MLB Playoffs 2017: 5 reasons Milwaukee Brewers will make it

3. Speed kills

The Brewers lead the National League with 120 stolen bases entering Wednesday night’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates and have only been caught 39 times. A 75-percent success rate for such a young team is phenomenal. This is a speedy group, but they are also able to pick and choose their spots wisely.

Seven players, including 33-year-old Ryan Braun, have swiped at least 10 bags for the Brewers this year. Jonathan Villar is the leader with 23 steals. He has scaled it back slightly after leading the major leagues with 62 last year. Villar was nabbed 18 times last year, which also led baseball. Travis Shaw is a perfect 10-for-10 on the bases, which is rather impressive for a 6-foot-4, 230-pound slugger.

The Brewers have used their team speed as a weapon all year. It hasn’t just been about stealing bases. Milwaukee is very adept at taking an extra base. Domingo Santana and Orlando Arcia have both taken an extra base over 50 percent of the time. They have also scored from first on a double 36 out of 80 times.

It is harder to score runs in September when the bodies are tired and the opponent can parade out an endless stream of late-inning relievers to maximize platoon advantages. The dynamic makeup of the Brewers lineup helps counteract their high strikeout rates and keeps constant pressure on the opponent.