Brewers celebrate divisional title, but feel like “underdogs” in playoffs

Milwaukee Brewers Celebrate Central Division Title

Joy and satisfaction flooded the Milwaukee Brewers’ locker room as they celebrated their third consecutive National League Central Division title. The team, led by Christian Yelich, secured the championship thanks to the Chicago Cubs’ defeat.

“This is the why,” Yelich declared, referring to the dedication and effort invested throughout the season. “It’s for these moments that we work hard, for the camaraderie and for the opportunity to celebrate with your teammates.”

Christian Yelich

The Brewers, with the best record in baseball, secured their fourth division title in the last five seasons. Despite this achievement, the team feels like the “underdog” heading into the playoffs.

“In baseball, any team can beat anyone, especially in short series. Obviously, we won’t be the favorites. But I think that gives our team freedom. Nobody expects us to be able to do it. So we’ll go out and play,” added Yelich.

Christian Yelich

The road was not easy. The Brewers lost Willy Adames in free agency and Devin Williams in a trade. Added to this were doubts about the participation of Brandon Woodruff and Christian Yelich, due to injuries. However, both players managed to be key pieces of the team. Manager Pat Murphy highlighted the team’s mentality: “Are we the most talented? No. Will we face teams with much more talent and budget? Sure, but that doesn’t bother this team.” Since 2018, the Brewers have struggled in the playoffs, losing in the wild card round four times, in the divisional series once, and in the National League Championship Series once. The franchise’s only championship was in 1982.

“I heard someone say we have the regular season figured out, now we have to figure out the playoffs. That’s one of the most absurd comments I’ve heard,” Murphy commented, emphasizing his team’s work.

Pat Murphy

After losing to the St. Louis Cardinals, the Brewers patiently awaited the result of the Cubs game. Afterwards, the team celebrated with “division champions” t-shirts, spraying prosecco and beer. A blue flag with the signature of the late announcer Bob Uecker adorned the locker room. Owner Mark Attanasio suggested that there is “Brewers magic or Uecker magic” on this team.

“It’s really the culture. We show up every spring with the goal of winning the division,” said Sal Frelick, in his third year with Milwaukee. “So it’s been great. I’m lucky to be able to do it every year.”

Sal Frelick

The Brewers gathered on the field at Busch Stadium for a team photo and were about to disperse when Murphy climbed the stairs from the dugout, almost missing the moment. “When we started the year, nobody thought we would be here at this moment. Obviously, we’ve had our share of injuries. Nobody could have imagined that we would be in this place right now,” Woodruff said. The Brewers showed their best version during a 29-4 run in July and August, transforming a four-game deficit into a dominant nine-game lead in the division. “We’ve done a great job as a group to get to this point,” Woodruff said. “And you know what? There’s still a lot of baseball left for the Brewers.” Last year, they won the Central by 10 games before losing the wild card series to the Mets. For Murphy, who took over as Milwaukee’s coach before this season, that’s the fickle nature of the playoffs. “It takes a lot of things to go right, and sometimes having great talent helps with that,” Murphy said. “I don’t worry about this team, and I don’t worry about what anyone says about this team. I’m lucky to live it every day and see how special they are.”