The Milwaukee Brewers are the No. 1 seed in the National League with a 103-59 record.
They will play the winner of the Wild Card Series between the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres in the National League Division Series.
Here is the Brewers’ NLDS schedule:
- Game 1: Saturday, Oct. 3
- Game 2: Sunday, Oct. 4
- Game 3: Tuesday, Oct. 6
- Game 4 (if necessary): Wednesday, Oct. 7
- Game 5 (if necessary): Friday, Oct. 9
Before the NLDS, Christian Yelich dropped an honest quote involving manager Pat Murphy.
Milwaukee Brewers’ Christian Yelich Makes Honest Pat Murphy Statement Before MLB Playoffs
“You have to be a certain kind of player to play for Murph and to play here,” Yelich said (via MLB.com’s Zach Sweet).
Pat Murphy’s style has helped carry the Brewers to a franchise-record 103 wins. I talked with his players about why it works:
Murphy is willing to bench star players for lack of effort, something may current managers are unwilling to do.
Murphy pulled Contreras from a recent game after he didn’t run hard to first base on a ground ball.
The next day, Contreras sprinted to first base and dove headfirst into the bag on a routine grounder.
Many consider Murphy, 67, as an “old school” manager. Not because of how he handles lineup and pitching decisions, but because of how he handles the clubhouse.
Clearly, Murphy is one of the best managers in baseball. The Brewers’ payroll isn’t any where near the top teams, yet Milwaukee finished the season with the best record in MLB.
Looking at Christian Yelich
The Brewers acquired Yelich from the Miami Marlins after the 2017 season. He won the National League MVP after posting a .326/.402/.598 slash line with 36 home runs and 110 RBI in his first season with Milwaukee.
Milwaukee signed Yelich to a nine-year, $215 million contract extension in March 2020 that keeps him under team control through the 2028 season. He has a mutual option for 2029.
This season, Yelich hit .235/.315/.378 with 12 home runs and 59 RBI over 118 games.
Since joining the Brewers, Yelich has posted 27.5 bWAR and an .846 OPS with 186 home runs and 617 RBI.
Before joining the Brewers, Yelich played for the Marlins from 2013-17.
In his 14-year MLB career, Yelich has posted 45.1 bWAR and an .829 OPS with 245 home runs and 910 RBI.
Milwaukee Brewers’ Christian Yelich Makes Honest Pat Murphy Statement Before Playoffs