Brewers Manager's Underdog Narrative Questioned After Dominant Season
Milwaukee's Pat Murphy continues to frame his championship team as underdogs, a stance that raises questions as they approach the World Series.
As the Milwaukee Brewers prepare for the World Series, manager Pat Murphy's consistent framing of his team as underdogs is drawing scrutiny. Despite the Brewers having demonstrated the best performance in Major League Baseball throughout the regular season and playoffs, Murphy has repeatedly emphasized his team's perceived lack of recognition.
This narrative was prominent during the National League Championship Series, where the Brewers swept the heavily favored Los Angeles Dodgers. Milwaukee's bullpen, featuring pitchers like Aaron Ashby, DL Hall, and JoJo Romero, proved exceptionally effective, allowing minimal runs. Offensively, the team also performed well, with individual batting averages on balls in play exceeding league averages.
The Brewers finished the 2026 season with the best run differential in baseball, a testament to their consistent performance. Their dominant season included a +214 differential, significantly outperforming other top teams. Prior to the NLCS, a majority of ESPN writers predicted the Brewers would defeat the Dodgers, underscoring their status as a top contender.
Murphy's "underdog" rhetoric is not new. In 2025, he suggested that opposing players might not know the names on his roster. He continued this approach mid-season, implying that rivals were unaware of his first-place team. Even immediately after sweeping the Dodgers, Murphy described his team as "gamers" playing against the Dodgers' "hall of famers," a statement that downplayed the significant talent on his own roster.
Several Brewers players possess considerable accolades and potential. Jacob Misiorowski, at 24, is considered a strong candidate for the NL Cy Young Award. Jackson Chourio, 22, holds the MLB record for most postseason home runs before turning 23 and has already signed a significant contract. Christian Yelich, an MVP winner, Silver Slugger recipient, and multiple-time All-Star, also adds to the team's star power. Other notable players include first-round draft picks Brice Turang and Garrett Mitchell, and catcher William Contreras, who ranks highly among all-time catchers in career WAR.
The team's financial structure, with many players on contracts below market value due to MLB rules and early career stages, contributes to a lower overall payroll compared to some opponents. However, the article argues that this does not negate the team's inherent talent and consistent performance, which has led to more wins than any other team in baseball since the start of the 2025 season.
With the American League Championship Series heading to a deciding game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Tampa Bay Rays, both teams known for their comparatively lower payrolls and fewer prominent star players, the question remains whether Murphy will abandon his underdog persona. The article suggests that despite the apparent absurdity of the narrative, it remains popular with fans and may continue as part of the Brewers' motivational strategy.