Where did the Milwaukee Brewers finish in the final MLB power rankings?

The Milwaukee Brewers finished with a franchise-record 97 victories by defeating the Cincinnati Reds on Sept. 28 in the regular-season finale.

Because of their 12-12 September record, though, the Brewers lost their top spot in many MLB power rankings. The national writers who decide the rankings became a tougher crowd after Milwaukee went 3-6 in its last three series, against St. Louis, San Diego and Cincinnati — though two of those teams made the playoffs.

While the demotion in the power rankings is logical, the Brewers did finish the season with baseball’s best record and will enter the playoffs as the NL’s top seed. A few writers still make a case why this could finally be the Brewers’ year, even with key injuries to their pitching staff.

The last time the Brewers had the best record in MLB was 1982. That turned out to be a pretty good postseason run.

Here’s a rundown of the Brewers’ placement in the final power rankings:

A sudden, valid question for Joel Reuter is, after Freddy Peralta and Quinn Priester, whether the Brewers can get enough innings from starters, with Brandon Woodruff and Jose Quintana currently on the injured list:

“The Brewers won 14 in a row to start August, and in the process, went from one game up in the NL Central to a nine-game advantage over the Cubs on their way to comfortably claiming a third straight division title. Soaking up innings when Freddy Peralta is not on the mound will be their biggest challenge in the postseason, and after going 12-12 in September, they need to regain some of their spark.”

Three teams in the 2025 playoffs have never won the World Series — the Brewers, San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners — so why not pick the Brewers this year, Matt Snyder said:

“The Brewers are one of five teams to have never won a World Series title. They enter the playoffs as the No. 1 overall seed.”

Will Leitch also seems to be feeling 1982 vibes, but with a better ending:

“It has been so long since the Brewers made their lone World Series that the team they played has been their division rival for two decades now. For Milwaukee to win the World Series with the franchise’s best regular-season record, the year we lost Bob Uecker, would feel like the universe smiling on the famously loyal Brewers fans.”

Jordan Schusterman notes that, not only do the Brewers have the best overall record and road record, but they don’t have many weaknesses, so why not have higher expectations this season?

“This might not be the most star-studded group, but it’s no accident that Pat Murphy’s ballclub emerged as the best regular-season team over a 162-game sample. Their strengths might not be as stupendously impressive as some other clubs’, but these Brewers have very few obvious weaknesses. Now it’s time for them to use that sample of success as a springboard for something much more meaningful in October.”

More: Who’s No. 1? Ranking the Milwaukee Brewers’ projected 26-man playoff roster

Gabe Lacques did rank the Brewers No. 1:

“The Milwaukee Brewers finished the regular season No. 1 in USA TODAY Sports’ power rankings. But are they the team to beat in Major League Baseball’s playoffs?

That’s a question for another day, and another story, even. For now, though, it’s time to pause before the postseason mayhem and toast the demons of Dairyland, who finished the year 97-65, most in the major leagues and a club record, topping their 2018 and 2011 clubs that won 96 games on their way to the National League Championship Series.”

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Where did Brewers finish in final MLB power rankings?

Where did the Milwaukee Brewers finish in the final MLB power rankings?

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