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3 Reasons Why It's So Urgent For The Brewers To Win The World Series This Year
The Brewers will enter the postseason with a high level of urgency to win
Wanting a World Series title doesn't mean winning the World Series this year is an urgent matter for the Brewers. However, that doesn't mean that it still isn't urgent.
As the playoffs draw near and the Milwaukee Brewers play in their 5th postseason in the last six years, the urgency factor to come away with a World Series title is growing. It's grown so high in fact, that ESPN declared the Brewers the team with the highest urgency to get the Commissioner's Trophy in 2023.
There are several reasons why the Brewers are more than capable of winning the World Series this year. Whether they actually accomplish it remains to be seen. If they don't, there will surely be disappointment among the team and fans at falling short, but that disappointment might be even greater than normal this year if that happens.
Here's why it's so urgent for the Milwaukee Brewers to win the World Series in 2023.
Reason #1: The Brewers have never won a World Series and haven't made it to one in 41 years
Every Brewers fan, no matter the age, has heard about the legend of the 1982 Brewers. The highlights are on repeat forever and it's the first thing anyone mentions when talking about Brewers history. But that was a team that didn't even win the World Series. This isn't to cast any stones at that team or recognizing their accomplishment, but that was 41 years ago and that's all we've had to bring up for 41 years.
It's far past time for the Brewers to get themselves a World Series, not only getting there again, but winning it. There are just six franchises that have yet to win a World Series. The Brewers are one of them. Four of the remaining five have all made the World Series before and all have done it more recently than Milwaukee. The Padres in 1984 and 1998, the Rockies in 2007, the Rays in 2008 and 2020, and the Rangers in 2010 and 2011. The Mariners are the only team to have never made a World Series, but they were only a franchise for five years when the Brewers last made the Fall Classic.
Of the teams that have made a World Series before without winning, the Brewers have the longest drought since their last appearance.
This drought needs to end and it needs to end soon because they may not get a better chance than what they have right now...
Reason #2: This Brewers core is coming to an end soon
The Brewers have been good for a number of years now. Since David Stearns and Matt Arnold arrived at the end of the 2015 season, the Brewers have been consistent competitors. They just fell short in 2017, and have made the playoffs now in five of six seasons since. Yet, they've still fallen short.
The 2018 team came closest, getting to Game 7 of the NLCS. They probably should've won that series, but ultimately didn't. After that, it's been a series of first round exits. The 2019 team lost in the Wild Card game, the 2020 Crew got swept in the first round, and the 2021 Brewers lost in four to Atlanta in the NLDS. Yes, they've made the playoffs, which is a big step up from where this franchise was previously. But now, after so many first round exits, the pressure is on to advance in the postseason.
All of that success over the past few years has come with largely the same core. Christian Yelich leading the position players and a pitching staff led by Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, and Freddy Peralta. The pitchers were just rookies in 2018 but now they're nearing the end of their team control, specifically Burnes and Woodruff, and their salaries are rising quite high.
Last year's trade of Josh Hader signified that this core may not make it all the way to free agency with the Brewers. Hader was a large part of those teams as well. Burnes and Woodruff are free agents after the 2024 season, as is shortstop Willy Adames. There's a decent chance one of that trio gets traded this winter, World Series or not. The Brewers weren't willing to pay Hader the money he was getting and they may feel the same about this trio. Can they afford to keep all three and build a competitive roster around them?
While a trade of these core pieces may benefit the Brewers in the long run, it won't help their immediate World Series chances. See the Hader trade last year for example. That trade essentially sunk the 2022 team and kept them from the playoffs. In the long run, that trade has essentially netted William Contreras, which does help Milwaukee's World Series aspirations, but it cost them that first year.
The Brewers are as well positioned for a World Series as they will ever be with this group. They're supplemented with veterans but there are a bunch of rookies as well and there's only going to be more of those rookies in 2024 as Tyler Black, Jackson Chourio, and other prospects push their way to Milwaukee next year. As we've seen, rookie seasons aren't always sunshine and rainbows, there can be some down periods.
This may be the last year with Burnes, Woodruff, and Adames all on the same team. By 2025, all three of them could be gone. The Brewers are a better team with these three guys on it and replacing them will be challenging. Making it to the World Series without them will be even more so.
Reason #3: Craig Counsell could walk away after this season
While the Brewers could lose key pieces of their team because of payroll concerns, the larger concern should be with potentially losing the manager. Craig Counsell isn't under contract for 2024 quite yet and he hasn't made a decision on if he wants to return.
Reports are Counsell wants to watch his sons play college baseball, spending time with his family. That could lead him to walk away from managing for a bit. Recent reports indicate he's leaning towards staying, but no one truly knows.
Craig Counsell is the best manager in the game right now. Everyone across the league knows it. Even if someone wants to offer a different name, Counsell is always mentioned in the conversation. If he leaves, whoever the Brewers get to replace him is not likely to be in that same conversation as the best in the league. Counsell built the winning culture in the Brewers clubhouse. He's beloved by his players. Milwaukee would be taking a step back at such an important position that has a ton of impact on the on-field success of the club.
Counsell wants to be part of a World Series winner in Milwaukee more than anyone. It'll be difficult for him to walk away having not accomplished that feat, but David Stearns said the same thing and he still left. If the Brewers fall short in 2023, Counsell could very well decide to leave and if he does, the Brewers are left in a terrible position.
If Counsell's ultimate decision is to walk away and spend time with family after this season, it'll be a much easier pill to swallow for both him and the Brewers if they're able to win the World Series. That way Counsell can go out on top and fans may not be as concerned about losing Counsell because we have a World Series.
A lot of fans would be willing to trade a couple years of futility in the near future if it means winning just one World Series. The Nationals won it all in 2019 and they've been awful ever since, trading away everyone and rebuilding. If you ask Nationals fans if it's worth it because of that World Series, they'll say yes.
There may be futility coming in future years, or there may not. The farm system is good and there's a lot of young talent that will hopefully keep this team from being truly bad, but you never know with prospects. You could be getting the next Braun-Weeks-Fielder, or you could be getting the next Brinson-Erceg-Ray.
This team is good enough right now to get it done. They've been good enough for the past six years. Fans have had enough of just getting to the playoffs and not accomplishing anything else. This good run with Counsell, a top trio of starters, and prime Christian Yelich isn't going to last forever. They have to get accomplishments across the finish line before the run comes to an end, and it could all come to an end this winter.
Now is the time. It's urgent for the Brewers to win the World Series this year.
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