1 going into the season, so given that job he got a lot done, with 30 saves in 50 appearances, plus a 2.49 ERA and 60 Ks. His midyear injury did open the door for Uribe a bit, but he was back in time for the playoffs, where he had a 2.25 ERA in 5 appearances. 

2026 Prediction: Breaks 30 saves again, gets another ASG nod.

So, stop me if you've heard this one before: the Brewers called up one of their top pitching prospects, they were excellent for 5 or so games and then immediately got hurt and had to miss the rest of the season. If this sounds like Robert Gasser last season, you're right. Logan Henderson's promotion was a huge deal in April, and he impressed, going 3-0 with a 1.78 ERA and 33 Ks in 5 starts. Then, of course, he gets hurt, and misses the rest of the season. Ironically, Robert Gasser was able to help out in October in his place, though not well.

2026 Prediction: Henderson and Gasser will get in a fistfight in the minors, as they're literally competing for the same roster spot. Henderson might win, as he's the better overall pitcher. 

Blake Perkins was hurt for the entire first half of the season, but luckily managed to come back to a vacancy in center field due to Jackson Chourio's injury. He was alright in 54 games, hitting .226 with 3 homers and 19 RBIs. Perkins just needs everything to fall in line for a full season, but with Chourio, Frelick and Collins all confirming outfield positions, he might just be better off as a bench guy.

2026 Prediction: A fuller year, and a statistically more valuable year, as a backup.

Finally, 2025 represented the long awaited return of Brandon Woodruff, after a year and a half of injury and contract hell. The Big Woo did exactly what he set out to do upon his return, going 7-2 with a 3.20 ERA and 83 Ks in 12 starts. It may have been a smaller sample size due to another injury taking him out for October, but Woodruff delivered in a year where many Brewers fans didn't know if he'd have anything left. The Brewers' brass helped matters by signing Woodruff to one more year.

2026 Prediction: A very strong season that sets him up for either a superfluous multi-year deal somewhere less competitive or, more likely, Kershaw money to keep him in Milwaukee til he retires.

Coming Tomorrow- A lot of small pieces of a Cardinals team lacking in big takeaways.

Championship Series' Day 6: What A Concept

 

Mariners fans had been waiting a while for THE Eugenio Suarez performance they'd been promised. He'd been so good in Arizona and was much less consistent in Seattle, and was constantly in position to succeed in October with this team and just couldn't. Tonight, however, Geno gave the Mariners fans a rare home playoff win with a two-homer night, including a grand slam. This is Eugenio Suarez. I dunno why he took this long to get here. But there he was.

You're seeing the best of this team finally showing up. Getting the Jays in trouble when the 'pen comes in. Pitching Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo and keeping things close. Randy robbin' a homer. Andres Munoz making the case for his own October supremacy. Cal Raleigh tying the game. Geno is the cherry on top. The Mariners always worried me heading into October, as they've always talked a big game but never committed, and now they have the team that can commit. Their best starter right now is the one guy who struggled all year, and the guy who put them in winning position is the guy that was striking out for most of September.

The Mariners are one game from their first ever World Series. They just have to win one game in Toronto. Yes, they've won two already...but you can never count this Blue Jays team out. 

So to recap: one win from their second consecutive World Series berth, the Dodgers put Shohei Ohtani on the mound, and he proceeded to go 6 innings of 2-hit ball, striking out 10, while also hitting THREE HOME RUNS. How can anyone compete with that? The Brewers have a lot of great things, but they don't have a guy who can shut you out AND hit three home runs against you. They don't even have a guy who can shut you out OR hit three home runs against you for this series. 

The Dodgers had all of the pieces. It took them a while to fall into place but there was the hope that they would in October, and they have. The starting pitching was incredible this series. The bats were all awake. The bullpen behaved. In this Brewers series, they barely showed weakness. Game 1 was it, and then they completely plowed ahead, only unlike last year's World Series they left no room for the Brewers' mercy. They exploited the Brewers for what they were: a very lucky collection of young and talented people who all got hot at the right time...but that time wasn't now. 

