Professional athletes — including NBA players, but in every other sport as well — are feeling the impacts of the explosion of sports gambling in the United States. Most commonly that manifests as people — both on social media and in person — angrily lashing out at the players for not hitting points totals or other stats that would have won the angry fan their parlay, or a bet on a game.
However, it can be much more than that. Michael Porter Jr. got to see that firsthand involving his younger brother Jontay Porter, who was banned from the NBA for life for betting on NBA games and “disclosing confidential information to sports bettors” about games where he intentionally “limited his participation” (took himself out early, allegedly due to injury), allowing them to win big on under prop bets.
Michael Porter Jr. talked about it on the “One Night with Steiny” podcast.
Michael Porter Jr. on sports betting
“Think about it if you can get all your homies rich by telling yo bet 10K on my under..this one game imma act like I got an injury and they all get a lil bag… some people come from nothing & they think like that.”
Currently, other gambling investigations are swirling around the NBA. Veteran guard Malik Beasley is at the center of a federal gambling probe where he allegedly bet on games and made prop bets. Also, Terry Rozier was tied to a gambling investigation, however, both the NBA and federal investigators say he played no role in any potential illegal activity.
“Obviously, my brother went through his situation, “Michael Porter said…” Malik Beasley’s going through a situation right now. Terry Rozier was in some hot water. But the whole sports gambling entity, it’s bad and it’s only gonna get worse.”
Porter said in the interview that gambling and the idolization of money were not serious temptations for him (while also owning that he had other vices) and that he and every player faces those challenges.
With both the league and its partners having direct ties to legal betting operations in the United States, the potential negative influence of gambling is going to be an ongoing challenge for the NBA and every other professional league. Porter, like many players, recognizes this, and he deserves credit for being willing to discuss it.
The start of Wednesday’s game between the Mets and Braves at Citi Field has been delayed due to weather in the area, the team announced.
A new first-pitch time of 8:45 p.m. is currently set.
The pre-game ceremony to honor Pete Alonso breaking Darryl Strawberry‘s Mets home run record was postponed to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday.
David Peterson (7-5, 2.98 ERA) is the Mets’ scheduled starter. For the Braves, it’s former Met Carlos Carrasco (2-2, 6.18 ERA) as New York looks to build on Tuesday’s historic night.
The victory snapped the team’s seven-game losing streak.
After Wednesday’s game, the Mets wrap up their series with the Braves on Thursday before hosting the Seattle Mariners this weekend.
The NBA Board of Governors unanimously approved the sale of the Boston Celtics to a group led by William Chisholm, the league announced Wednesday. The deal is expected to close by the end of the week.
Chisholm will replace Wyc Grousbeck as governor in a switch from Grousbeck’s orginal plan to stay in place in the role through the 2027-28 season.
In March, Chisholm’s group reached a deal to buy the Celtics in two stages, which was the stated goal of ownership, led by the Grousbeck family. The deal valued the team at $6.1 billion in the first payment, marking the most expensive control sale in sports team history at the time—Mat Ishbia’s $4 billion Phoenix Suns buy in 2022 was the prior record. It has since been surpassed by Mark Walter’s $10 billion purchase of the Los Angeles Lakers.
On Tuesday, Sportico broke the news that a group led by Tom Dundon reached a deal to buy the Portland Trail Blazers at a $4.25 billion valuation. Assuming that deal and the Lakers’ one are approved, it would mark the 14th NBA control sale since 2013.
Chisholm, who will be the lead investor, was born and raised in Massachusetts and attended Dartmouth College, as did two of his children. He is the co-founder, managing partner and chief investment officer of private equity firm STG Partners, which is based in Menlo Park, Calif. STG’s portfolio includes more than 50 active and closed investments, with about $12 billion of assets under management, as of March.
Aditya Mittal will be the second-largest stakeholder in the Celtics and likely replace Grousbeck as alternate governor after the 2027-28 season. Mittal is the son of Lakshmi Mittal, who serves as executive chairman of $62 billion-in-revenue ArcelorMittal, the world’s second-largest steel and mining company after China’s state-owned Baowu. Lakshmi started Mittal Steel in the late 1980s and merged the company with France’s Arcelor in 2006. He is worth $26 billion, according to Bloomberg.
