Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Willy Adames. Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

Brewers need power jolt from Willy Adames in postseason, too

By Taylor Bretl | Last updated Sep 5, 2024 12:42 PM ET

For the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers to make a deep playoff run, they must continue to get significant contributions from shortstop Willy Adames, who's on pace for one of his best seasons at the plate.

With 22 games remaining through play Wednesday, the Brewers (81-59) are on pace to finish 94-68, which would be the third-best record in franchise history. Milwaukee — which has a 99.7 percent chance to make the playoffs, per FanGraphs — leads second-place Chicago by nine games.

With Adames in the final year of his contract, Milwaukee's quest for its first World Series title is more urgent than ever.

In a 3-2 loss to the third-place St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday, Adames went 0-for-3. But on Monday, the Dominican celebrated his 29th birthday in style, launching his 13th three-run homer and putting himself into rarefied air.

The blast extended his streak of consecutive games with a home run to five, tying a franchise record held by Jeromy Burnitz (1997) and Eric Thames (2017). (Adames' streak ended Tuesday.)

The home run also was his 13th three-run blast of the season, tying him with Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. for the most three-run home runs in a season.

It's Willy Adames' 29th birthday, so he had to celebrate with his 29th home run of the season.

He has homered in FIVE STRAIGHT games! pic.twitter.com/EELWk2GAHz
— MLB (@MLB) September 2, 2024

Adames ranks second among NL shortstops with 29 home runs and leads the team in that category. He also leads the Brewers in RBI (100), slugging percentage (.471) and WAR (4.4). He and Hall of Famer Robin Yount are the only Brewers shortstops to record 100 RBI in a season.

13 Willy Adames
13 Colorado Rockies
13 San Francisco Giants
12 Seattle Mariners
12 Tampa Bay Rays
11 Pittsburgh Pirates
9 Chicago White Sox
9 St. Louis Cardinalspic.twitter.com/luiaFNPUWJ
— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) September 2, 2024

The Brewers need those sorts of contributions from Adames in the postseason, where the team has struggled to score recently. In their past four postseason appearances (2019-2021, 2023), the Brewers are 1-8, scoring only 16 runs and failing to score in three games.

In six postseason games for Milwaukee in 2021 and 2023, Adames posted an excellent .375/.400/.458 slash line. And this season, he has consistently delivered in the clutch.

Collectively in 2024, the Brewers are batting .251 — the fifth-highest mark in the NL and highest since the 2018 season, when they reached the NLCS. If Milwaukee hits like that in the postseason, Adames will get ample opportunities to come through in the clutch.

Will he deliver? For the Brewers to make a deep playoff run, Adames must.

Taylor Bretl

Taylor Bretl is a student at Virginia Tech and founder of Around the Globe Baseball. While his passion is MLB, he also has a strong connection with football and basketball at the professional and collegiate levels.

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