The Milwaukee Brewers continue to find ways to prove themselves year after year.
If there is anything the Milwaukee Brewers have become accustomed to, it is external doubt.
Whether it is an anonymous executive, fans of rival teams, or the media chiming in, Milwaukee has known what it is like to not be viewed as a contender. But the common denominator is that the Brewers continue to prove everyone wrong.
In the fourth installment of "season predictions" by several members of The Athletic's MLB staff, an admission of missing the mark on the Brewers was put into writing.
Wrong again
Johnny Flores Jr., Andy McCullough, Tim Britton and Zack Meisel were the architects of the survey that included MLB staff, and several categories were listed as they emphasized how the exercise has changed since its introduction in March.
The first survey that involved the Brewers asked who would win the National League Central Division. In total, 22 responses were accounted for, and Milwaukee received only 33% of the vote on Opening Day.
After coming off a 2025 campaign in which they won the NL Central for the third straight year and also finished with the best record in baseball, the Brewers fell behind the Chicago Cubs for the majority of the votes.
The Cubs received 63% of the votes, but by Memorial Day, the voting had flipped. Within exactly two months, Milwaukee stole the majority opinion and clocked in on Memorial Day with 74% of the votes to win the Division.
Early on, the NL Central looked like it was going to be incredibly competitive. For weeks, each of the five teams boasted a winning record, and the Brewers even found themselves in last place for a brief stretch as they battled injuries.
But once Milwaukee got mostly healthy, it took off and took hold of the division. By the All-Star Break, 96% of The Athletic’s staff believed the Brewers would win the division, and by September, 100% of the votes were in their favor.
At the time of writing, Milwaukee holds a 10-game lead over the Cubs in the NL Central. So, not only was the staff wrong, but they were very wrong.
It is not their fault, though, as Chicago is a formidable organization with some very good players. The Cubs also pushed them to the brink in the National League Division Series last season, so it was fair to believe they could become the new kings.
But the Brewers do what they have done for so many years: They maximize talent, they utilize a great manager and they do not listen to the noise, and it reflects in the results.
