Brewers urged to embrace ‘final boss’ mindset after 103‑win season

The Milwaukee Brewers head into the 2026 postseason as the majors’ top regular‑season team for the second year in a row, yet attention is now shifting from their on‑field results to how they see themselves. After setting a new franchise mark with 103 wins, a CBS Sports column argues it is time for Milwaukee to stop leaning into an underdog narrative and instead carry itself like the team to beat in the World Series race.

On paper, there is little left for the Brewers to prove before October. They have checked nearly every regular‑season box, but key franchise milestones continue to elude them in the playoffs. Milwaukee has never captured a National League pennant and remains one of five MLB clubs still searching for a first World Series title. The question posed now is not whether the roster is good enough, but whether the mindset matches the talent.

A decade of October exits to lower seeds

Recent history underscores the frustration. In 2021, Milwaukee won 95 games and secured the No. 2 seed in the National League, only to fall in the Division Series to the 88‑win Atlanta Braves. In 2023, the Brewers were the No. 3 seed but went out quickly in the Wild Card Series to the 84‑win Arizona Diamondbacks.

The pattern continued in 2024, when a 93‑win, third‑seeded Brewers club lost its Wild Card matchup to the 89‑win New York Mets. Last season, Milwaukee finally pushed deeper into October by reaching the NL Championship Series, but ultimately lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who went on to repeat as World Series champions. That run made it four consecutive postseason appearances ending against lower‑seeded opponents.

Dropping the small‑market underdog narrative

The column points in part to manager Pat Murphy’s public posture. During last year’s playoffs, he repeatedly referenced opposing players’ salaries, including that of Chicago Cubs pitcher Matthew Boyd, who is on a two‑year, $29 million deal. Earlier this season, after a lopsided win over the Cubs, Murphy suggested their rivals did not even know the names of many Brewers players, implying Milwaukee was not viewed as intimidating.

According to the analysis, this sort of commentary reinforces a small‑market, chip‑on‑the‑shoulder identity that no longer fits a team at the top of the standings. Instead, the Brewers are urged to walk into each series assuming the role of favourite, regardless of the opponent’s brand power, whether it be the Dodgers, the surging San Diego Padres or, in a potential World Series, the New York Yankees. Their late‑season surge — 15 wins in their final 18 games with a plus‑46 run differential — is cited as evidence they have already been playing like a powerhouse.

Roster built to back up a bolder attitude

On the field, Milwaukee appears equipped to support a more dominant mentality. Jacob Misiorowski and Logan Henderson are described as rotation anchors. In the bullpen, Abner Uribe and Trevor Megill provide late‑inning weapons. The offence features Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, Jake Bauers and others who have produced key hits, while the club also leans on aggressive baserunning and strong defence.

Murphy himself may be signalling a shift in tone. "We ain't gonna be anyone's underdog," he said earlier this week. For observers, that kind of message, consistently echoed throughout the clubhouse, could be what finally helps convert the Brewers’ regular‑season dominance into the franchise’s first NL pennant and a long‑awaited World Series championship.