BALTIMORE — Their sights are set on far bigger and better things.
Yet a franchise-record 98 wins and a pair of twentysomething stars are enough for the Milwaukee Brewers to pause momentarily and sniff the flowers.
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They eclipsed their previous standard of 97 wins set just one year ago by putting ace Jacob Misiorowski on ice after three innings, trotting out seven pitchers and still shutting out the Baltimore Orioles 3-0 on Sunday, Sept. 20 at Camden Yards.
At 98-58, with six games remaining, the Brewers are almost certainly going to post their first 100-win season in franchise history.
“Cool and all,” says closer Trevor Megill, who pitched a clean ninth inning for his 29th save, “but not trying to be regular season warriors.”
Harsh but true.
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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season
The Athletics Lawrence Butler is tagged out by Chicago White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas as he tires to extend his double into a triple during the eighth inning at Sutter Health Park on April 18, 2026.
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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season
The Athletics Lawrence Butler is tagged out by Chicago White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas as he tires to extend his double into a triple during the eighth inning at Sutter Health Park on April 18, 2026.
(Scott Marshall, Imagn Images)
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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season
Cleveland Guardians mascot Slider interacts with fans during game against the Baltimore Orioles at Progressive Field on April 17, 2026.
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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season
Washington Nationals right fielder Daylen Lile attempts to catch a ball hit for a single by the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Jake Mangum during the first inning at PNC Park on April 16, 2026. The Nationals won the game, 8-7.
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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season
Milwaukee Brewers catcher Gary Sanchez wears a special chest protector to commemorate Jackie Robinson Day during the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at American Family Field on April 15, 2026.
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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season
April 13: The Pittsburgh Pirates’ Spencer Horwitz celebrates a home run in the dugout while wearing a welder’s hood during the 16-5 win over the Washington Nationals at PNC Park.
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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season
April 12: Philadelphia Phillies mascot, The Phanatic, entertains fans with local team mascots for a birthday celebration before the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citizens Bank Park.
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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season
April 11: The Tampa Bay Rays’ Jonathan Aranda (left) celebrates with Ryan Vilade after hitting a walk-off single against the New York Yankees in the 10th inning of a 5-4 win at Tropicana Field.
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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season
The Cleveland Guardians’ Jose Ramirez acknowledges the fans after becoming the team’s all-time leader in games played against the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field on April 6, 2026.
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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season
A rainbow appears during the fourth inning during the game between the San Diego Padres and Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on April 6, 2026.
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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season
A fan dresses as the Pope claps during the first inning of the game between the Chicago White Sox and Toronto Blue Jays at Rate Field on April 5, 2026. The White Sox won the game, 3-0, to complete a three-game sweep of the Blue Jays.
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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season
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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season
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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season
Fans react as the Milwaukee Brewers’ Jake Bauers homers against the Chicago White Sox at American Family Field on March 26, 2026.
(Jovanny Hernandez, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
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Two F-35C planes from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron NINE Detachment Edwards Air Force Base perform a flyover before the Opening Day game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on March 26, 2026.
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The Brewers are National League Central champions for the fourth consecutive season, the arrow ticking up from 92 to 93 to 97 wins to however many more they can corral this week. And the postseason progress is evident, too: The club reached the NL Championship Series last season for the first time since 2018, only to get swept by the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
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Megill’s point, then, is valid. Counterpoint: The team is sprinting through the tape, even as the No. 1 seed in the playoffs has been largely assured for a few days.
Ninety-eight wins? Yeah, crank the stereo a little more.
“It’s hard to win 98 games and be healthy. It’s hard to be in this spot to begin with,” says third-year manager Pat Murphy. “And I don’t think it’s appreciated enough. I don’t think anyone realizes how hard it is for any of the 30 teams to put themselves in this position. And that’s what makes me proud of these guys.
“We’re not the most experienced team. We’re not the most talented. We’re not the most a lot of things. But for sure, they’ve proven they’re a team. Because it’s hard to win major league games. And to win 98 of them, tells you there’s a team in there.
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“And I’m really proud of them.”
Their wares were on full display Sunday, even as they pulled Misiorowski after just three innings and 44 pitches, 28 of them clocked between 99 to 102 mph.
But off he went, like a thoroughbred heading back to the barn after a brisk sprint on the backstretch. No matter: The Miz struck out four to move into second place on the Brewers’ single-season strikeout list, with 247. He’s going to be the NL Cy Young Award winner and will have one more regular-season start to lengthen out a bit before starting Game 1 of the NL Championship Series on Saturday, Oct. 3.
At 24, he’s a relative graybeard compared to 22-year-old outfielder Jackson Chourio. All that kid did Sunday was join Julio Rodriguez and Bobby Witt Jr. as the only players to hit 20 homers and steal 20 bases in their first three seasons.
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Sure, the liberalized stolen-base rules help. But Chourio’s immense talent plays in any era.
“I’ve watched him play through countless levels,” says Misiorowski. “I think it’s cool to see a guy like that perform at the highest level. He’s an animal out there. He’s also crazy in here.”
Says Megill of Chourio, who signed an eight-year, $82 million deal in December 2023: “Dude’s a beast. They gave him a lot of money for good reason.”
The Brewers will enjoy an off day in Philadelphia on Monday, then play three against the flailing Phillies before wrapping up with three games at home against St. Louis. Then, a few off days as they await the survivors of the NL wild-card series.
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Bigger things ahead, certainly. Yet plenty behind them, too, enough worth pausing to appreciate.
“It means a lot. It’s always a big deal to set a record, a franchise record,” says Misiorowski. “Hopefully, we get to a little bigger number but it’s still cool. Ninety-eight games, that’s awesome.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: On way to playoffs, Brewers stop to smell the flowers: A club-record 98 wins
