FLUSHING, NY — These are the Milwaukee Brewers with the best record in MLB, good plate discipline, and strong pitching. Their home run production is the lowest there is in the game but they have found other ways to win.
And wins, they stack up (82-51), leading the NL Central division by 6-½ game over the Cubs. With all due respect, they have developed a winning model that started with David Stearns who hasn’t followed that blueprint with the Mets as their President of Baseball Operations architect.
After spending nine years in Milwaukee’s front office from 2015-2023, David Stearns was hired by the Mets following the 2023 regular season to be the franchise’s President of Baseball Operations – Image Credit: George Napolitano/Latino Sports
The Brewers evened their three-game series with the Mets at Citi Field Wednesday evening as 8-1 was the final verdict. The Mets were helpless despite Brewers manager Pat Murphy opting for a bullpen game since starter Dustin May had to exit when his first pitch of the game came back at him—a 106-MPH liner off the bat of Mets leadoff hitter A.J. Ewing struck him on the right side of his upper back.
The x-rays were negative, May in his fourth start with the Brewers sustained a bruised shoulder and will miss his next scheduled start. Acquired from the Cardinals at the trade deadline, the 28-year old right-hander in three starts had compiled a 6.00 ERA.
A seven-run onslaught last time out against the Mariners and another setback for him Wednesday evening will now cause some adjustments to Milwaukee’s rotation.
However, the makeup of this Brewers team is their ability to adjust, qualifying for the postseason seven times in the last eight seasons. A trip back to October this year would make another statement, marking four consecutive postseason appearances. And if it’s on a division title, barring any major setbacks, that would be a four-peat on top of the NL Central.
On the other side, Stearns is looking at his former team in a smaller market, with a team payroll many steps below than his Mets and the billionaire pockets of owner Steve Cohen. The model, though, is built with an agenda of player development.
With Wednesday’s 8-1 loss to the Brewers, the Mets now stand 60-73 on the 2026 season, which is the third-worst record in the National League – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
It has worked in Milwaukee, so far not successful in New York. Then again Pete Alonso is a classic example of the Stearns model, get younger and lose your franchise player via free agency. While the Mets lost Wednesday night, Alonso hit his 32nd home run of 2026 and 91st RBI with the Orioles in a 8-7 win in St. Louis.
Mets fans will never forgive Stearns for letting The Polar Bear walk away. But as Stearns goes with the youngsters, Ewing, and Carson Benge, a potential NL Rookie of the Year, it’s about the future and continued development of prospects acquired during the trade deadline.
For the rest of August and all of September, the Mets will be looking towards 2027 and beyond with their young core of Carson Benge, AJ Ewing, Juan Soto (IL), among others making an impact – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
Patience for the Mets is a virtue, though not for the Brewers who are intent to be among one of two teams standing in October. A World Series championship has been close, but with no cigar during their successful postseason runs, including two trips to the National League Championship Series (2025 & 2018).
Left-hander Robert Gasser took over for May and tossed 5-⅓ innings, allowing one run. After him, Grant Anderson and Bryse Wilson combined to hold the Mets to three hits in the final 3-⅓ innings. Another showing of the versatility from Murphy and his bullpen with a 3.32 ERA in 132 games.
“We planned just using May as an opener,” Murphy said with his usual humor that put some levity on the situation and concern for May, it could have been worse.
Before his time with Brewers (2024-present) and Padres (2015), Pat Murphy, a baseball lifer, was a college baseball manager at Arizona State (1995-2009) and Notre Dame (1988-1994) – Image Credit: Major League Baseball
He said about the first relief outing for Gasser in his three-year MLB career, “Parts of six innings great, really great. Made big pitches at big times.” Brewers pitching held the Mets to one run over nine hits and two walks with eight strikeouts.
And Mets right-hander Robert Stock will try to forget the worst start in his brief Mets tenure—seven runs allowed across four innings on 10 hits and two walks—87 pitches, 59 for strikes. Add in four runs from Milwaukee in the second inning on six consecutive singles.
“When you face a team like that, it’s rolling the dice,” Stock said, appearing in the fifth inning once through five career starts. “They are going to put the ball in play, it’s on you to make your best pitches.”
William Contreras, a key part to the Brewers winning model, has 12 home runs this season with 65 RBI across 123 games – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
Stock was correct, the Brewers do it well putting the ball in play. In that busy second inning, they made contact and scored with runners in position. Bo Bichette, who has been on a tear at the plate for the Mets, left the game in the top of the fifth after fouling a pitch off his ankle. His x-rays were negative.
But there are no negative parts of the Brewers, a manager who has the versatility to work around a lineup and eight pitchers on the injured list. One is right-hander Brandon Woodruff (right shoulder inflammation), their most notable arm on the shelf, expected back soon to be instrumental in another postseason run.
It’s the Brewers model and it seems like everything is going as planned.
Rich Mancuso is a senior writer and columnist at LatinoSports.com with coverage of MLB, boxing, and MLS – X: @Ring786, Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso
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