STEVENS POINT, Wisconsin – The Milwaukee Brewers became an MLB team in 1969 and haven’t done much since their start. WIth only four playoff series wins in their entire existence, fans have been waiting for a big run in the playoffs since the team came into the league. Besides a World Series appearance where they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals back in 1982, they’ve only made it to two National League Championship Series since then in which they lost both. Brewers fans across the state sense that the 2025 team is something special though. When I asked lifelong Brewers fan, Darren Grabski, if he thought the Brewers have a chance to go far he replied with, “Yes, I’m confident we can go somewhere this year. This team really feels different from all the other ones.” (Grabski 2025).That being said, what has made this team the powerhouse of the MLB?
The Brewer’s analytical department is one of the best in baseball and they target players who put the ball in play, have above average speed, and have exceptional defense. Fielding Run Value (FRV) and Baserunning Run Value (BRV) are both vital stats that calculate a player’s defensive performance and baserunning performance. “Barrels” are a stat that requires a batted ball to be hit 98+ miles per hour and have a launch angle between 26 and 30 degrees. “Barrels” usually result in home runs and it’s a stat that has been looked at more and more in the recent years. This is because MLB teams think that you have a better chance at scoring runs with homeruns and extra basehits rather than racking up a bunch of singles. More basic stats that I’ll cover include Earned Run Average (ERA), Batting Average (BA), and Strikeout Percentage (K%).
To begin, the manager for the Milwaukee Brewers, Pat Murphy, has had a long and successful career as a collegiate and professional coach. He coached at the University of Notre Dame and Arizona State University at the collegiate level and was a coach on the San Diego Padres and now the Milwaukee Brewers at the professional level.
Pat Murphy served as a bench coach in the Brewer’s organization up until before the 2024 season when longtime manager, Craig Counsell, signed a 40 million dollar deal with the Chicago Cubs. This decision did not go over well with Brewers fans as Grabski stated, “As far as my thoughts on Counsell, I think that he’s a traitor. He left Milwaukee as a beloved manager and betrayed the team by going to one of, if not their biggest rival…”. The Brewers were in a shocked and confused state as they were left without a manager going into the 2024 season, until Pat Murphy stepped up and took on the manager role for the team.
Murphy immediately got to work making sure to put everyone on the same level in terms of ego and status. His coaching style is different from most managers in the MLB. Pat Murphy cracks down on big egos and even actively puts down some of his players in order to keep them humble and to motivate them to do better. For example, Pat Murphy told star outfielder, Sal Frelick, that he should go back to school because he wouldn’t last long in the MLB due to his small stature. Murphy told him this after he had ignored his third base coach’s stop signal and was thrown out at third to end an inning. (The Athletic). Sal Frelick has since become an every day player and batted .288 with gold glove caliber defense. (Baseball Reference).
Though his comments may seem harsh, I admire his coaching style. Baseball is an extremely humbling sport and Murphy’s coaching style aligns with that aspect perfectly. You can never get too cocky because the game will make you look silly. These bars set by Pat Murphy are a great way to keep everyone on the same level and keep the team chemistry and performance on the field as good as it can possibly be.
As a manager you’re not just there to put together lineups and manage the game, but to also bring the team together and make everyone a better person and player. Darren Grabski stated, “Murph gets these guys hype, keeps them fighting and doesn’t let them give up.”(Grabski 2025).
The Los Angeles Dodgers are one of the top teams in baseball and their front office isn’t afraid to spend money to get there. They are going into the 2026 season with the highest payroll in the league at $240,412,861. (Spotrac). They spend the most out of any team in the MLB and it works for them, but what about the Brewers?
The Brewers front office is known to not spend a lot of money on contracts and free agents, but they still find a way into the playoffs every year. They rank 14th in payroll according to Spotrac, a website that tracks payrolls and sports contracts. The Brewer’s front office prioritizes analytics and scouting to find their stars. No big acquisitions were made in the 2025 offseason and the Brewers got a few smaller names at the trade deadline this year including Brandon Lockridge, Shelby Miller, and Jose Quintana in the offseason. Along with these names, the Brewers picked up a few crucial pieces of their team across the length of the season. (The Athletic).