The Dodgers are now the favorites to win the gold. They are now the alpha. Which means everyone's gonna pray for an upset.

The ultimate flaw of the Brewers' season is that they had enough to get past the Cubs, but not enough to get past the Dodgers in October. Once again, this is the one hurdle they could not pass. 

I have no doubt, though, considering how young this team is, that they will be back. Chourio is only getting stronger, and has already proven himself as a postseason favorite. You can already see Chad Patrick and Jacob Misiorowski keeping October offenses down. Turang, Frelick, Collins and Durbin are gonna be at this for a while. Getting rid of some of the flashes in the pan and continuing to farm this team up using the excellent farm system is gonna lead to a very sustainable, very competitive team. And plus, they've got leverage over Craig Counsell. 

Jays-Mariners resumes in a couple days. The Jays are up against the wall, which is where you really don't want them. 

Championship Series' Day 2: Home Field Advantage My Foot

 

The Mariners really are about to head back to Seattle having taken two from the Jays in Toronto. That was always the best case scenario but I didn't figure the Blue Jays were gonna make it that simple for them. Trey Yesavage worked the last few times, yet here the M's had no problem with him. Wild!

The fact that the Mariners scored TEN RUNS against the team that was batting around the Yankees like it was no problem last week is insane to me. And that it's coming from all over the lineup. Naylor, Julio and Polanco are responsible for some big power moments, but how about J.P. Crawford? Dude knocked in 2 RBIs in the 6th and 7th around all the chaos. The Jays got only 5 hits off of Logan Gilbert, for 3 runs, and couldn't do a damn thing against the Mariners' bullpen. You can see Guerrero quieting down again. It's really down to guys like Nathan Lukes right now, and if the Jays wanna stay in this, they need the full-team effort that was the edge over the Yanks. 

Cause if not, this'll be their third ALCS in less than 15 years that they won't be able to get past. Even if this team is still young, you want to take these opportunities. The Mariners, meanwhile, look good and hopefully will get even better once the rested starters kick in.

So this is gonna be very controversial, but...even if the Dodgers still won that game, I think the moral victory still goes to Milwaukee. For a couple reasons. Firstly, all anyone's gonna be talking about is that Sal Frelick throw to home for a double play. That's one of the coolest things I've seen in a while. Secondly, the only runs the Dodgers scored came on a solo home run and a bases-loaded walk. And thirdly, the game ended on a bases-loaded strikeout from the Brewers' best contact hitter. The Dodgers got lucky. They won a game like this against the Phils where they sort of figured out a lead and the Phils let them. Tonight it happened again.

What's very important is that the troubles for the Dodgers began, once again, when the starting pitcher left the game. Blake Snell had a beautiful night, he only allowed 1 hit in 8 innings, and struck out 10. Perfect stuff. But once they bring in Sasaki, then Chourio sac-flies a run home, two runners are on, then Treinen walks Wild Bill. You saw the Dodgers avoiding their bullpen at all costs before, and this is why. The Brewers can figure out the Dodgers' bullpen, and with a single reversal of fate, or maybe a centimeter or so over, Turang could have ended the game a different way. It was a very relieving end to the game for the Dodgers. If that's an HBP, Andrew Vaughn comes up with the bases loaded, tie game, and then things get interesting. Cause he's just gotta put it in play, and he can do that now that he's out of Chicago.

So this tells me that the series is gonna be very tight, and the Brewers ultimately have the Dodgers' number, and can make it unbearably scary for a team that wants everyone to think it's got it all figured out. I still think they can turn things around and make for some really close games throughout this. It's not settled yet, and the Dodgers are only gonna make it a runaway if they continue to keep this lineup at bay.

Game 2 in Milwaukee tomorrow will be interesting. Assuming Peralta's up, or possibly even Quintana.

