Brewers No. 1 In MLB Power Rankings For First Time All Season, Why Now?

The Milwaukee Brewers have dethroned the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Aug 23, 2026; Williamsport, PA, USA; Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss (left) shakes hands with Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy (right) prior to the MLB Little League Classic game at Journey Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Four teams have landed atop MLB.com’s Major League Baseball power rankings before September, all of which play in the National League.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have held the position for the last two months, despite regular struggles. The Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs each had very brief stints atop the list, and now the Milwaukee Brewers. 

The Brewers have had the best record in baseball for quite some time. It is inarguable that they have the best rotation in the league, as has been the case for months. 

So why now? 

The Dodgers are back in the win column after mostly treading water since the trade deadline. The defending champs finally have the wind back in their sails, and now writers and analysts are beginning to jump ship.

Why Now?

The Brewers have won three straight series. They’re heading East after taking care of the first-place NL East Braves at home this weekend. They humiliated the Seattle Mariners and were able to take three from the defending champions in a four-game road tilt. 

The knock on Milwaukee entering the season was a familiar one: concerns about whether or not the lineup would support the pitching staff, especially come playoff time. 

Few expected this lineup to be inside the top five in nearly every meaningful statistic. Pat Murphy’s squad is top-three in batting average and stolen bases, and top-five in runs batted in and hits.

If you’re like me and you see a top-five ranking in those specific categories, your mind goes to one place: elite situational hitting, a.k.a “small ball.”

Murphy and the Brewers are playing the best small ball in the MLB. Now, with just one month left in the season, perhaps the skeptics are seeing just how sustainable Milwaukee’s small ball is.

Shockingly enough, the Brewers have the fewest home runs in the league, and it’s not even super close. 

I’d be curious to see how many World Series winners have ever finished last in the home run column. You can find the answer to that in the next article posted here on the Milwaukee Brewers On SI.

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