Private equity giant Sixth Street was part of Chisholm’s initial group when the agreement was reached. The firm, which also owns a stake in the San Antonio Spurs, will be the third largest shareholder, just behind Mittal. The NBA’s private equity rules cap the stake that a single firm can own at 20% of the team.
The investment group also includes Rob Hale, who was a previous Celtics investor and is raising his stake in the deal, as well as Bruce A. Beal Jr., president of Related Companies.
The Grousbecks bought the team in 2002 for $360 million. Last July, they announced the franchise was for sale, less than two weeks after winning an NBA-record 18th championship. The stated reason was estate planning.
The 2024-25 Celtics season had a jarring finish as All-NBA star Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles tendon during the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks, and Boston lost the series. A long recovery is ahead, and the club has since traded a pair of key players in the 2024 title run, Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, which will save Boston an estimated $180 million in luxury tax penalties next season, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
Goldman Sachs was the financial advisor for the Chisholm group. BDT & MSD and JPMorgan Chase co-led the sale process for the Celtics. Jordan Park served as an advisor the Grousbecks.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza spoke on a variety of topics before Wednesday night’s meeting with the Braves. Here’s what he said…
McLean gets the call
The incessant chatter surrounding top prospects Nolan McLean and Brandon Sproat as rotation replacements for an ineffective Frankie Montas has finally subsided. The Mets are moving the veteran right-hander to the bullpen, and calling up McLean to start Saturday’s game against the Mariners at Citi Field.
McLean’s big-league promotion seemed inevitable in recent weeks, as injuries and inconsistencies have hampered the Mets’ pitching staff all summer long.
While both youngsters “were in the conversation” for this necessary call-up, according to Mendoza, McLean had a clear edge as the No. 1 prospect in the system.
“There’s a lot to like. We all see the pitches,” Mendoza said. “Everyone talks about the sweeper, the mid-90s, the sinker, everything else. But the way he carries himself… It’s just about how he carries himself, how he deals with adversity, his ability to navigate lineups. The way he fields his position, controls the running game… I’m excited to have him here.”
Whether or not the Mets truly wanted McLean in the majors this early, the 24-year-old right-hander undoubtedly earned his promotion. He’s thrived between Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse this season, boasting a 2.45 ERA and 1.12 WHIP with 127 strikeouts across 113.2 total innings.
The Mets love McLean’s arsenal — Mendoza mentioned a stellar sweep that complements a mid-90s fastball — and his first full season since transitioning away from two-way player duties has exceeded expectations.
When asked about McLean’s potential in the batter’s box, Mendoza dismissed it. He’s going to stay on the mound, even though his role on the Mets’ roster is currently undefined. For now, he’s a rotation fixture. But the Mets will carefully monitor his workload, and it’s possible McLean finds his way to the bullpen once the postseason nears.
“Every time you’re able to call up a prospect, whether it’s a position player or pitcher, the expectation here is to help us win games,” Mendoza said. “That’s what we’ll get from a lot of these guys… We’re going to need these guys. Shoutout to the development people… There’s not just one guy, there’s options.”
McLean last pitched on Sunday, and was limited to four innings of one-run ball with seven strikeouts (74 pitches). In 13 starts with Triple-A Syracuse this season, he held opposing hitters to a measly .184/.285/291 slash line.
The return of Blackburn
McLean’s promotion wasn’t the only news linked to the Mets’ pitching staff on Wednesday. Paul Blackburn was officially activated off the injured list, after spending a handful of weeks rehabbing a shoulder issue.
The veteran right-hander isn’t returning to the rotation, however. Blackburn will be working as a reliever, and Mendoza appreciates his willingness to adjust his routine with a team-first mentality.
“He was in Syracuse, getting ready for a start earlier today. We got a hold of him, and kind of just presented the option. Do you want to stay [in Triple-A] and pitch, or do you want to come back and be in the bullpen? And without hesitation, he’s like, ‘I’ll come back.’ It says a lot about how much he wants to help us, and here he is.”