Division Series' Conclusion: Two Different Types of Close Games

 

I watched...fourteen of fifteen innings of last night's Mariners-Tigers playoff game. That was honestly all I could take. Honestly, one of the best pitched games I'd ever seen. Literally every pitcher each team brought in was dominant. Both Logan Gilbert and Luis Castillo were unbeatable in relief. Jack Flaherty got out of a ton of scrapes in extras. Both bullpens were tight; Bazardo, Melton, Munoz, Vest, all brilliant. 

But what infuriated me to the point of turning it off before the walk-off was the fact that literally any time there were runners in scoring position, someone capable of batting them in would get up and do absolutely nothing. The Tigers' guys were understandable because they're not known for power. But the Mariners' core could have ended the game at any time, and Raleigh, Arozarena, Rodriguez, Polanco, Suarez and Naylor were inconsolable, and had so many missed opportunities in extras. Yes, the bullpen was difficult, but...say, for instance, that Polanco DOESN'T end the game with a walk-off single. Then every missed chance those power guys had would look even worse. And everything the fans are saying about what should be done about the Yankees and Phillies who didn't hit would be repeated with some of those guys. 

But yes, the M's waited for a reliever they COULD hit off of, and Jorge Polanco cracked one off of Tommy Kahnle to end it...in the fifteenth. Now, the bad news is the M's have next to no pitching left, and have to start Bryce Miller tomorrow which, uh...didn't go too well in Game 4 to be honest. And its short rest. But the good news is that if the heart of the lineup shows up, the Mariners very well could get past this Jays team, and are in sight of their first-ever World Series berth. It may seem difficult, but it can happen. They just need to tap into what made them winners here. The ability to outlast the inevitable.

The Tigers will be back with a team that can hold onto momentum better next year. The fact that they managed to persist long enough to regain momentum in October is admirable. They need to learn from September, though, or else it'll stop them from the big prize.

As for the Brewers...well, they managed to not crater after starting the series 2-0 and seeing the Cubs tie it. Teams have fallen victim to that before. The Brewers, even in a bullpen game, stayed strong and shut down a fairly unpredictable Cubs lineup. You can boil it down to Jacob Misiorowski if you want but it's really not that simple- Megill, Uribe and especially Chad Patrick were just as integral.

And again, one of the heroes of this team was Andrew Vaughn, a guy who was too mediocre even for the White Sox, got pawned off for Aaron Civale, then suddenly found his swing in Milwaukee and usurped Rhys Hoskins for the starting 1B spot. Tonight his homer broke the tie and sealed the game [though Turang's later homer also helped]. That someone like Vaughn can be a success for a team like the Brewers is pretty exceptional, and proof that this system really has something going. 

The Brewers have again triumphed over Craig Counsell, which is pretty wild to think about. In an NLCS against the Dodgers, they may be a sneaky favorite to win regardless of the momentum the Dodgers have built over this playoff season [predictably]. The Dodgers have Ohtani, but the Brewers are even, amazing on defense, practically unhittable and have answers for everything. It may go all 7. 

The Cubs were a long shot to outlast the Brewers, but I admire that they got close. Michael Busch, Seiya Suzuki, Matthew Boyd and Kyle Tucker have proven themselves admirable October pieces, and I know the majority of them could help this team get back to October next year. I also think the bullpen was a big part of why they persisted, though it consisting mainly of 30somethings like Colin Rea, Drew Pomeranz and Brad Keller does put its sustainability into question. I think the Cubs have enough to keep competing, and hopefully PCA figures out how to avoid that 2nd half crash out going forward.

Jays-M's tomorrow. Rooting for Seattle but honestly I could live with Toronto winning. 

In Quinn-tessence

 

Lemme tell ya something...this Quinn Priester thing is gonna be one of the wildest developments in a while. How does someone go from decidedly not working in two different organizations to being a 13-game winner for someone else? It's wild.

