Brewers Truths and Lies: What's Real and Fake After 24-17 Start

Here's what to make of Milwaukee's current stretch.

May 13, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (32) reacts after retiring the side in the fourth inning against the San Diego Padres at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Brewers are playing solid baseball, even after trading Freddy Peralta to the New York Mets. They are 7-3 in their last 10 games and are just 2 1/2 games behind the Chicago Cubs in the crowded National League Central.

The Brewers have been able to remain successful despite some very big losses over the years, but it ultimately proves that teams can win with a small-market approach. After 41 games, the Brewers are 24-17 on the season. There is still a lot of time left, but the Brewers look like a threat yet again.

Here is what is real and what is fake about this team after completing a quarter of the 2026 season.

Real: The Rotation's Success

May 8, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (32) celebrates after earning the final out of the sixth inning against the New York Yankees at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The Brewers starting rotation has taken some hits this season. Both Quinn Priester and Brandon Woodruff are out with injuries. However, they have the fourth-most strikeouts in the National League with 228 and have posted a 3.27 ERA through the team's first 41 games.

The Brewers are fortunate in that they have a lot of depth in their rotation. When Woodruff went down, they were able to turn to arms such as Logan Henderson and Chad Patrick. They also have Kyle Harrison, who is performing well while Jacob Misiorowski has become the ace of the staff.

As long as they don't take too many more hits, they should be in good shape.

Fake: Lack of Power

May 14, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Andrew Vaughn (28) drives in a run with a base hit in the second inning against the San Diego Padres at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

The Brewers are scoring plenty of runs, but are doing so without the benefit of the longball. In fact, they are last in the National League in home runs with just 27.

However, they still have a lot of hitters that can hit home runs, including William Contreras, Andrew Vaughn, Jackson Chourio, Christian Yelich and even Brice Turang to a degree. While this isn't an urgent issue that needs to be fixed, it shouldn't be too much longer before some of their big bats start striking the ball for more power, and once the Brewers can do that, they could ultimately surge to the top of the NL Central.

The Brewers can win without the home run ball, but it will ultimately just be an added bonus once it starts to click. It should be interesting to see what the Brewers can do if they get the home run ball working and hit for more power in the coming weeks. There is a lot to like about this offense already.