Despite ranking dead last in home runs, Milwaukee’s small-ball wizardry has produced a top-five scoring juggernaut. Pat Murphy’s squad is shattering modern trends through elite plate discipline and grit.
Time and time again, Pat Murphy pulls out all the stops to make this Milwaukee Brewers offense one of the most dangerous in all of baseball.
Starting the season without Jackson Chourio, Andrew Vaughn, and even Christian Yelich hasn't been easy. It's no surprise this team sits so low in home runs, but it's hard to fathom just how low they rank in that regard when they're a top five scoring offense.
As of May 21, only the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, and Washington Nationals averaged more runs per game than the Brewers. Milwaukee's 5.04 runs per game is incredible, especially when they have nearly 30 fewer home runs than the three teams ahead of them.
Milwaukee Brewers Have Fewest Homers in MLB
Jake Bauers and Brice Turang lead this team with seven home runs each. Together, they account for 14 of the Brewers' 33 home runs. To no surprise, 33 is the fewest in all of baseball. Only the Boston Red Sox (36) and Miami Marlins (39) have fewer than 40.
That said, those two teams are nowhere near the top when it comes to runs per game. For reference, the New York Yankees, who average 5.00 runs per game, have already hit 73 home runs this season. Even though they've hit 40 more homers than Milwaukee, they still are averaging fewer runs per game.
According to MLB.com's Thomas Harrigan, "It's been 30 years since a team scored at least 237 runs over their first 47 games while hitting no more than 33 homers. During the 30-team era, which began in 1998, the team that finished last in home runs has ranked 27th in runs scored on average."
Brewers Could Have a Top 10 Historic Offense
It's still only late-May, but Milwaukee is on pace to be "the ninth team in MLB history to have posted a single-digit ranking in runs scored the same year they finished among the bottom three in homers."
No team has done it since 2008, so the Brewers would end nearly a 20-year drought thanks to the magic Murphy has created when it comes to Milwaukee's identity.
Remember, this is a team that's hit the fewest extra base hits (116) and has a ground ball rate that is 4.5% higher than any other team in baseball. They remain fourth place in strikeout rate (20.3%), walk rate (11.2%), and are tied for third in on-base percentage (.335). Somehow, someway, the Brewers continue to defy the odds.
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