It Ain't Over Yet: Enjoying The Grind Will Be Key To The Brewers' Fortunes

The mental acuity to compete day in and day out is a difficult mindset to attain. A 162-game season. 6,170 plate appearances in the batter's box. 6,076 hitters faced down on the mound. The Brewers created success in 2024 by being more involved in each and every one of those plate appearances than any other team in baseball. It's easy to say, and far harder to demonstrate with the intensity that is required from one plate appearance to the next and the myriad of decisions each of those plate appearances requires.

Pat Murphy said it best, last season they got off to a hot start (assisted by some aggressive management on his part) and rode that wave through to October. They had some down periods throughout the season, but their ability to continually bounce back and avoid prolonged stretches of losing, poor baseball was key to their success last season. An initial injection of confidence made all the difference, enabling the team to proceed with confidence that their approach would continue to pay off in the long run.

When a team lacks confidence, every decision made on each of those thousands of plate appearances becomes second-guessed, creating an insular "don't make mistakes" mentality. The problem is, from a psychological standpoint, the brain doesn't process negatives in such internal thoughts, making you more prone to making the aforementioned errors.

The Brewers' success is predicated on their ability to maintain maximum intensity from one play to the next without overexerting that intensity to the point of overthinking the results. It requires an enjoyment of the grind, one that comes from knowing you're outworking your counterpart and succeeding because of it. It's an attitude the Brewers don't seem to have had, often appearing lethargic or overburdened, rather than free, focused, and aggressive in the same style they were at their peak in 2024.

If you've read my previous writings, you may have come across my mention of the carrot-and-stick approach. One of the key things to being a manager is to understand the needs of your players and which approach will get the best out of them. Some players need a kick in the backside, others need an arm around the shoulder, and some supportive words, but each individual will feel these needs differently. In an ideal world, each player would be able to self-motivate; however, in practice, that isn't the case.

It's a point where Pat Murphy will certainly earn his salt. He has a diverse, young group of players, with one of their pivotal leaders of 2024 absent. Perhaps the return of Brandon Woodruff or an injection of confidence could create the spark that helps them find that balance, but how Murphy manages his players with the carrot and the stick will be fascinating to observe. We've already seen some of the latter in his treatment of Sal Frelick, Tobias Myers, and Caleb Durbin. The tone in the most recent meeting belied more confidence and optimism. How he manages the next few weeks will go a long way in determining the course of the Brewers' season.

If he can get them back to enjoying the individual battles and out of their heads, there is time to turn this season around. There's enough talent in this team to create their success rather than wait for a lucky stretch of baseball, and enough quality to seize the bull by the horns. After a potentially momentum-setting win against the Guardians on Wednesday night, the home series against the Twins feels like an opportunity to put down a marker.