Two weeks ago, the Milwaukee Brewers were trailing the Chicago Cubs by 5½ games in the National League Central. Now they head into the weekend—with an NLCS rematch against the Los Angeles Dodgers—with a 1½-game lead in their division.
This is their division until further notice. And this isn't some "Little Engine That Could" story, regardless of how much their manager wants you to believe otherwise.
Dominant Stretch
The Brewers (29-18 overall, 11-2 in their last 13 games) just completed a remarkable stretch: they swept the Yankees, took two of three from the Padres, two of three from the Twins, and swept the Cubs.
The Yankees were 26-12 before the series. The Padres were 24-16. The Cubs had a 29-18 record overall and were 18-5 at home before this series.
Christian Yelich, Jackson Chourio, and Andrew Vaughn have been hurt most of the season. They combined for six hits, three RBI, and three runs in the first game. The Brewers led 8-0 before the Cubs scored.
Pitching Dominance
Jacob Misiorowski toyed with the Cubs in the second game. In six scoreless innings, he struck out eight with one walk, allowing only three hits. He's in the Cy Young conversation.
Kyle Harrison struck out 11 in seven scoreless innings on Wednesday. He gave up just two hits and now has a 1.77 ERA.
Harrison was once a consensus top-30 prospect, ranked 18th by MLB.com. He was the centerpiece of the trade that sent multi-time All-Star Rafael Devers to the Giants.
Model Franchise
The Brewers had the best record in baseball last season at 97-65. They had the best run differential at +172. They're within striking range of both again—all while dealing with injuries to key players like Brandon Woodruff.
Offensively, they rank sixth in batting average, fifth in on-base percentage, and second in stolen bases. On the mound, they sit third in team ERA and third in strikeouts.
The Brewers have won the NL Central three straight seasons and four of the last five. They've made the playoffs seven of the last eight years and haven't had a losing season since 2016.
Star Power
They feature former MVP Christian Yelich, emerging superstar Jackson Chourio, underrated All-Star Brice Turang, and two-time All-Star catcher William Contreras. Vaughn is a former third overall draft pick who has found his groove.
The rotation is led by a pair of incredibly talented arms throwing like aces this season.
After their win Monday at Wrigley, Brewers manager Pat Murphy said: "[The Cubs] don't even know most of our guys' names so they're never going to be intimid—"