The Milwaukee Brewers have the best record in baseball entering play on Wednesday, and it's starting to look like the National League is theirs to lose.
The Brewers have a 3 1/2 game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers and a four-game lead over the Atlanta Braves for the best record in the NL. They have won the season series against the Dodgers and are tied with the Braves. The Brewers, Dodgers, Braves, Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies are seen as the real contenders in the NL, but it's starting to look like the Brewers are the best team.
The Brewers don't have as many superstars as some of their NL counterparts, but baseball is a team game, and their record indicates they are the best team. They have won more games than anyone against teams with a winning record as well. The Brewers still trail the Dodgers in odds to win the NL, according to DraftKings, but they have a real case to be the frontrunners in the NL.
They finished with the best record in baseball last season as well, but were swept by the Dodgers in the National League Championship Series, so why should this year be expected to go differently? Well, the Brewers are even better than last year, and every other team in the NL has some major flaws.
The Cubs starting rotation and bullpen have not been great this year. Their offense is stellar, but pitching matters in the postseason. The Dodgers have not looked good for over a month, and their offense has been slumping hard. The Braves, similar to the Cubs, do not seem to have the starting rotation to make it through long series. The Phillies look to be the most complete team among the Brewers' competitors.
The Brewers' postseason rotation will feature Jacob Misiorowski, Kyle Harrison, Logan Henderson and Dustin May. Their offense does not hit home runs, but ranks third in runs. Their plus-168 run differential is far and away the best in baseball.
On paper, the Brewers would probably get swept by the Phillies and Dodgers. However, the games are not played on paper, and this year's Brewers team looks like the best one they've ever had. They have the rotation to win a World Series, and the offense has proven it can be good enough. At this point, they should be considered the favorites to win the National League.
However, the Phillies or Dodgers are capable of beating them in a postseason series with power. The Dodgers and Phillies each have home run hitters capable of changing games with a single swing. The Brewers lack that, and against elite rotations, it will be hard to string together hits like they have all season.