The Brewers are the best team in baseball right now. Despite the Brewers having the eighth-lowest payroll in the MLB, they keep winning. What is their key to success?
The Brewers take paying attention to detail to a whole new level. While baseball has become a game focused on fastball velocity and hitter power, the Brewers focus on hitting spots while pitching, putting the ball in play, and taking extra bases whenever possible. The Brewers have taken baseball back to its simplest form. The team has many players who have bought into the coaching of manager Pat Murphy. Unlike managers on big market teams, Murphy isn’t scared to punish his veteran players for not executing the game plan. No matter who you are, if you get picked off on the base pass or miss a cutoff man, you will get benched. Despite this tough style of coaching, the players love Murphy. A person can preach all he wants, though, without results, so let’s look at the Brewers’ stats.
According to The Athletic, the Brewers’ strikeout rate is the fifth-best in the league this year. In this new age of baseball, it is extremely rare for a team to focus on putting the ball in play. The team’s contact rate is also fifth in the league. Moving onto the base paths. The team’s extra-base hit percentage is now second in the league. Step one is getting on base, and step two takes every extra base possible. The Brewers manufacture runs outside of the long ball. Not only are the Brewers’ bats something to be studied, but their pitching staff is also.
The Brewers have an outstanding pitching staff, and further than that, they have an exceptional pitcher development system. The Brewers have mastered the depth in their pitching staff. If one man goes, there are plenty of players waiting to fill his shoes. According to MLB.com, the Brewers have the 3rd best ERA in the league. The pitching staff has been extremely consistent throughout the season.
The Brewers continue to win with their unorthodox approach. Through constant hitting, pitching, and base running, they have perfected their recipe for success. As the Brewers prepare for the playoffs, they must continue their hot streak.
