Milwaukee Brewers clinching scenarios for Sept. 18: It's all on the line

The Milwaukee Brewers watched Craig Counsell walk to the rival Chicago Cubs and traded ace Corbin Burnes this past winter. I, much like most MLB pundits prior to the start of the regular season, wrote off the Brewers before Opening Day. Those choices, plus a litany of injuries to their starting rotation early in the year, make the Brewers reality all the more surprising. Milwaukee is just one game away from clinching their division with weeks to spare -- higher payrolls be damned.

Pat Murphy is the NL Manager of the Year in my book. The Brewers have faced as much adversity (if not more) than any team in baseball. While they play in the forgiving baseball market of Milwaukee, the Brew Crew have given fans plenty of be excited about heading into October.

UPDATE: The Milwaukee Brewers took advantage of their clinching scenarios! The Cubs lost, which means the Brewers are NL Central champions.

How the Milwaukee Brewers can clinch the NL Central today: What needs to happen

The Brewers don't need a whole lot to happen to clinch the NL Central. Frankly, the Brewers may not even have to play to make their title of best team in the Central official. Any combination of a Cubs loss or a Brewers win gets the job done.

The Chicago Cubs face the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday afternoon. Should they lose, the Brewers could clinch the Central before they throw a pitch. If the Cubs win, then the Brewers can clinch the Central in style, via a win over the Philadelphia Phillies, a fellow National League contender. Doing so in front of their home fans would be an added bonus.

Magic number for the Milwaukee Brewers to clinch the NL Central

Thanks to some results in their favor over the last few days, the Brewers can clinch the Central with any combination of a win of their own, or a loss by the Chicago Cubs. Milwaukee clinching the Central is quite likely at this point, and it would take an epic collapse for any other outcome to occur.

The Brewers magic number is 1 as of this writing. A magic number in MLB is essentially a combination of team wins and losses by its closest competitors. When that number reaches zero, said team has clinched. So, with Milwaukee's magic number down to 1, all it takes is a win by the Brewers or a loss by the Cubs.

Key matchups impacting the Brewers chances at clinching the NL Central

All eyes in Milwaukee are on Oakland Athletics pitcher Brady Basso, who faces the Chicago Cubs before the Brewers first pitch on Wednesday. If Basso is able to shut down the Cubs lineup, it'll play into Milwaukee's hands. The A's aren't as hapless as they've been in recent years, despite a looming move. They are no cupcake.

If the Cubs win, the Brewers will have to do their own dirty work. Freddy Peralta faces Aaron Nola in an excellent pitching matchup on Wednesday night. The edge goes to Philly, as Nola is a workhorse who has dominated National League competition over the years. William Contreras has a home run off Nola in 25 at-bats, so he could be the Brewers best bet to score some early runs.

What playoff seeding could look like for the Brewers if they clinch the NL Central

If the Brewers clinch the NL Central, they will still have the third-best record in the National League, which sets them up for a Wild Card round clash. As of this writing, they would slot against the New York Mets, which hold the final NL Wild Card spot. The Mets have a two-game lead over the Atlanta Braves, but still have one series remaining against the 2021 World Series winners. The San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks hold the other two NL Wild Card spots.

Essentially, the Brewers should worry about clinching their own division before they dive too deep into the matchups.

Potential playoff opponents for the Milwaukee Brewers after clinching the NL Central

The Brewers have a decent cushion for the No. 3 seed in the NL Postseason, but they'll be fighting until the end of the season to secure a Wild Card round bye, which is given to the top two teams in each league. The Los Angeles Dodgers hold a two-game lead for the No. 2 seed as of this writing, but that can all change before the end of the season.

Right now, the Brewers would face the Mets. However, they could match up with any variety of opponents given the fluid NL Wild Card race. The Padres, Diamondbacks, Mets and Braves are all in the mix. Buckle up, Brewers fans.