Blackburn, who last pitched for the Mets on June 28, began a rehab assignment in mid-July and logged four outings in Triple-A. The 31-year-old was unreliable prior to his injury, though, as he produced a bloated 7.71 ERA and 1.98 WHIP across 18.2 innings (four starts, two relief outings).
In a corresponding move, the Mets optioned reliever Justin Hagenman, who delivered four clutch scoreless innings in Tuesday’s beatdown of the Braves.
Vientos remains on bench
Mark Vientos has played just once over the last week, and his absence in the lineup hasn’t been due to injury.
Mendoza said the slugging infielder — who’s hitting just .230 with a .277 on-base percentage this season — is simply lower on the pecking order right now.
“It’s where we’re at. We’ve got four guys who are playing well,” Mendoza said. “Only nine can play. So, it’s a rotation spot. That’s where we’re at. But he’s fine.”
On this episode of Good Word with Goodwill, Vincent Goodwill and Dan Titus react to NBA Opening Night and Christmas Day games leaking. Which games are the most fascinating?
Next, Vince and Dan make their way too early MVP predictions and Vince goes off on Michael Porter Jr.’s gambling comments.
Later, Vince and Dan discuss if the Los Angeles Clippers can win a championship before choosing which current or former NBA player should have a podcast.
(2:33) NBA Opening night games have leaked
(11:30) The LeBron and Steph era
(15:06) Most interesting Christmas Day games
(21:56) Teams that will make a major leap this upcoming season
(29:26) Way too early MVP predictions
(37:19) Michael Porter Jr. comments on sports gambling
(43:27) Bradley Beal, Clippers real contenders?
(46:47) What current or former NBA player should have a podcast?
(52:23) Blazers sell for $4 Billion
LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers will kickoff the new NBA season against the Golden State Warriors. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
On this episode of Good Word with Goodwill, Vincent Goodwill and Dan Titus react to NBA Opening Night and Christmas Day games leaking. Which games are the most fascinating?
Next, Vince and Dan make their way too early MVP predictions and Vince goes off on Michael Porter Jr.’s gambling comments.
Later, Vince and Dan discuss if the Los Angeles Clippers can win a championship before choosing which current or former NBA player should have a podcast.
(2:33) NBA Opening night games have leaked
(11:30) The LeBron and Steph era
(15:06) Most interesting Christmas Day games
(21:56) Teams that will make a major leap this upcoming season
(29:26) Way too early MVP predictions
(37:19) Michael Porter Jr. comments on sports gambling
(43:27) Bradley Beal, Clippers real contenders?
(46:47) What current or former NBA player should have a podcast?
(52:23) Blazers sell for $4 Billion
LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers will kickoff the new NBA season against the Golden State Warriors. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Runners love data. Sure, tracking your running progress is essential for improvement, motivation, and achieving your goals—but more importantly, it’s just plain neat.
I recently came across StrideSync, a third-party tool that acts as a bridge between your Strava account and Google Sheets. The vision here is beautiful—all your running metrics are automatically populated, and then the data is yours to analyze how you want. Unfortunately, the Reddit post promoting StrideSync was removed by the r/Strava moderators “for failing to address how you plan on using and storing user data collected from Strava once a user gives permission to your tool/integration.” So, I thought I’d share my own, more manual method for basically doing the same thing.
It doesn’t have the convenience of automatically syncing data straight from your app of choice, but it’s still mighty useful. I’ve done a lot of the legwork with formulas, formatting, and organization—all you need to do is enter your own data.
Why you need to track your running stats in your own spreadsheet
While there’s no shortage of fitness tracking apps, owning your own spreadsheet is extremely useful. You can design your own system to match your specific training needs, create custom charts and graphs to visualize progress, and never fear subscription fees or premium features locked behind paywalls.
This is notthefirstspreadsheet I’ve shared with my Lifehacker community, but this might be my magnum opus. Here she is. If this whole process has piqued your interest, but you hate my spreadsheet, that’s fine! Let’s take a look at how you can perfect your own DIY running tracker.
How to create your running tracker spreadsheet
Whether you’re training for your first 5K or preparing for a marathon, these are the fundamentals of an effective running tracker.
