Since late May, the Milwaukee Brewers have been one of the best teams in baseball, going 23-10 to creep within three games of the Cubs atop the NL Central. As they leapfrog up the standings, the Brewers have also gained ground in power rankings. They earned a season-high placement in ESPN’s latest ratings drop.
Milwaukee Brewers Ride Higher in MLB Standings, Power Rankings on Hot Streak
Behind the Dodgers, Phillies, and Cubs, the Brewers come in one spot ahead of the Mets despite trailing in the playoff hunt, jumping two spots from last week to no. 8 overall.
Blazing their way through NL competition, they have overtaken the Giants, Cardinals and Padres in the wild card race. At 48-38, they hold the five-seed half a game behind the Mets for the top wild card. For a brief moment, before dropping Game 2 of yesterday’s doubleheader, they occupied that number one spot. Despite Chicago’s dominance, a third straight division crown remains in play for Milwaukee.
An overachieving rotation and a revived lineup are driving the ascent. An extended hot streak from DH Christian Yelich has keyed the offensive upswing. Ever since that May series against Pittsburgh, right as the team began trending up collectively, the 2018 MVP has been mashing baseballs into pulp.
His homerun in Wednesday’s Game 2 loss gave him 17 for the season, to go with 61 RBIs. After a sluggish start, he’s slashing .259/.337/.460 overall. Following up a torrid end to May, Yelich put up an OPS of .936 last month, hitting for both average and power.
Unexpected Arms and Bats Have Bolstered Team Success
The lineup has also benefited from unanticipated contributors. Isaac Collins has stepped up to fill the third outfield spot. Gold Glover Brice Turang looks like an All-Star snub at second base, though he could still get in as a reserve. Right fielder Sal Frelick is having a career-best campaign in year three. Rookie Caleb Durbin has held down the hot corner.
The Brewers offense now sits 10th in OBP and 8th in runs scored. They trail only the Rays and Cubs in stolen bases.
On the mound, a five-man crew of Freddy Peralta, Jacob Misiorowski, Chad Patrick, Jose Quintana, and Quinn Priester isn’t what anyone pictured. It’s also worked remarkably well. Moreover, Brandon Woodruff is set to return against Miami this weekend. He is scheduled Sunday for his first big-league start in two years. It’s impossible to say what he’ll look like, but Woodruff, owner of a 3.10 career ERA, was a clearcut ace before his onslaught of injuries.
Especially if the Brewers bulk up at the deadline, either in the bullpen or by adding a bat, there’s no reason they can’t keep winning. Up against popular favorites like the Dodgers, Phillies, and Yankees, how high can they climb in the rankings? With just 11 days until the All-Star break, Milwaukee begins next week hosting a marquee matchup against Los Angeles.
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