In every full season since 2017, the Milwaukee Brewers have finished with 86 wins or more. This includes years they didn't make the playoffs [2017 and 2022]. And despite having a 95-win season in 2021, all of these recent campaigns have ended the same way. Since Craig Counsell became the manager, the Brewers had one season where they were inches from a World Series, that classic 2018 NLCS where they were doing back and forth with LA. And that's as close as they got, as every subsequent playoff attempt was met with an early exit from the playoffs, including a string of years where the Brewers couldn't even get past the first rung.
So, when Craig Counsell took David Ross's position in Chicago this year, it felt at the time like an upgrade for Chicago. The big contract team finally getting the big-game skipper. But now, in hindsight, it feels like the same kinda move the Yankees made back in the day, firing Joe Girardi for continuing to not get them a ring, and hiring Aaron Boone who...well...got them a little closer. And so Pat Murphy being the guy who leads a Brewers team that looks like they're gonna eclipse a lot of the Counsell ones almost immediately is...a fun development that nobody really knew they were getting.
This Brewers team, even without Yelich or Woodruff, feels so much more consistent, and so much better formed all over. There are proven answers at every position. Going into the year, there were a lot of stabs in the dark, like 'I guess Joey Ortiz goes here' or 'I dunno if Perkins or Mitchell has this one', but things feel really cemented with this team. Sal Frelick has pinned down right field, not just with his diving catches back there but his excellent contact work. The fans seem to have gravitated towards Frelick, which shouldn't be a shock whatsoever. Blake Perkins has the defensive leg up for center field, despite the fact that Garrett Mitchell is also pretty good on defense as well. Joey Ortiz, who, again, was kind of an afterthought at third, has been an everyday guy with 48 RBIs this year. And Contreras, Adames, Turang and Chourio are all stars, and this year's confirmed it.
It also just seems like all the pieces have really come together. Devin Williams is back and is in peak form, with 8 saves already. Frankie Montas and Aaron Civale have been excellent additions to the rotation. Freddy Peralta's proving that leaving him the head of the rotation wasn't a bad idea. Eric Haase has become a really fun bench piece. Rhys Hoskins, even if he's having a one-dimensional year, has still been a tremendous source of power. Hell, Willy Adames has his first 100+ RBI year ever, that's a pretty big deal.
This Brewers team not only seems great right now, they seem well engineered. The last few years there's been a feeling of 'they could surprise some people', but I do see this Brewers team winning playoff series' and being a clear standout. It will come down to seeding, and they could get handed an opponent that does something crazy, but with how good they've been recently, and how many great players they have truly surging right now, I have a really good feeling.
Coming Tomorrow- Ironically, the Brewers' former closer.
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