The 2018 Milwaukee Brewers versus the franchise’s previous fast-starters

How do the 2018 Milwaukee Brewers compare to other hot-starting teams in franchise history?

At 31-19, the 2018 Milwaukee Brewers are off to their best 50-game start in franchise history. They’ve achieved this mark despite a bit of a roller-coaster start to the year. The Brewers won their first thee games, then went 5-9 over the next two weeks to drop to 8-9 for the season.

Then they got hot again. From April 17 to April 25, the Brewers won seven straight games and moved into first place in the NL Central. During this stretch, they beat up on struggling teams in Cincinnati, Miami and Kansas City. Those three teams have combined for a .345 winning percentage this year. The Brewers were feasting on the bottom-feeders.

When it came time to face a legit team in late April, the Brewers were swept in a four-game series against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. They’ve righted the ship since then, going 15-6 over the last few weeks to get to 31-19 on the season. It’s the first time a Milwaukee Brewers team has ever been over .600 through their first 50 games.

The Brewers franchise started in 1969 as the Seattle Pilots. They only played one year in Seattle before moving to Milwaukee and becoming the Brewers. Their first year in Milwaukee was a rough one, especially through their first 50 games. That Brewers team was 15-35. It’s still the worst first 50-game mark in franchise history.

This year’s squad is the 50^th edition of the Pilots/Brewers. The team’s average record through 50 games is 24-26. They’ve been at or above .500 twenty-six times in 50 years. In those 50 years, there have now been seven teams who won 28 or more of their first 50 games. Let’s look at the first six times a Brewers team achieved this mark.