The Milwaukee Brewers have won 395 games since 2020, the sixth-best mark in the MLB. During that span, Milwaukee has housed one of the best pitching staffs in baseball, regardless of roster turnover. However, the Brew Crew will again need to defy the odds in 2025, two years removed from the loss of Cy Young-winning pitcher Corbin Burnes and their first season without elite closer Devin Williams. The Brewers will also need to replace the production of shortstop Willy Adames following an MVP-caliber season.
With Milwaukee having a quiet offseason and their divisional foes, most notably the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds, making headlines, the odds do not favor the Brewers regarding making the postseason. According to the Player Empirical Comparison and Optimization Test Algorithm (PECOTA), the Milwaukee Brewers have a 26% chance to make the playoffs, much to the displeasure of their fanbase.
Milwaukee Brewers Fans Irate Following Playoff Update
According to Codify on Twitter:
2025 Playoff Chances (PECOTA):
100% LAD
90% ATL
87% CHC
78% NYY BAL NYM
75% TEX
69% PHI
63% MIN HOU
62% ARI
58% SEA
49% TOR
38% SD
32% TB
31% KC
29% CLE
26% MIL
22% DET
19% STL
Among the NL Central teams, the Chicago Cubs, not the Milwaukee Brewers, are paving the way for the best odds to make the 2025 postseason. The Cubs have not made the playoffs since 2020, finishing nine games or more back in the divisional standings each season. Meanwhile, Milwaukee won the NL Central in back-to-back seasons and also won in 2021.
However, PECOTA gives the edge to Chicago after the addition of superstar outfield Kyle Tucker this offseason. Tucker, a three-time all-star, has tallied 21.2 WAR and 112 home runs across the past four years. Nevertheless, with Chicago posting 83 win seasons in two straight seasons, Milwaukee Brewers fans are not sold on them being usurped in the division:
Yall do this every year with the Brewers… https://t.co/DaQGa4MMH8
— Drew Deicher (@DeicherDrew) February 3, 2025
Can never count Milwaukee out till it’s official
— ChiSox Billy (@OfficialBillyH) February 3, 2025
Cubs lmaoooo.
— yeligoat (@BucksInsiders) February 4, 2025
Cubs at 87% might be the single funniest thing on the entire list
— Matthew S. (@MatthewMKE98) February 3, 2025
Cubs at 87% lmao
— Jay (@GreenBay_Jay) February 3, 2025
Brewers at 26% is a war crime
— William Contreras Stan (@Xero341) February 3, 2025
Brewers lose Devin & Willy now suddenly we have 26% of making the playoffs? Get out of here.
Same shit, different year.
Watch in early September their magic number will be 5 and “experts” will go WOAHHH WTF HOW DID THAT HAPPEN https://t.co/fMGI210cCV
— 𝒴𝑒𝓁𝒾’𝓈 𝐵𝑜𝓃𝑔 (@yelichfans) February 3, 2025
50 minutes. Fifty.
6 feet, 11 inches. https://t.co/J4rfanmYBm
— Mark Strotman (@markstrot) February 5, 2025
The Brewers are projected for 80 wins in 2025. Under 500 after winning back to back division titles…
Guess we gotta prove em wrong again 🤷♂️🤫 pic.twitter.com/yIxWnVu87X
— Ryan (@BrewPack8) February 3, 2025
Brewers Have Uneventful Offseason
Although the Milwaukee Brewers had a fantastic 2024 campaign, they did little this offseason to counteract the loss of star closer Devin Williams and power-hitting shortstop Willy Adames. Milwaukee sent Williams to the New York Yankees in a deal that netted starter Nestor Cortes and infield prospect Caleb Durbin. FanGraphs projects Durbin as a bench piece, while Cortes will slot into the backend of the starting rotation. As for shortstop, 26-year-old Joey Ortiz will likely get the first crack at replacing Adames. Ortiz, a former top prospect, hit 11 home runs and stole 11 bases as a rookie third baseman last season.
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