If you were a fan of an NL Central team over the past 25 seasons, there was nothing more frustrating than watching the St. Louis Cardinals win year after year thanks to the power of "devil magic".
For the uninitiated, this dark art was the Cardinals' practice of bringing in old, broken down, or outright bad players and turning them into All-Stars. Many, many players who made their way through St. Louis over the years were turned around thanks to this phenomenon, from Ryan Ludwick to Aledmys Diaz.
For a really recent example, think back to 2022. An aging Cardinals team brought back legend Albert Pujols for one more rodeo after years of injuries and struggles in Los Angeles. Suddenly, as the team geared up for its annual playoff push, Pujols turned into... well, Albert Pujols. He hit 17 home runs following the All-Star break, guiding the team to the NL Central title.
However, with the Cardinals finally rebuilding after a quarter-century of success, a new NL Central team has come for their crown as baseball's authoritative figure on practicing magic.
The Milwaukee Brewers have found their own clutch devil magic
While the Brewers have done a good job of turning scrap heap parts into key pieces — looking at you, Jose Quintana and Quinn Priester — their version of devil magic actually takes place on the field, rather than in the front office.
[Thanks to prospect guru RD Topp on BlueSky for sourcing this information.]
Heading into the week, the Brewers were fifth in MLB in runs per game, scoring 5.09 per game after their 14-1 blowout over the Athletics this weekend.
However, they are 22nd in MLB in wRC+ at 94, meaning the offense as a whole is six percent below league average. So, then, how in the world is the team so prodigious at the plate?
Well, they've got an 83 wRC+ with the bases empty and a 105 wRC+ with runners in scoring position. Production in the clutch, long understood as one of the most volatile and inconsistent barometers of success, was a staple of those recently successful Cardinals teams.
The Brewers have taken it up another notch, and everyone is producing when their teammates are on base. Call it the "power of friendship" if you must, but even that hardly explains Sal Frelick's .906 OPS or the fact that the team has the league's lowest strikeout rate with runners on base.
Now, the front office deserves some credit here, as they've built an offense around speed and contact. In a league where power and patience are the two most beloved offensive skills, a team that's designed to be aggressive can make for a doozy of an assignment for opposing pitchers.
Plus, even with all this being said, the Brewers aren't even in first place in their division, hanging a few wins behind the bigger-market Cubs as April nears an end.
However, for a team that continues to lose All-Star talent year after year, the Brewers are proving to be pretty darn resilient. Smart roster construction, good health, and a healthy farm system are all keys to a small-market team pulling off such a feat.
When you have the power of friendship on your side, though, it makes everything a little bit easier.