The NLCS between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers began last night. It has been branded as something of a David vs Goliath type showdown. These two teams go about their business in very different ways, but both have success. The Washington Nationals can learn a lot from both teams and how they operate.
Let’s start with the Brewers, who have been branded as the scrappy underdogs despite winning 97 games this season, four more than the Dodgers. Some analysts seem confused as to why they are presented that way, but it is pretty obvious as to why this is the case.
For one, the Dodgers are the defending World Series champions who have been the defining team of the 2020’s. The other reason is the payroll discrepancy. LA spends more on a couple players than the Brewers do on their whole team. The Dodgers have infinite resources in ways other teams do not.
That financial muscle showed last night with the two stars of the game. Freddie Freeman and Blake Snell won the Dodgers that game last night. Both were big money free agent pickups. They were elite players that hit the market and the Dodgers just splashed the cash to pick them up.
Snell pitched 8 beautiful innings, shutting the Brewers down, while Freeman provided the offense with a moonshot in the 6th inning. The Dodgers took advantage of the Braves not locking up their franchise player and swooped in to make him a Dodger. They did something similar when they traded for Mookie Betts, who the Red Sox refused to pay.
There is a lesson for Mark Lerner in this. Sometimes you need to go out and splash the cash to have success. That is what the Nats did in the 2010’s to augment their homegrown core. They did not buy a core like the Dodgers did, but they spent serious cash to support the core they built.
While it is unrealistic to expect Mark Lerner to spend at Dodgers levels, it is fair to expect much more than what we have gotten. At some point, cash is going to have to be spent if the team wants to win a World Series. Even the Brewers, who we will talk about, have struggled to get over the hump because they haven’t had those marquee stars in the way the Dodgers do.
The Dodgers have 15 players making at least $10 million while the Brewers just have 3. Let’s be clear, the Nationals will never have 15 players making at least $10 million, but there is a middle ground Mark Lerner needs to find. However, if they are going to spend, but not like the Dodgers, the Nats will need to learn a thing or two from the Brewers.
The Brewers have become the kings of winning on the margins. When the A’s did their Moneyball experiment, they emphasized getting on base a lot. However, nowadays everyone knows the value of getting on base. Getting on base gets you paid a lot of money, just look at Juan Soto. Yes, he always would be appreciated, but he is appreciated more in this era because of how much he walks.
That meant the Brewers had to find new ways to get an edge, though walks are also a big part of their identity as well. One thing they have really prioritized is contact hitting. In an age where everyone has been hunting for power, the Brewers are not full of sluggers. They were just 22nd in homers this season.
I am sure the Brewers wish they had the kind of power the Dodgers have, but that is expensive. Instead, the Brewers look for under appreciated guys who do the little things well. Players like Isaac Collins or Caleb Durbin. They don’t look the part, but their all around games provide value. Those players hit for average, run the bases well and are good in the field.
Base running and defense are a big part of the Brewers identity. This season, the Brewers were first in base running value and third in defensive value. In an era where pulling the ball in the air has become so emphasized, the Brewers were second to last in air pull rate, only behind the Nats. Sure, they would love to hit homers, but slugging is not their A game and they know it.
The Brewers are also masters of the little things. Davey Martinez used to emphasize doing the little things, but that is a motto that the Brewers truly live by. They are obsessed with getting the runner over or getting a bunt down when needed. The Brewers simply do whatever it takes to score runs.
They made a play last night that really sums them up well. It was a double play that was so hard to describe, I will just put the video down below. However, it was a perfectly on brand Milwaukee Brewers play. They combined great defense with heads up baseball to make the most unlikely of double plays. It was beautiful to watch.
Last night, the Dodgers star power overcame the Brewers, but it was a very close game. This should be a very good series, though I suspect the Dodgers super team will prevail in the end.
However, this teaches us a good lesson about team building. There are many ways to skin a cat. You can build a baseball team in a variety of ways. For the Nationals, I think Paul Toboni can take the best of both of these approaches and combine that with his player development prowess.
While the two teams have different offensive philosophies and spending habits, one thing does bring them together. Both teams rely on power pitching to help keep runs off the board. They both ranked in the top 5 for strikeouts by their pitchers. You see both of these teams bring out flamethrowers. The Dodgers have Sasaki and the Brewers have Misiorowski.
The Nationals can learn a lot from just watching this postseason and seeing what these teams do well. When I watch these playoffs, I worry a bit. It seems like these teams are playing a different sport than the Nats. Hopefully Toboni can get us on these teams’ level in the next few years.