The Milwaukee Brewers, the hottest and best team in baseball, saw their 14-game win streak come to an end yesterday in a 10-inning, 3-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. This was the team’s first loss since July 30. In that span, they have pushed their National League Central Division lead over the Chicago Cubs to eight games ahead of a crucial series against the Southsiders starting today. And they stretched their division lead to nine games with a 7-0 defeat of the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Freddy Peralta pitched six one-hit innings, surrendering three walks and striking out six batters. Brice Turang and Caleb Durbin each drove in two runs, with one of Durbin’s coming via a fifth-inning solo home run. There are some familiar names on the Milwaukee roster, such as Brandon Woodruff, Peralta, and Christian Yelich.
However, much of the rest of the roster consists of castoffs, disappointing former top prospects, and players unknown to the average baseball fan. And at the center of it all is a veteran baseball mind who has taken an unusual path to the top.
Brewers by the Numbers and Veterans Contribute
The Brewers have the best record in baseball at 78-45. Offensively, they are second in Major League Baseball (MLB) in runs scored (639), batting average (.259), stolen bases (135), and OBP (.332). On the pitching side of the ledger, they are tied for second in saves (36), third in ERA (3.58), and in fewest hits allowed (945). And they have accomplished much of this without three of their bigger names, starting pitcher Woodruff, center fielder Jackson Chourio, and first baseman Rhys Hoskins, who have missed portions of the season due to injuries.
So, who is leading the charge for the Brewers? Everyone, frankly. The seasoned Yelich, who over the past 49 games has a slash line of 314/.381/.546 along with 12 home runs and 44 RBIs. He put on a power display last Friday, as Milwaukee, down 8-1 to the Cincinnati Reds, came back to win 10-8. Yelich had two home runs and a double with the famous “Uecker Bat” named after long-time Brewers’ broadcaster Bob Uecker.
Catcher William Contreras has been on fire the past eight games, hitting .438 with four home runs and 14 RBI. The team has won all seven of Woodruff’s starts since his return from shoulder surgery. And Peralta has been pitching like an ace all season, totaling 14 wins, with 148 strikeouts in 136.2 innings while sporting an ERA of 2.90 and a WHIP of 1.120.
Who are These Guys?
But it’s the collection of castoffs, former top prospects, and retreads that has lit the fire under this Brewers team. The Chicago White Sox drafted first baseman No. 3 overall in the 2019 draft, but after four disappointing seasons, they dispatched their one-time top prospect to Milwaukee for the aging Andrew Vaughn.
Since that time, Vaugh has produced a .327/.391/.611 slash line, with nine homers and 35 runs batted in. Infielder Durbin, who came over in the Devin Williams trade, has played all over the infield and has been a shot in the arm offensively, scoring 45 runs, driving in 40 runs, and stealing 10 bases.
Trevor Megill was going nowhere with the Minnesota Twins, but since the Brewers acquired him in 2023, he has become a shutdown closer who made his first All-Star Team this season. Quinn Preister, a former first-round pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2019, was shelled early and often in his career and was traded to the Boston Red Sox in 2024. The Beantowners took a quick look and said, “No thanks,” shipping him to Milwaukee this past spring. All he has done since his arrival is go 11-2 as a starter, filling in nicely for the injured Woodruff and Nestor Cortes
Unlikely Leader
Brewers’ manager Pat Murphy has taken an unusual path to MLB success. He began coaching college football, eventually switching over to baseball. He was a college head coach from 1988 to 2009, for Notre Dame and Arizona State, compiling a 947-400-2 record. He was hired by the San Diego Padres in 2010 and served in various capacities, from baseball operations assistant to minor league manager. He eventually ended his stint with the Padres as an interim manager.
He was hired onto Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell’s staff in 2015 and succeeded him before the 2024 season after the latter was hired to manage the rival Chicago Cubs. The Brewers did much better than expected last season, winning the NL Central title, which led to Murphy being named the NL Manager of the Year for 2024.
Murphy is a stickler for details, but the players have responded to his direct approach, including Yelich. he makes sure that no one’s ego gets too inflated. This approach has brought great discipline and success to the Brewers franchise. They rank fourth overall in defensive efficiency, which is determined by the percentage of balls put into play that are turned into outs. Milwaukee has also become a smart baserunning team, with the best BSR score in the majors. This is the base running component of WAR.
However, Murphy also likes to have some fun on the field. During games, when he gets hungry, he’s been known to pull a pancake, a piece of pizza, or other foods out of his pocket for sustenance. It’s made for some interesting in-game interviews.
Maybe it All Comes Down to Hamburgers
All of Milwaukee is going burger crazy. In a tradition that goes back to the 1940s, Milwaukee restaurant chain George Webb promised free hamburgers anytime the then minor league Brewers would win 12 straight games. This has only happened three times in the history of the Brewers franchise.
In 1987, when Milwaukee won 13 consecutive games, George Webb gave away 168,000 free burgers. In 2018, when the Brewers racked up 12 straight, the restaurant chain passed out 90,000 free burgers and 100,000 burger vouchers. No word yet on this year’s total.
