Chasing history: How the 2025 Brewers compare to the best teams in franchise history

2025 has been a season to remember for Milwaukee Brewers fans. The team is top 3 in baseball in both runs scored and ERA. They have a 74-36 record since May 18, and ever since they took the lead in the NL Central on July 21, there has been no looking back. It has truly been a magical year, and with the Brewers clinching their third consecutive NL Central title this week, it's time to talk about this team as one of the best in club history.

With five games left to play, the Brewers need just one more win to tie the all-time franchise record of 96 wins. Going 2-3 over the last five would officially make the 2025 squad the best regular season Brewers team ever. Milwaukee still has an outside shot at winning 100 games for the first time in franchise history.

That being said, a great regular season record does not make you a great team that will be talked about for years to come. In order for that to be the case, the Brewers will need to put together a run in the upcoming playoffs. Both of the "best teams in franchise history" with 96 regular season wins were unable to win the pennant.

The 2018 Brewers fell one game short of the Fall Classic

With a 96-67 record in the regular season (due to a Game 163 win over the Chicago Cubs), the 2018 Brewers cruised to an NLDS victory over the Colorado Rockies.

In the NLCS, Milwaukee went back-and-forth with the Los Angeles Dodgers and forced a Game 7 at Miller Park. Walker Buehler shut down the Brewers in the deciding game, and Jhoulys Chacín only pitched two innings before being pulled. The Dodgers would lose the World Series that year to the Boston Red Sox, but it remains the closest Milwaukee has come to winning the pennant since 1982.

It hurts even more when the Brewers finished the regular season with the best record in the National League. This wasn't some Cinderella story of an 85-win team sneaking into the playoffs and going on a miracle run. That 2018 team was dominant. Christian Yelich won NL MVP, Jesús Aguilar and Travis Shaw both produced unexpected 30+ home runs seasons, and a pitching staff of unsung heroes posted a 3.73 team ERA. They just came up one game short.

The 2011 Brewers were let down by their pitching staff

Prior to Yelich in 2018, the last Brewers player to win the NL MVP Award was 2011 Ryan Braun, who led the Brewers to the best record in franchise history that year. Milwaukee finished with 96 wins, but one less loss (66) than the 2018 team.

The 2011 Brewers got hot at the right time. They went 21-7 in August and 15-10 in September. At the trade deadline, they had just a 2.5-game lead in the NL Central. They extended that lead to 7.5 games by the end of August and ran away with the division crown. At the time, it was their first division title since 1982.

A magical extra-innings victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 5 of the NLDS had the Brewers feeling like a team of destiny that year.

When push came to shove, they dropped the ball in the NLCS against the division rival Cardinals, who they started the season 7-1 against. 

Prince Fielder blasted 38 home runs that season and was a finalist alongside Braun for the MVP Award. Closer John Axford had 46 saves with a 1.95 ERA and got consideration for Cy Young.

The star players did their jobs, but the starting pitching really let the Brewers down in that series. Randy Wolf was solid, but Zack Greinke, Yovani Gallardo, and Shaun Marcum made five combined starts and covered 21.2 combined innings, allowing 21 earned runs (8.72 ERA), 33 hits, and 11 walks (2.03 WHIP).

The Brewers' starting rotation has been dominant this season. Hopefully, the 2025 group can continue to carry them through the postseason and into uncharted territory as the greatest Milwaukee team ever assembled.