Quinn Priester is one of those names you don't soon forget. 'Priester' is an inherently funny name, and I don't just say that because 'priester' is the dutch word for priest. If you didn't already think that dutch wasn't a serious language, there you go. And so I remember when Quinn Priester debuted for the Pirates, it was in Cleveland, and I remember this because my friend the Guardians fan was in attendance. Like 'oh, you get to see this big Pirates prospect', and he got killed. And even as he struggled as a swingman for Pittsburgh and then got dealt to Boston, I was like 'there's gotta be some relevance to this guy'. You can't just bring a guy named Quinn Priester up and have nothing happen to him. This isn't L.J. Hoes hour.

Well, since arriving in Milwaukee, Priester has become one of the most crucial starters for this team. He came in at the right time, when they were throwing around back end options like Logan Henderson and Aaron Civale, but before the Miz showed up and Woodruff came back. Since May 30th, every game Quinn Priester has pitched in for the Brewers has resulted in a win. That is his last 19 appearances, 18 of them starts. Altogether, Priester is 13-2 with a 3.25 ERA and 128 Ks, plus a 1.214 WHIP. He's a very reliable, durable pitcher who makes up in consistency for a lack of flashiness. And look, the Brewers pitchers who've succeeded this year haven't all been too flashy. The Miz, yes, but even he's struggled recently. Guys like Priester, Freddy Peralta, Brandon Woodruff and Jose Quintana have succeeded for this team by performing dominantly without overexerting themselves too much. The Robert Gassers and Logan Hendersons of this world can do that but then miss a year. Gasser is back though, but...he's struggled in a returning appearance. 

The Brewers are a playoff threat, and the #1 seed, because of steady performers like Priester and Chad Patrick, who've helped this team just as much as the big guns like Christian Yelich, Brice Turang and Jackson Chourio. The Brewers have sneakily brought on some crucial pieces where no one has expected, like swinging Andrew Vaughn in a deal for Civale and watching him become a .300 hitter, or grabbing Jordan Montgomery as an add-on, waiting for the possibility of him having a comeback year for Milwaukee in 2026. This team is just well put together, and this current period of dominance is the result of a lot of small moves stacking up. 

I sincerely hope the Brewers can cross the hurdle that seemed so nebulous for Craig Counsell and make it past the first rung of the playoffs. The bye will help, but if they fall apart at the wrong time they could miss yet another NLCS in a playoff season primed for them. I hope it happens this year, and I hope they can outlast the competition.

Coming Tomorrow- When his team needed him the most, he had a 3-homer game that made them a division threat at last.

August 2025 in Review [ft. William Contreras]

 

August is typically when you get a sense of the true storylines that will define the season as a whole. The underdog teams, the unstoppable titans, the players with a plan. This August was no different. It's weird that the outcome of many of the division leaders from 2024 becoming division leaders this year were still satisfying upsets, but there you go.

As we tally up the moments of this month, let's look at the 5 predictions I made for August last month:

1. The bloodbath ends in the Bronx and a spark is finally lit. This 100% happened. They've been on a tear for the last week or so. Yes, they've mostly been playing bad teams like the Nationals, White Sox and Rays, but the offense is coming alive and the rotation has solidified. 

2. A consequential favorite emerges in the AL West scrum. And it isn't the Astros. Technically the Mariners do have the leverage in this division. The Astros are just refusing to vacate first. 

3. The NL Cy Young battle becomes even closer to call. Oh no, this one didn't happen. Wheeler got hurt, so you can give it to Skenes now.

4. A team that didn't really do much at the deadline becomes a surprise competitor. And I'm somehow thinking it might be the Marlins. Not quite. The Marlins did swell, but they're not a competitor. Neither are the Guardians.

5. It becomes increasingly clear that someone's chasing 60 this year. Alright, folks. Cal Raleigh has 50. Kyle Schwarber has 49. It is honestly doable for either one. Everybody strap in.

From there, it's best we go to 5 things from August 2025 that no one could have predicted:

1. The Brewers continue to lead the league in wild endings. I go back to that Brewers-Reds series, where every game was close and two of them came down to walk-offs. The Brewers, more than anyone else in the league, are one of the most volatile extra-innings teams because anyone in that lineup can be the difference maker. It can be William Contreras, hot as hell this month, or it can be third-string infielder Andruw Monasterio. The Brewers can keep games close but they often figure out ways of breaking them open. Which is why it's funny that I'm posting this the night the Brewers got played in extras by the Phillies. 

