The Milwaukee Brewers have spent 2026 winning in a way that doesn’t fit the usual power-hitting script.
With just 120 home runs, they sit dead last in MLB in that category. And yet the Brewers keep stacking up wins, sitting at 81-49 and looking every bit like a team that belongs in the conversation with the league’s best. The formula has been clear: create offense in other ways, squeeze value out of the roster, and keep pressure on opponents without leaning on the long ball.
The numbers behind it tell the story. Milwaukee leads MLB in on-base percentage at .337 and chase rate at 27%.
The club is also second in walk rate at 11%, while ranking third in stolen bases with 129 and third in sacrifice bunts with 30. In other words, the Brewers have built an attack around getting on base and forcing things to happen once they do.
ESPN Insights summed it up in a post that leaned into the comparison to the movie “Moneyball,” calling the Brewers an MLB-best 81-49 team despite having the fewest homers in baseball and noting, “They get on base.”
That approach has helped make Milwaukee one of the season’s more surprising contenders and a team that can be mentioned as a potential World Series threat.
The run hit a bump Sunday night, though, when Atlanta beat Milwaukee 4-2. The loss dropped the Brewers to 81-50, but they still sit on top of the NL Central ahead of the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals.
In Other News...
Brewers Will See A Familiar Face In Atlanta For This One
The Braves are bringing up a familiar name for their series against Milwaukee, adding outfielder Brewer Hicklen as an extra player for the Little League Classic. Hicklen is a nine-year minor league veteran who made his big league debut in 2022, and he arrives with a backstory that fits the kind of one-off showcase this game is meant to be: he grew up rooting for Atlanta and now gets to suit up for the team he followed as a kid.
For the Brewers, it adds another wrinkle to a matchup that already carries some novelty, especially with Atlanta trying to steady itself in a difficult stretch. Hicklens presence gives the Braves a fresh face and a little extra energy for a game that comes with plenty of attention, even before the competitive side starts to matter. [Read more 🡒]
Luis Lara Is Becoming A Brewers Spark Fans Can Feel
The Brewers keep piling up the kind of wins that make August feel a lot lighter, and the latest stretch has come with a familiar mix of pitching and defense steering the way. Milwaukee has won six of its last seven, took a series from the Braves, and got another strong outing from Jacob Misiorowski, who delivered six scoreless innings to pick up his 13th win and keep his ERA sitting in rarefied territory.
Luis Lara had a hand in making sure that one never slipped away. The rookie outfielder turned in a key defensive catch in the victory, another reminder that his value to Milwaukee is already showing up in the moments that can swing a game. Laras glove has been part of the conversation since the Brewers locked him up with a seven-year extension before he had even played in the majors, and the early returns are giving the club a little more reason to believe the bet could pay off quickly. [Read more 🡒]
DL Hall Is Giving Brewers A Bullpen Question They Need Answered
The Brewers have built a reputation for making difficult calls early, often moving standout talent before the clock runs out on team control, and that approach has only sharpened since the Josh Hader trade in 2022 forced some reflection in the front office. Their February 2024 deal that sent Corbin Burnes to Baltimore brought back Joey Ortiz, DL Hall and a draft pick, and Hall has become the most interesting piece of that return as Milwaukee keeps sorting out how its pitching staff should take shape.
Hall arrived as a starter, but injuries pushed him into the bullpen, where he has looked much more settled in the 2026 season. That has turned him into more than just another arm for the Brewers to manage, because the next question is no longer whether he can help in relief but how long Milwaukee can keep him in that role as he nears salary arbitration eligibility. [Read more 🡒]