End of franchise-best winning streak shouldn’t concern Brewers

Following a 14-game winning streak, the longest in franchise history, the Milwaukee Brewers' magical run finally came to a close in heartbreaking fashion against the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday. A walk-off single from Austin Hays sealed a win for the Reds in extras after Milwaukee managed to take a 2-1 lead at the top of the ninth.

The Brewers may have come up short, but there's no reason the franchise should sweat their first loss in August. Milwaukee swept each of its last four opponents in dominant fashion before falling to the Reds, establishing a comfortable division lead as a result.

The Brewers now possess an nine-game lead in the NL Central after Monday's 7-0 win over the second-place Chicago Cubs, a division that was once a closely-knit competition. But after their unprecedented run, Milwaukee should have its sights even higher. 

While the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers have struggled to find consistency in recent weeks, the Brewers have put themselves in a position to claim the best record in the National League. Milwaukee currently leads both teams by eight games in a race that has gotten out of hand.

Milwaukee had a prime opportunity to further cement its season in baseball history. Had the team continued its streak for just two more games, the 2025 Brewers' run would have ranked in the MLB's all-time top-25. 

No one in the organization should dwell too long on falling short of a historic achievement, though, especially given the cushion they’ve built over the past two weeks. 

At the beginning of the month, Milwaukee held just a one-game lead over the Cubs for both the division and league. Now, the Brewers appear to be the team to beat this season as an unexpected juggernaut.

Former MVP Christian Yelich has returned to his All-Star form after his torrid 2024 season was cut short, proving how badly a full campaign of his services was needed. But it's hard to say Milwaukee has a bona fide superstar

What Milwaukee does have, though, is a lineup filled with overperforming veterans and promising young hitters. With a healthy and productive starting rotation to match, it's hard to argue against the team's contention status.

After back-to-back 90-win seasons were cut short in the wild-card round, only postseason success truly matters for Milwaukee this year. If the Brew Crew keeps up their current pace, though, the team should skip the opening round altogether.