The Brewers have clinched the NL Central for the third time in four years after the Cubs lost to the Athletics on Sept 18. They are now heading into the playoffs against the Mets.
Shortstop Willy Adames and 2x All Star catcher William Contreras have led the Brewers to success this year, with Adames getting over 100 RBI’s and Contreras hitting .281 as of Sept 27. On top of that Jackson Chourio has had a great rookie season. With Christian Yelich out, these Brewers stars will need to step up in order to have a chance at the World Series.
“I think Adames, Contreras, and Chourio are the keys to the lineup. If they are hitting, the Brewers will score a ton of runs,” band teacher Tom Reifenberg said, “If they’re struggling, it will be low scoring, which puts a lot of pressure on the pitching staff.”
Manager Pat Murphy has been doing a great job for his first year, making a statement that the Brewers have the talent to make a postseason run.
Brewers pitching has received some injuries this season with former rookie of the year closer Devin Williams missing over half of the season and starter DL Hall missing most of the season. They both returned recently and should bring a big part to a bullpen that has been performing better than people thought. The Brewers also traded for starting pitchers Frankie Montas and Aaron Civale, filling in the weak spot in the bullpen.
The Brewers defense has been very good this season, having the third most defensive runs saved in the MLB.
“The Brewers have a good chance for a World Series run due to their defense being incredible this year,” sophomore Jakup Ademi said.
The Brewers hitting is a lot different from other teams. They have lots of speedy players like Chourio, Brice Turang, and Sal Frelick. They also have clutch hitters like Adames and Rhys Hoskins that can turn a game around with one swing.
“The Brewers have been successful in hitting because they are hitting the ball in all different ways, hitting for power, contact, and trying to move the runners over,” freshman Sam Eggert said. “They have a mindset where they don’t have to do too much, instead take it slow and steady, making it miserable for other teams to deal with.”
The Brewers have been unproven in the playoffs recently, losing in the first round in three of their last four seasons (didn’t make playoffs the other year), but the Brewers have improved a lot and they have the opportunity to shock the MLB.
