Can anyone stop the Brewers?

The Milwaukee Brewers are a powerhouse not to be messed with.

Other than Brewers’ fans, did a lot of people think they were going to beat the Chicago Cubs in game 163? Give them credit when credits due, as they were 5 games back in September. That just goes to show how lethal their offense can be, and the strength of their bullpen. When the Brewers traded for Jonathan Schoop and Mike Moustakas, everyone thought they should’ve went for a starting pitcher. The Atlanta Braves acquired Orioles right-hander Kevin Gausman for little value. Although Gausman wasn’t having a great year at the time, he has turned it around and tossed a 3.92 ERA in the regular season.

Surprisingly, starting pitching hasn’t been a huge issue for Milwaukee because of the bullpen. A surprise standout starter for them has been Jhoulys Chacin. He was a free agent signing that was rocky at first, but he rebounded and pitched almost 200 innings with a 3.50 ERA. That’s saying something when you pitch in a hitter’s ballpark most of the time. Other than him, guys like Chase Anderson and Junior Guerra have been respectable. Gio Gonzalez has been dominant with a 2.15 ERA since being acquired. So the starting staff has held their ground, and the bullpen has been lights out.

Right-handed fireballer Corey Knebel has unhittable stuff no question. He only had 16 saves, but that was mostly because of his injury. Lefty Josh Hader is just plain nasty, and he is Chris Sale from the bullpen. Those two have shown they can pitch in the clutch, and their off speed compliments the heat they throw as well. Those guys are complimented by players such as Xavier Cedeno, Dan Jennings, and Corbin Burnes as some secondary relievers who’ve been good. They are just a collective bunch who is good at run prevention.

Now, the offense can attack on all different angles. Almost Triple Crown winner Christian Yelich is the MVP of this team, and should even be for the whole National League. He straight up mashed hitting .326 with 36 home runs and 110 RBI. He, Lorenzo Cain, and Jesus Aguilar have been their triple threat. That’s not even counting Jonathan Schoop, Mike Moustakas, and Travis Shaw. In game 163, Travis Shaw pinch hit. That’s how good their lineup. There is so much depth to this lineup, and anyone can take one deep.

The Milwaukee Brewers are one of the best teams in the NL, and for good reason. They can shut an offense out, and create their at a moment’s notice. The club can go up against any team in baseball. Albeit that, the only worry for them would be not having an ace. They look like the championship Kansas City Royals, so it shouldn’t be a big concern. Not having an ace should be their only downfall. This is an exciting time for Brewers fans and MLB fans alike, because they are a fresh face in the postseason. The Chicago Cubs are out of the playoffs, so the Brewers are the ambassadors for the NL Central. This season, Milwaukee was the better team.