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Milwaukee Brewers Sit Atop MLB Standings in Historically Wide-Open Season
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras (24) is greeted after hitting a solo home run in the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at American Family Field. Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Brewers set themselves apart from the pack in July, using an 11-game winning streak to vault into first place.

And yet, they aren't exactly runaway World Series favorites.

The Los Angeles Dodgers still have the best odds of winning a title this fall, per FanDuel Sportsbook, even after the Brewers swept them twice. In total, eight clubs have better World Series odds than Milwaukee.

The Brewers own the best record in baseball at 64-44, 1.0 game ahead of the Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays and Detroit Tigers. But while that record puts Milwaukee above the rest of the majors, it is far from the dominance that other first-place clubs have demonstrated in past seasons.

According to OptaSTATS, the Brewers' .593 is the lowest winning percentage by the MLB leader entering August since the modern era began in 1900.

The Brewers are on pace for 96 wins. The last time the best team in MLB finished the regular season with fewer than 97 wins – shortened seasons excluded – was 2007. While that certainly suggests that the race 2025 World Series is wide open, the 96-win Boston Red Sox went on to win the championship that year.

Milwaukee will open up its August slate against the Washington Nationals on Friday. First pitch from D.C. is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. ET.

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

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