Despite Game Three’s Heartbreak, The 2024 Brewers Had a Successful Season

[Harold Hutchison]

It’s easy to focus on the failures after the Brewers didn’t get past the first round of postseason play for their fifth straight time since reaching Game Seven of the 2018 NLCS. But that would be selling the 2024 Brewers short.

Image courtesy of © Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

It’s easy to forget that according to various preseason projections, the Brewers weren’t even supposed to have their season end in a heartbreaking Game Three of a Wild Card Series in 2024, but to instead watch the playoffs after finishing below .500 on the year. Instead, the 2024 Milwaukee Brewers finished the regular season far above the projections by PECOTA, Sportsbook, and FanGraphs despite a ton of obstacles.

Don’t get me wrong; it’s okay to be heartbroken about another playoff series ending with the other team celebrating. It’s okay to be frustrated that Brewers pitchers had mental lapses when covering first base twice in the series. It’s okay to feel sad that this may have been the last game that Willy Adames, the heart and soul of this team since 2021, plays in American Family Field as a Brewer. It’s even okay to feel let down by Devin Williams (but not to direct any abuse towards him, although that should not need to be said).

It’s okay to wonder how things might have been different if Christian Yelich hadn’t needed back surgery or if the team could have notched a first-round bye by landing another veteran starter by the trade deadline, if Tyler Black could have made a difference had he been given a long enough leash in MLB, or if Jacob Misiorowski and Craig Yoho could have made a difference had they been called up. We’re all going to wonder what could have been – just like fans of 28 other major league teams are doing or will be doing by the end of October.

The team lost arguably the best manager in its history to a division rival that broke the banks to pry him away from Milwaukee – yet the guy who replaced him kept the team together through adversity as it posted 93 wins in his first season, despite appearing to be held together by duct tape and a prayer, given the frequency of injured list visits.

Starting pitchers Wade Miley, DL Hall, Joe Ross, Jakob Junis, and Robert Gasser, all end up with unexpected stays on the 60-day injured list – yet the Brewers still put together a rotation good enough to help propel the team to a National League Central Division crown, thanks in no small part to excellent scouting through the years, including finding a potential top-of-the-rotation starter in Tobias Myers.

The bullpen saw lights-out closer Devin Williams start the season on the 60-day injured list. At the same time, potential successor Abner Uribe struggled and then got injured in the minors – yet the team still managed to come up with a potential replacement in Trevor Megill. There are other amazing pitchers in the farm system.

The offense saw key players go down with injury, including Christian Yelich, who was returning to something close to his MVP form of 2018-2019; Garrett Mitchell, who looks to have a potent bat; and big-time free-agent signee Rhys Hoskins, who wasn’t too bad considering he missed all of 2023 with a knee injury – yet it also has a bright future with Jackson Chourio and Joey Ortiz developing very well, and hopes for continued improvement from Brice Turang, Blake Perkins, and Sal Frelick.

Yes, 2024 ended on a downer note, but the fact of the matter is that the 2024 Brewers didn’t fold when the experts predicted a sub-.500 season. They didn’t fold when injuries decimated the starting rotation. They kept winning and improving on offense when their best hitter was lost for the rest of the season.

Ultimately, this team could have folded long ago with the injuries and slumps. But they didn't, taking the division by ten games. Then, after a Game One loss, they fought their way back from the brink and didn't quit. That, if you ask me, makes for a successful season, even if we ended up with a downer ending.

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[Michael Trzinski]

Nice commentary on a decent season, although it didn't end the way we wanted it to.

[Brock Beauchamp]

I really liked this piece, it nicely encapsulates how many of us felt immediately in the wake of that loss.

[SF70]

Tough loss, but Chourio-Mitchell-Frelick-Myers excelling under playoff pressure will only help their confidence moving-forward.

 

[mick22]

really have  to look at management…..IMHO……..  very questionable decisions by Murphy………..like Counsell….. looking in the binder/duotang for answers……. afraid to make tough decisions….and hurting ppl’s feelings…..never liked the hire…….

[Ron750]

It was a great season. But Rhys Hopkins is way overpaid.   I hope he isn’t back next year. Sanchez and Bauers were a disappointment. Instead of signing FA hitters coming off injuries or are over the hill, bring up some minor league talent. The  Brewer’s  coaches have proven they can develop young talent. 

 

[brewerralph]

We had 7 months of fun and exciting baseball, it was great. I don't want to lose that feeling of excitement. Yes, it hurt losing that game the way we did, but I was thinking about what is coming up in our system {Pratt, Miz, Yoho, Made} and others in the coming years. That feeling of what's coming will carry me though the long winter.

[Ulice Payne]

Thanks for this.  Always enjoy your stuff.