2. Kyle Schwarber might be a late addition to the MVP race. Yes, it would be easy to give it Ohtani because Ohtani's the greatest thing since sliced bread, but Kyle Schwarber is on an unrivaled tear, capping off a month that included a 4-homer night with his 49th home run and 119th RBI. Schwarber has played in every game for the Phils and been the difference maker offensively on a number of occasions. He's also just never been this on target in Philly before, as typically he struggles with average or consistency. I think Schwarber tells more of the story of 2025 than just 'well Ohtani did his thing again'. Ohtani has like 3 MVPs, I think we can give someone else a chance.

3. The Dodgers are going to need to really fight for the division this year. It's not even really the rotation's fault this year. Glasnow-Ohtani-Kershaw-Snell-Yamamoto is a working rotation mechanic and they're all healthy and working. The issue is that the lineup, somehow, is running out of steam. You're seeing it in even the highlights like Ohtani and Hernandez and Pages, they're just having rough months. It's not as if they were truly terrible this month either, they were 15-13, but the Padres are on the same pace, and catching up. It proves that it's not gonna be a cakewalk for this team, as it has been in the past. 

4. After nearly blowing their division lead to the Guardians, the Tigers just shoot ahead like nothing happened. Sort of the anti-Dodgers. Instead of just bobbing along like nothing's happened and attracting attention, the Tigers shot back up and are now 9.5 games ahead of the Royals. The wild part is that the strategy of getting older pitching help has pretty much worked. Kyle Finnegan has been unstoppable with Detroit, as have Montero and Morton for the most part. The power of Skubal, Greene, Carpenter, Torres and Torkelson is keeping this team above other AL Central teams with diminished power cores. Hopefully this can keep them ahead til the end. 

5. Aroldis Chapman is the most important pitcher in the game. Here is Chapman's line this year. 1.02 ERA, 3.3 WAR, 76 Ks, 27 saves, a 0.660 WHIP. Nobody is hitting this guy. It's like peak Chapman, Reds-era Chapman. No wonder the Sox re-upped him.

And countered to that are 5 things from August 2025 that lots of people could have predicted:

1. The Yankees come back. The bats have come alive recently, and Jazz Chisholm, Giancarlo Stanton, Trent Grisham, Cody Bellinger and, yes, Aaron Judge have been killing it as of late. The multi-homer games are making it feel like April again, and even though a lot of this is against non-competitive teams, it's noteworthy. Plus, after a lot of back-half struggles, Cam Schlittler and Luis Gil have been the sort of reassurance this team has needed all year.

2. The Mets don't. Despite sweeping the Phillies, which would have been enough to go up on them, the Mets have squandered multiple opportunities and are now 6 games behind Philly for the division. Yes, Juan Soto and Brandon Nimmo have been hot lately, but the bullpen is falling off and a lot of the heroes have been quiet. They're still third of three Wild Card spots, which means if the Reds catch fire they may be toast. However...

3. The Cubs and Reds are just not great August teams this decade. The Cubs actually accomplished a great deal in the last half of the month, but they still struggled to keep up with the Brewers for first. The Reds have, once again, dropped a ton of important games, including some big ones against the Dodgers. The Reds want to prove that they finally can compete, and again I'm seeing strain and discomfort. The bullpen dropped some close Milwaukee games, and the defense didn't do much better. 

4. Everyone is desperate for their own Skenes. This month alone we've seen Payton Tolle, Jonah Tong, Parker Messick and Nolan McLean come up and immediately take command of their teams from the mound. Tong and McLean especially, both Mets, have revitalized the conversation. It's hard to produce something as surefire as Skenes, but everybody wants someone who throws smoke and is that controllable, and so this month may see even more.

