Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy continues to do his insufferable underdog performance
Tom Verducci on Brewers dominance, Cubs, “put up or shut up” for Dodgers | FULL INTERVIEW | The Herd
FOX Sports MLB Analyst Tom Verducci joins Danny Parkins to break down the Milwaukee Brewers’ dominance and why they’re one of the best group in baseball, together with whether or not the Chicago Cubs are nonetheless harmful or not. He additionally explains why it’s “put up or shut up” time for the Los Angeles Dodgers and whether or not there shall be extra fireworks between the champs and San Diego Padres. Verducci emphasizes the significance of the Boston Red Sox-New York Yankees weekend collection for October baseball. He then touches on MLB commissioner Rob Manfred hinting on league enlargement and realignment.
The Milwaukee Brewers are a mannequin group throughout Major League Baseball.
Despite frequently operating one of many sport’s lowest payrolls, steadily refusing to spend cash, and buying and selling away a lot of the star gamers they develop, the Brewers are relentlessly profitable. Just up to now few years, Milwaukee has traded away star nearer Josh Hadertop-end starter Corbin Burnes, one other star nearer in Devin Williams, and among the core of their 2025 group like Caleb Durbin and Isaac Collins. Oh, and one of many sport’s greatest pitchers in Freddy Peralta.
In 2019, the Brewers payroll, per FanGraphs, was $132 million. Adjusted for inflation, that is roughly $163-167 million in 2026 {dollars}. This season, their payroll is…$131 million. Owner Mark Attanasio’s dedication to scale back spending is spectacular, to say the least.
But regardless of these limitations and their market dimension, the Brewers are constantly aggressive for playoff spots. They’ve made the postseason in seven of the final eight years, with their solely miss coming in 2022 after they nonetheless had a successful report at 86-76. They’ve reached the NLCS twice in that timeframe, developing simply wanting a visit to the World Series each occasions.
Despite having a a lot smaller market than the rival Chicago Cubsthey’ve gained the NL Central three straight years and 5 occasions between 2018 and 2025. This 12 months, regardless of dropping Peralta, they’re proper again at it. They’re 8-2 of their final 10 video games, sit at 27-18, on tempo for a 97 win season, and have the third greatest run differential within the National League.
By no person’s definition are the Brewers a group to be taken calmly. Yet that is precisely what their manager retains doing, and it is getting outdated in a rush. During final 12 months’s NLCS towards the Los Angeles DodgersBrewers manager Pat Murphy tried to act as if the Dodgers had by no means heard from his group’s gamers.
Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy reacts in the course of the third inning towards the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts, on April 6, 2026. (Paul Rutherford/Imagn Images)
“I’m sure that most Dodger players can’t name eight guys on our roster,” Murphy instructed reporters. “No offense to them, they shouldn’t have to know the names, but these are some guys that hopefully they know their names by the time it’s over. You never know.”
Presumably this was some type of motivational tactic, telling his gamers that they are so unexceptional that no person is aware of who they’re, even the group they’re taking part in within the National League Championship Series. It did not work, because the Dodgers gained a collection of shut video games, earlier than Shohei Ohtani completed it off with one of many best particular person video games in baseball historical past.
Somehow, Murphy has determined that this identical tactic and performance needs to be repeated in 2026 as nicely.
Milwaukee is at Wrigley Field this week for a giant collection towards the Cubs, and took the primary sport 9-3 behind massive video games from Christian Yelich and Jake Bauers. Asked about it by reporters after the sport, Murphy as soon as once more trotted out his “nobody knows who we are” routine.
“We know how these series go, you know, you erase it and just keep going,” Murphy stated. “It’s not necessarily a game where they’re ever going to be intimidated by guys, they don’t even know most of our guys’ names, so they’re never going to be intimidated by us, but we’re not looking for that.”
“We’re looking to turn around and play good again,” he continued. “And for us, it is a lengthy season, we’re 45 or 46 video games in, it is a lengthy season so we’re simply trying to proceed to enhance any approach we are able to.
PAT MURPHY REALLY LEANS INTO ‘UNDERDOG’ ACT AS BREWERS FACE RICHER DODGERS
“I’m pleased with our guys, I’ve stated all 12 months, I belief these guys, however we gotta get higher, there is not any query. And we have a really younger pitching employees, so we have gotta have video games the place we have now 5 ABs. When the lineup turns over 5 occasions, then good issues are occurring.”
Frankly, this is getting ridiculous.
Milwaukee Brewers’ William Contreras is doused by teammates Jackson Chourio and Garrett Mitchell after a baseball game against the New York Yankees in Milwaukee on May 9, 2026. (Aaron Gash/AP)
Are the Brewers loaded with big name superstars? No, of course not. They don’t have Aaron Judgeor Ohtani, or Juan Soto. But they’ve consistently won their division, made the playoffs, and advanced through series. Including beating the Cubs in the NLDS last year. Acting as though the opposing team, who has gone through hours of preparation on the individual players on the Brewers roster, doesn’t know who they are is patently absurd and downright offensive.
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As only one instance, the high-priced Mets have made the playoffs twice since 2018. The Brewers have made it six occasions. What are we doing right here?
Playing the “us towards the world” and “no person believes in us” cards are old, tired sports clichés. But acting like nobody even knows who you are? Hardly anyone’s even tried that, because it’s so obviously ridiculous. Christian Yelich is a former MVP. Jackson Chourio is one of the game’s brightest young stars at just 22 years old. Brice Turang and Garrett Mitchell are former top prospects, and William Contreras is undoubtedly a top-five catcher. Kyle Harrison is another former top prospect, finally delivering on his potential in Milwaukee, like so many others.
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Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski celebrates after earning the final out of the sixth inning against the New York Yankees at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on May 8, 2026. (Jeff Hanisch/Imagn Images)
Does Murphy think nobody’s heard of Jacob Misiorowski? “The Miz” took baseball by storm in 2025 to the extent that he was added to the All-Star team after a handful of starts. He’s striking out over 14 hitters per nine innings this year, a number that would be an all-time MLB record over a full season, should it stay there.
Again, Milwaukee is not the Mets, or the Yankees, or the Dodgers. They don’t have as much money as even the Cubs or Red Sox or Giants do. But they’ve been one of the most successful organizations in baseball for most of the past decade, and acting like they’re this ragtag bunch of minor leaguers is absurd. If anything, you’d want your manager to portray confidence that this group is capable of winning a World Series instead of acting like they’re less well known than the local little league team.
