As the regular season concludes, many fans are wondering what to do since their team might not be in the postseason. After all, only 12 teams make the big dance while the other 18 sit at home waiting for the next season. In some respects, not having a team in the playoffs is a huge stress reliever. However, the postseason is one of the most exciting things in all sports and it is nice to have a team to cheer on. The team to cheer on this coming postseason is the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Brewers Are On An Impressive Run
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Dodgers and Braves are going to be heavy favorites to win the NL pennant. However, those two teams have the sixth and tenth highest payrolls respectively. Los Angeles and Atlanta have an easier time signing free agents and keeping their best players under long-term contracts. Meanwhile, Milwaukee has the 19th-highest payroll which is well below league average. This makes it much more difficult to sign free agents and retain their best players for a long time. Oftentimes, Milwaukee is forced to either trade or let their best players leave as free agents, often signing with other teams.
For teams like the Brewers, due to having significantly fewer resources, Milwaukee must make sure they have a strong farm system. This season, the brew crew had nine players who were developed by the team debut this season. Whenever the front office wants to make a trade, they often target players on team-friendly deals who can be there for more than one year.
Naturally, this makes the Brewers an underdog. Despite seemingly everything working against the Brewers, they’ve had an impressive stretch of success. The Brewers are going to the postseason for the fifth time in six seasons. Milwaukee has also clinched its fourth division title since moving to the National League. Even more impressive it is their second NL Central title in three years. This all comes despite its division rivals the Cubs and Cardinals having a hire payroll every season.
They’ve Never Won A World Series
Since becoming a franchise in 1969, the Milwaukee Brewers have never won the World Series. The last time the Brewers made it to the World Series was 1982 when they were in the American League. They would lose that series in a heartbreaking seven games to their future division rival, the St. Louis Cardinals. The last time the city experienced a World Series win was in 1957 when the then-Milwaukee Braves won. It would be quite the story for the Brewers if they won it.
A Very Strong Pitching Staff
No team can expect to win without strong pitching. This has been the signature part of this team for the past five years. Despite a slow start and a slew of injuries, Milwaukee’s pitching staff has been unhittable in the second half. If the team has a lead, the game is basically over when all-star closer Devin Williams is on the mound in the ninth inning. Nobody wants to face Milwaukee’s three-headed monster of Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, and Freddy Peralta in a short series.
A Fun Offense
Despite struggling and having key injuries in the first half of the season, the offense appears to have woken up. The additions of Mark Canha and Carlos Santana jumpstarted Milwaukee’s offensive attack. Since their arrival, Milwaukee has gone 32-19 and is averaging 5.5 runs per game. It appears this team can put up one big inning offensively that ultimately puts the game away as well. They’ve even been able to get big contributions from rookie Sal Frelick. Since being called up, Frelick has put up a slash line of .269/.366./.386 with an OPS of .752.
A Group Of Loveable Players
This team also has a group of lovable players who just want to succeed. One of those players in Willy Adames sneaks up on whoever is being interviewed and dumps Gatorade on them during home victories. Before a home game against the Washington Nationals, Freddy Peralta joined in on the pregame dance performance. Sometimes players might be seen in a golf cart throwing food at people driving into the parking lot or unsuspecting tailgaters. After a relief appearance in a blowout win, first baseman Rowdy Tellez claimed that he had a better WHIP then Corbin Burnes. All of this is very seldomly seen due to the corporate nature of Major League Baseball teams. However, this team isn’t afraid to “let their hair down” and have fun.
How Can You Not Root For This Team
Embed from Getty ImagesDespite everything stacked against Milwaukee, this team is worth rooting for in the postseason. Their run of success has been very impressive in a league designed for high-spenders to win. Given that Milwaukee is an underdog, has top-line pitching, loveable players, and never won a World Series, this team is too much fun not to root for in the postseason. They are also the type of team that just might steal your heart.
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