5. A key qualification for a Cy Young will be 'managed to make all 32 starts'. Zack Wheeler, Nate Eovaldi, to the both of you, you had great runs and great seasons. But man, if you'd have figured out a way to stay healthy the whole year, then that would have been better for all involved parties.

For the sake of records, here are the 5 Most Important Players of August 2025:

1. Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners

2. Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates

3. Kyle Schwarber, Philadephia Phillies

4. Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers

5. Brice Turang, Milwaukee Brewers

And finally, 5 bold predictions for September 2025:

1. At least one laughably humiliating breakdown from a team at this point expected to make the playoffs.

2. Schwarber and Raleigh have some Sosa/McGwire style intrigue as they clobber further.

3. At least one really good divisional series with serious stakes.

4. At least one rookie really gets people excited for 2026.

5. One of the onlookers in the AL Wild Card race [Royals, Rangers, Guardians even] makes a Tigers-esque run.

So yeah, that's what August gave us. Let's finish strong now.

Crashing the Party

 

I think it's a good time to remind you all that no one was talking about the Brewers in May. They sort of bobbed along for a bit, were a decent second or third, didn't have it together. You'd occasionally hear about how Freddy Peralta was on, or how Caleb Durbin did something cool, but for a while they were potentially sellers. Rhys Hoskins was looking like a 1B addition for Philly for a bit. 

And...now they're one of the best teams in baseball, and began August with a fourteen game winning streak. Amazing what can happen as a season progresses.

I did not expect THIS lineup to feel so immaculate. Joey Ortiz as the nine man has been really good in the past week, and his defense is miles ahead of last year. Andrew Vaughn has filled right in at 1st where Rhys Hoskins left it, and is hitting .343 with 9 homers and 35 RBIs in 28 games, the kind of damage he was never able to do in Chicago. Christian Yelich is on fire, headed for another 30 homer year. Blake Perkins has been excellent filling in for Chourio in center, hitting .264 with 3 homers and 9 RBIs in 22 games. And Isaac Collins is the kind of contact-hitting piece the Brewers just needed more of. He's hitting .288 with 41 RBIs and an .833 OPS. I think he's a more deserving ROY candidate than Drake Baldwin, because I see Collins having a longer career. 

And the rotation just seems to have solutions for everything. Peralta-Woodruff-Quintana-Priester-Miz does not sound like an unbeatable rotation, but that's what we're looking at. Quinn Priester, even in his occasional struggles, is 11-2 with 100 Ks. The Pirates and Red Sox tried to get great seasons out of him but couldn't find a place for him, and it's wild that Milwaukee is that place. Quintana is 10-4 with a 3.44 ERA, another really strong season from the veteran. Woodruff is 4-0 in 7 starts, with a 2.06 ERA and 49 Ks. That's vintage Brandon Woodruff. And Freddy Peralta might get Cy Young votes this year, thanks to a 14-5 record, a 2.90 ERA and 148 Ks. Peralta has pinned this rotation down this year when many worried he wouldn't be able to. The guy has come a long way.

Oh yeah and in addition to all that, Jacob Misiorowski 4-1 with 50 Ks in his first 8 starts. He may be a little more easy to hit now that teams are doing their research, but he still throws hard as hell.

The Brewers were inches away from losing their first game of the month last night, and then they found the flaws in the Reds, which are their defense and their bullpen. The fact that that game still went to extras, and was as evenly matched as it was, regardless of how it ended, is worthy of something. Even if they bring out the closer on one day rest and he gives up an RBI double cause Sal Frelick knocks it into the bullpen, they still have the leverage. Even when they lose, they still tire you the hell out. And even when you've driven yourself to another level to get ahead of them, they bring out a third string infielder and he hits a 3-run homer off you in the 11th. And that's precisely why they're so scary heading into the home stretch of this season. They're trying to do something no Brewers team has done since before the pandemic, and this team has the insane energy to pass that threshold. But do they have the luck?

Coming Tonight: The Mariners got him to annihilate opposing pitching, and that's exactly what he's done.