The Milwaukee Brewers have spent the 2026 season turning every cautious prediction into a punchline.
That was supposed to start with the offseason trades. Freddy Peralta was shipped to the New York Mets, and plenty of people figured that would leave Milwaukee’s rotation exposed. Then the Brewers dealt Caleb Durbin, Anthony Seigler and Andruw Monasterio to the Boston Red Sox in a package that brought back Kyle Harrison, Shane Drohan and David Hamilton.
So far, the moves have worked out in Milwaukee’s favor. Harrison has stepped in and delivered a 3.45 ERA across 22 starts.
Peralta, meanwhile, owns a 4.96 ERA in 28 starts split between the Mets and the Tampa Bay Rays. Drohan has been excellent for the Brewers, and Hamilton has been an important part of the club’s season as well.
That success fits the bigger picture. ESPN had Milwaukee pegged for an 83-79 finish before the season, which was in line with the usual low expectations. Instead, the Brewers are sitting at 87-53 with 22 games left, already four wins ahead of that projection.
They’ve also climbed to the top of the sport’s standings. Milwaukee holds a 3 1/2-game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays for the best record in baseball and a four-game edge over the Atlanta Braves for the best mark in the National League.
If the season ended today, the Brewers would land the No. 1 seed in the National League playoffs and secure home-field advantage throughout the postseason. That would give Milwaukee a first-round bye before a National League Division Series matchup against either the Philadelphia Phillies or the Chicago Cubs.
If the Brewers finish with the top record in the National League - which is likely - they’ll draw the winner of the series between the clubs that earn the No. 1 and No. 2 Wild Card spots.
And with 22 games still to play, they’re not just protecting a lead. They’re chasing history again.
Milwaukee set the franchise record for wins last season with 97, and the current pace points to 100 wins. That’s a staggering place to be for a team tied with the Guardians for the fewest homers in the 2026 season, with 130.
The power numbers are low, and the injury list has been long. The Brewers have been without Brandon Woodruff, Quinn Priester, Bryse Wilson and Angel Zerpa, among others.
There was also a stretch earlier in the year when Jackson Chourio, Andrew Vaughn, Christian Yelich and Priester were all on the Injured List at the same time. Woodruff could still return this season, which would surprise many.
Even with all of that, Milwaukee has kept winning. The Brewers are on track for their fourth straight National League Central title and should seal that over the next few weeks. They could clinch a playoff spot as soon as Sunday.
It has already been a strange, impressive run for Milwaukee. There are still a few weeks left in the regular season, and then the real question becomes how far this team can carry the momentum once October arrives.
In Other News...
Former Brewers Reliever Gets Another Shot To Test Milwaukees Decision
Easton McGees path away from Milwaukee has already taken a few turns since the Brewers designated him for assignment and shipped him to Kansas City in July. He got a brief look with the Royals, then spent most of August in Triple-A, where the results were rough enough to push him back out of the spotlight for a while.
Now he is back on Kansas Citys major league roster as a September call-up, which gives him another chance to show he belongs in an MLB bullpen. For the Brewers, it is the kind of move that keeps a former arm on the radar and quietly reopens the question of whether the organization gave up on him too soon. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers May Have Found The Tweak Antonio Senzatela Needed
Antonio Senzatelas move to the Brewers has already come with a clearer role and a different pitch mix, but the early returns were uneven. After his transition from the Rockies rotation to the bullpen, he had found more success leaning on a cutter and four-seam fastball, yet Milwaukee initially had him working more with a sinker-cutter combination that did not produce the kind of results the club was hoping for.
The good news for the Brewers is that the answer may have been less about the pitch itself than where he was throwing it from. A later adjustment to Senzatelas position on the mound helped his sinker play better, giving Milwaukee a possible path to a more effective version of the right-hander as it continues to sort out how he fits into the staff. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Deadline Gamble Is Turning Into An October Rotation Problem
When Milwaukee dealt for Dustin May at the deadline, the move was supposed to deepen a rotation the Brewers hoped would hold up into the stretch run. Instead, the right-hander has been searching for answers since arriving, and the early returns have been rough enough to change the tone around what was meant to be a stabilizing addition.
May has posted a 6.41 ERA in five appearances with Milwaukee, part of a season that has already been uneven overall. His 6-9 record and 4.69 ERA underscore why the Brewers were betting on upside when they brought him in, but the performance has not matched the ask, and it now looks unlikely the club will pick up his option for 2027. [Read more 🡒]