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The Milwaukee Brewers are basking in the glory of their first-ever World Series championship, secured with a victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday. The city celebrated with a parade on Friday, as fans and friends gathered to honor the team's historic achievement.
While the Brewers have been a consistent contender for nearly a decade—reaching the postseason in eight of the last nine seasons and winning their division in each of the past four—they elevated their game to a new level this year.
Milwaukee's offense caught fire at the ideal moment, leading the playoffs in hits, runs, batting average, and, surprisingly, home runs. Yet, the pitching staff's dominance was equally instrumental and impossible to ignore.
The bullpen, in particular, was stellar. As MLB.com's Sarah Langs noted on Thursday, the Brewers did not allow more than four runs in any of their 13 postseason games. They joined the 1990 Reds and 1983 Orioles as the only teams since the playoffs expanded in 1969 to allow no more than four runs in every game throughout a postseason that ended with a World Series title.
Much of the credit goes to the relief corps. Milwaukee threw 118 innings this postseason, with relievers covering 65 of them—55.1% of the total. That mark ranks as the fourth-highest percentage among the 102 teams that have thrown at least 100 innings in a single postseason. Only the 2021 Astros (58.6%), 2024 Dodgers (57.7%), and 2021 Dodgers (55.6%) had higher shares.
But it wasn't just volume; it was quality. The Brewers' bullpen recorded a 1.38 ERA and limited opponents to a .173 batting average. Those figures are the second-lowest for any bullpen in a single postseason with at least 50 innings, trailing only the 2022 Astros (0.83 ERA, .126 average).
Aaron Ashby stood out among the relief arms, tossing 18 scoreless innings. That tied him with 1960 Whitey Ford for the third-most innings pitched in a postseason without allowing a run, behind only 1905 Christy Mathewson (27) and 2006 Kenny Rogers (23).
Ashby's 18 scoreless innings and 20 strikeouts led the way, but Jacob Misiorowski, Robert Gasser, Abner Uribe, DL Hall, and others also made significant contributions during the World Series run.
Looking ahead, the Brewers have several pitchers set to hit free agency, including Dustin May, Brandon Woodruff, and JoJo Romero. The team's offseason priorities remain unclear, but they could focus on extending impressive closer Trevor Megill, who is entering his final season of arbitration. Either way, Milwaukee should aim to keep its pitching staff as stacked as possible.