Despite having the best record in baseball, the Milwaukee Brewers aren't as far ahead in the NL Central race as you might think, and the road is only getting harder from here. After a cakewalk of a schedule coming out of the All-Star break, the Brewers have the fifth-toughest remaining schedule of the year, with upcoming series against three of the four other 70+ wins teams: the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, and their division rival, the Chicago Cubs.
Meanwhile, the Brewers are 5-5 in their last 10 games compared to the Cubs, who are four games behind Milwaukee for the NL Central lead with an 8-2 record in that same timeframe. The Brewers' saving grace in that scenario is that Chicago is one of the only teams with a tougher schedule.
Nonetheless, Milwaukee cannot afford to let the Cubs catch up to them in the standings. Aside from the historical significance of the team winning the division for the fourth year in a row, the Brewers will need all the help they can get in pursuit of a World Series championship for the first time in franchise history, and the potential of a first-round Playoff bye would pay dividends in that chase.
The Milwaukee Brewers will be in deep trouble if Chicago catches up in the NL Central division title race.
Although it wouldn't be the end of the world if the Brewers had to play in the Wild Card round, home-field advantage over the Cubs would go a long way in a Playoff series. There's also the mental factor of leading the division, let alone the entire league for so much of the regular season, just to let it slip away down the home stretch. It might not seem significant, but little details like that wind up mattering come Playoff time.
The Brewers need to operate from a position of power. Sure, they have some tough competition coming up, but imagine what defeating the Dodgers and Braves in those upcoming series would do for their confidence heading into the Playoffs.
Furthermore, the Brewers and Cubs are facing off for seven games in a two-week span, less than a month before the postseason. Those series could very well be the catalyst in deciding who will win the NL Central, unless Milwaukee can build itself some cushion in the standings ahead of time.
Hopefully, some late-season series against the Reds, Cardinals, and Orioles can help them pad their stat total and potentially reach 100 wins for the first time in franchise history. As of right now, they're on pace to reach the threshold with 101 or 102 wins on the year, but they'll need to snag a few tough games from admittedly talented foes on the road to make it happen.
But if the Brewers can maintain the NL Central lead and demoralize the Cubs in the process, they'll be on a fast track to one of their best Playoff runs in franchise history.
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