3 Brewers hitters whose second-half revivals have carried the team

When the All-Star Break arrived in the second week of July, the Milwaukee Brewers were still a game back of the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central. Despite being in the midst of what would eventually become an 11-game winning streak when play paused for the Midsummer Classic, the Brewers were not yet seen as the powerhouse that they are today.

Going from an afterthought in the National League to being the first team in all of baseball to clinch a spot in the postseason obviously required some major improvements from players who struggled during the first half of the season. That said, in several scenarios, it wasn't that these Brewers' hitters struggled during the first half, but rather their unbelievable performances of the second half make it clear that they weren't playing to their full potential prior to the All-Star Break.

3 Brewers whose second-half performances have lead to the Brewers' post All-Star Break dominance

1. William Contreras

Battling through a fracture in his left middle finger and playing nearly every game, back-to-back Silver Slugger William Contreras got off to a slow start in 2025. Prior to the All-Star Break, Contreras posted a league-average wRC+ of 100, and for a player that had lived in the 125-140 range over the last three seasons, the pressure was on for Contreras to turn things around in the second half.

Contreras answered the call in a major way since the team returned from a four-day break in mid-July. In 52 games since the break, Contreras has posted a 142 wRC+ while slugging 11 homers compared to the six that he hit in 90 games during the first half. His OPS in the second half of the season is more than 150 points higher than it was prior to the All-Star Break, and he's matched his first-half RBI total despite playing 38 fewer games.

A leader in the Brewers clubhouse, who hardly ever misses a game, Contreras' performance during the second half of the season has been a major reason for the Brewers' dominance in late July and August.

2. Isaac Collins

Milwaukee's standout rookie, Isaac Collins, who remains squarely in the middle of the NL Rookie of the Year race, has cooled off slightly in recent weeks, but his second-half performance continues to tell a story of a player that was simply needed an everyday opportunity to demonstrate his true potential.

Collins wasn't bad during the first half of the season by any stretch of the imagination. His 116 wRC+ and 1.3 fWAR were certainly a welcomed surprise for Brewers fans; however, what Collins has done since the All-Star Break has been simply unbelievable. With a second-half wRC+ of 134 and an OPS of .834, Collins cemented his name as one of the best rookies in baseball during the last two months. He's collected 31 RBI in 48 games during the second half compared to 23 RBI in 76 games prior to the All-Star Break.

Given an opportunity to play every day, Collins has made the most of it and delivered in some of the biggest moments. In the same week that he was named NL Rookie of the Month for the month of July, Collins slugged a memorable walk-off homer against 3x All-Star closer Edwin Díaz of the New York Mets.

3. Jackson Chourio

Jackson Chourio missed the entirety of the Brewers franchise record-breaking 14-game winning streak. In fact, Chourio missed nearly the entire month of August. Even still, his performance during the second half of July and since returning from the IL at the end of August is worthy of a spot on this list.

Similar to Collins, Chourio didn't get off to a terrible start in 2025, but his first half wRC+ of 108 left much to be desired. Since the All-Star Break, Chourio has been the superstar that Brewers fans know he can be, posting an impressive 169 wRC+. Sure, it's a small sample size, as Chourio has appeared in just 24 games during the second half of the season, but his post All-Star Break surge is nothing new. Chourio similarly heated up during the second half of the season during his rookie campaign a season ago.

Chourio has doubled his walk rate since the All-Star Break, while lowering his strikeout rate by nearly 5%. He's getting on base and continuing to hit for power, resulting in an impressive .981 OPS since the break. Despite playing in just 24 games, those are the type of numbers that have a major impact on the team's success.