What the Brewers must do to avoid an early exit in 2025

As successful as the Milwaukee Brewers have been over the past eight seasons, reaching the playoffs in seven of them, their last postseason series win came back in 2018. This year, however, feels different, like the organization is ready to buck that trend and make a deep run, as they secured a first-round bye for the first time under the new playoff format, set a franchise record for wins (97), and, for just the second time in team history, finished with the best record in all of baseball.

On the contrary, the postseason is a different animal, hence the team falling earlier than expected in recent years. If they want to avoid that same fate, the Brewers must continue to play their brand of baseball; now is not the time to throw out everything that got them to this point.

What the Milwaukee Brewers must do to avoid an early postseason exit in 2025

Last year, Pat Murphy's squad won the organization's first playoff game since 2021 and came within a few outs of advancing to the NLDS. If they want to advance to the League Championship Series this year, it will be crucial that they stick to who they are, especially with having the luxury of a longer series.

That means embracing what’s become known as “Murph Ball.” The Brewers’ identity isn’t built around overwhelming power or chasing the long ball, which metrics suggest is necessary to win in October. It’s based on smart at-bats, situational hitting, aggressive baserunning, and airtight defense.

There may be a temptation to load the lineup with extra power by starting Andrew Vaughn, Jake Bauers, and Rhys Hoskins all at once, but straying from the formula that led them to a franchise-record win total would be a mistake. This team has won with contact, speed, and relentless pressure, and the results speak for themselves.

Likewise, Murphy should continue to rely on a staff approach to navigate the pitching side of the postseason. Short but effective outings from starters should remain part of the strategy, as limiting starters to two times through the order has proven successful in the past, most notably in 2018, when no Brewers starter pitched beyond 5.2 innings in a playoff game. With a deep and now healthy bullpen at his disposal, Murphy shouldn’t hesitate to use any arm at any time. Flexibility and aggressive bullpen management have been a strength all season, and that shouldn’t change now.

Postseason baseball is often about resisting the urge to outsmart yourself. The Brewers have a proven system, a deep bullpen, and a lineup that functions best when built around speed and contact. Staying true to that identity, Murph Ball, isn’t just the safe play; it’s their best chance at a deep October run.