The Brewers must now prepare for the hump they've historically struggled to get over

For the third time since 2021, the Milwaukee Brewers have successfully finished atop the National League Central. On Wednesday evening, the Brewers clinched the top spot in their division with 11 games to play in the 2024 regular season.

For now, the Crew can relax in knowing that they will be in the playoffs this year. While the fight for a first-round bye is still hanging over their heads, the organization can at least fall asleep at night knowing that they're playoff-bound for just the 10th time in franchise history.

Simply making the playoffs is the easy part for Milwaukee. By now, they're obviously in their contention window and are doing a damn good job of fielding competitive teams. The hard part is going to be making it deep into the playoffs and landing that first-ever World Series title. The Brewers have made it to just one World Series, falling to the Cardinals in the 1982 championship.

Making it to the playoffs is the easy part of the 2024 Brewers' journey

It's been so, so long since the Brewers have made it to the finals. They came painfully close back in 2018 when they lost in Game 7 of the NLCS to the Dodgers, who wound up losing to the Red Sox in the World Series four games to one. Before that, they fell in six games to the Cardinals in the 2011 NLCS.

So it's been a while since they've made a trip to the World Series. This year, it feels like they've got the squad to do it.

Entering play on Thursday, the Brewers are top-10 in baseball in multiple categories, both offensively and on the pitching side of things. The lineup and entire pitching staff has been electric. There's a reason why they have baseball's best run differential this season.

Here's a look at their offensive rankings (per FanGraphs):

Brewers starters have the fifth-lowest ERA in baseball in the second half. While their numbers weren't so sharp during the first half, they've really come into their own since the All-Star break. All year long, though, the bullpen has been dominant, even during stretches without closer Devin Williams.

Here's a look at their bullpen rankings (per FanGraphs):

Led by a group of players that were deemed not good enough by other organizations, the Brewers have taken the saying of "one man's trash is another man's treasure" to heart. The club is full of players who weren't exactly seen as stars prior to this season, but they're getting the most out of what they've got.

The Brewers have a dangerous team and they're playing loose and playing as underdogs. National media has always written off this club, even during times when they're making deep playoff runs and wielding one of the game's best offenses and pitching staffs. It feels like 2024 is the year that they put their name on the map and finally get that first ring. It's coming.