Andrew Vaughn, Issac Collins, and Caleb Durbin. You probably had no idea who a couple of these guys were before they became stars on the Brewers. Andrew Vaughn, a struggling former first round pick was traded to the Brewers for Aaron Civale in the summer. The Brewer’s analytical team liked his metrics from minor league play, specifically his batted ball results and consistency when runners were on base, and decided to give him a shot on the Brewers. He proceeded to bat .365 with five home runs and 19 RBIs in the month of July, quickly becoming a fan favorite and being given the nickname, King Vaughn. (The Athletic). As for Issac Collins and Caleb Durbin, they both stand about 5’8” inches tall and don’t look like a threat on the baseball diamond. But when the Brewers acquired Collins in the Rule 5 Draft and Durbin in a trade from the Yankees, they both quickly made a name for themselves on the team. Durbin has been an everyday third baseman for the Brew Crew and Collins put up an impressive rookie season putting up a .368 OBP, 56 runs scored, and stellar defense. (Baseball Reference).
It’s now time to get nerdy. According to Baseball Savant, an online resource for advanced baseball stats and metrics, the Brewers are in the bottom five percent in average exit velocity, hard hit percentage, and barrel percentage (Baseball Savant). In today’s world where teams chase the long ball and screaming line drives, the Brewers discovered that all that really matters is where you hit the ball and not how hard you hit it. Despite their rather weak contact, the Brewers are third in the MLB in team batting average at .258.
To go along with their elite bat to ball skills, the Brewers have mastered the art of baserunning with an astounding 15 Baserunning Run Value, which leads the entire MLB. They have four players in the top ten fastest players in the league and were second in the league in stolen bases.
The team’s elite defense also plays a huge role in their success. According to Baseball Savant, the Brewers are third in Fielding Run Value and have at least three players in the gold glove conversation, an award that recognizes the best fielders at their respective positions.
In addition to their great defense, the Brewers have put together a powerhouse of a bullpen and an extraordinarily strong rotation with a few unlikely stars emerging. Quinn Priester joined the team earlier this year and has been an incredible pitcher in the rotation since then. He was overlooked by many teams and the Brewers decided to give him a chance since he had good stuff and was a former first round pick. The Brewer’s pitching induces a lot of strikeouts coming in at fifth in the league and they also limit the amount of hard contact they give up. Their pitchers don’t give up many homeruns, coming in at fifth in least home runs allowed, and they keep runners out of scoring position which makes it really hard for opposing teams to drive in runs.
With an incredible 3-1 win over the Chicago Cubs in Game 5 of the NLDS, the Brewers have won their first playoff series since 2018. While this win is a huge victory for the team, it has not always been like this for them in the playoffs.
Before 2025, the Milwaukee Brewers were just 2-12 in their last 14 playoff games. They have lost in heartbreaking fashion several times despite having great teams and coaching. They make it almost every year but just couldn’t get the job done prior to 2025.
One specific example of heartbreak was last year’s game three of the Wild Card round. The Brewers had a two run lead in the ninth inning with star closer, Devin Williams, looking to send his team to the NLDS. He quickly found himself in some trouble after allowing two baserunners and bringing star slugger for the New York Mets, Pete Alonso, to the plate with a chance to be a hero. Pete Alonso was ready for Williams’ signature changeup, and when he threw it, Alonso unloaded a three run shot into right field that put the Mets on top. The Mets added another run and won the game 4-2, sending their team to the NLDS. (Dairyland Sentinel 2024).
Although this recent heartbreak will stay in the minds of Brewers fans forever, there is a lot of hope with this 2025 squad. Many fans show optimism and diehard Brewer fan, Darren Grabski, states, “They fight till the very last out and I think that’s perfect going into the playoffs.” (Grabski 2025). This newfound hope in the team could be what they need to propel them to their first world series appearance since 1982.
The Brewers are an extremely talented team built off of guys who were overlooked and underrated, but I think that’s what makes this team so good. Nobody believed in them and it makes them play harder than any other players in the MLB. Even as a Cubs fan I have to give them some credit.
