May 26, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; General view of a Milwaukee Brewers logo during warmups prior the game against the Boston Red Sox at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Brewers Skipper Calls Team Underdogs Despite Hot Streak

Originally posted on Milwaukee Brewers on SI
By Curt Bishop | Last updated Aug 20, 2025 3:00 PM ET

The Milwaukee Brewers have been a very interesting team this season. They traded away Devin Williams and lost Willy Adames in free agency. However, they kept on winning despite the losses and now have the best record in Major League Baseball, plus a seven-game lead in the National League Central over the Chicago Cubs.

At 79-46, it would seem that the Brewers are the favorites to win the NL pennant this coming October. They recently had a 14-game winning streak, their second streak of at least 10 games this year. However, the Brewers don't see it that way.

In fact, manager Pat Murphy pushed back on the narrative that the Cubs are underdogs to the Brewers and even went as far as to say that the Brewers were the ones that were the true underdogs.

Brewers manager believes team is an underdog

"Are they underdogs? Seriously? They’re the underdogs in this series?” Murphy said as this five-game, four-day showdown began. “Look at the lineups. They’ve got All-Stars, they’ve got MVP candidates. … You’ve got veterans, you’ve got Gold Glove winners, you’ve got world champions," Murphy said on Tuesday.

"“I mean, what don’t they have? They’re not the underdogs, trust me.”

The Brewers have certainly taken on a different attitude than one might expect concerning where they stand. Just because they are leading the NL Central by seven games does not mean that they believe they are the favorites.

In fact, it's clearly quite the opposite, but this attitude has helped them win a lot of games and become one of Major League Baseball's top teams. They certainly won't be easy to stop when the postseason comes around.

But the Brewers have decided to play as if they have nothing to lose and everything to gain. So far, that is working for them as they try to run away with the NL Central and secure the top seed in the National League.

They may be the best team in terms of record, but they are benefitting from playing loose and relaxed and have taken a lot of pressure off of themselves, especially after suffering some big losses over the past few years.

Milwaukee has lost Josh Hader and Corbin Burnes in addition to Adames and Williams, yet they have kept contending, and they have perfected the small-market strategy, which ultiimately has them at the top of the standings.

This article first appeared on Milwaukee Brewers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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