Essential columns for your running log
Your first tab should have all the basics.
Basic run data:
Date
Distance (miles or kilometers)
Time (duration)
Pace (per mile/kilometer)
Route/location
Weather conditions
Performance metrics:
Average heart rate
Max heart rate
Elevation gain
Calories burned
Perceived effort (1-10 scale)
Training specifics:
Run type (easy, tempo, intervals, long run)
Training week number
Weekly mileage total
Notes/feelings
Equipment tracking:
Shoes worn
Shoe mileage tracker
Even more metrics to track
Here are some ideas to take those basic metrics above and make good use of them.
Goal tracking: Create separate sections for monthly, weekly, and annual mileage goals. Use conditional formatting to highlight when you’re on track or falling behind.
Personal records: Dedicate columns to track your best times for common distances (5K, 10K, half marathon, marathon).
Injury prevention: Include columns for rating how you felt before and after runs, noting any discomfort or potential injury concerns.
Must-have formulas and functions for running analytics
This isn’t comprehensive, but here’s the bare minimum to make your spreadsheet a useful tool beyond raw stats.
Calculate weekly and monthly totals
Use SUM functions to automatically calculate weekly and monthly mileage:
=SUMIFS(C:C,A:A,">="&DATE(2024,1,1),A:A,"
Track average pace
Calculate your average pace over time periods:
=AVERAGE(D2:D31)
Progress indicators
Use conditional formatting to color-code runs based on pace, distance, or effort level.
Goal achievement tracking
Create percentage completion formulas for your goals:
=(Current_Mileage/Goal_Mileage)*100
Actually visualize your data
My template is barebones, but I have big dreams for transforming my raw data into gorgeous charts. Here are some thought-starters for you:
Line Charts: Track mileage progression over time
Column Charts: Compare monthly totals
Scatter Plots: Analyze pace vs. distance relationships
Pie Charts: Visualize run type distribution
Pace Progression: Scatter plot using your pace over time
Run Type Distribution: Pie chart using Run Type (tempo, interval, etc.)
With these visual representations, you could start really identifying trends, spotting improvements, and generally maintaining motivation throughout your training journey.
The bottom line
Here’s a link to my template one more time. If you’re a runner with more time on your hands to take this spreadsheet to the next level, I’d love to see what you can do. Tracking your running progress in Google Sheets provides a level of insight into your training that you just don’t get with basic running apps. The key is to start simple, remain consistent, and gradually add complexity as your needs evolve.
If you’ve backed up your iPhone photos to iCloud, you’re already doing better than most people. Keeping an online backup of your photos means it’s easy to retrieve them if something happens to your phone. But even then, it shouldn’t be your only solution. Photos stored in the cloud can come and go more easily than you think—for example, if you delete a synced photo on any one Apple device, it’s also deleted from your iCloud account.
For this reason, it’s always a good idea to back up your photos to a second location, preferably offline. Apple doesn’t make it very easy to do that, as I learned the hard way last year, when a close family member passed away. My family and I were trying to save a copy of their photos, and before we could even properly register our grief, we found ourselves juggling a bunch of different tools to save their important photos. Since then, I’ve learned a lot about exporting photos from iCloud to external hard drives, so you don’t run into the same problems we did. Here are the best ways to back up your iCloud photos locally, including some methods that are way easier than the official Apple one.
Using Apple’s official export method to back up iCloud photos
Credit: Pranay Parab
The first port of call here is Apple’s official export method. There are two primary ways to do this—download your photos from iCloud.com or request a copy of your data from Apple’s data privacy page. Downloading from iCloud is best for an immediate backup, but it only lets you download about 1,000 photos at a time, and these downloads can sometimes get stuck due to bandwidth. The more reliable method is to request Apple for a copy of all your photos, but you’ll have to wait up to a week for Apple to send you a link to where you can download it. Here’s how to make a data request for your iCloud photos:
Scroll down and choose iCloud Photos from the list. Click Continue.
On the next page, choose the maximum size for your backup files. Apple will divide your photos into downloads of the file size you pick. If you pick 1GB, then you’ll have to download more files to complete the export, and if you pick 25GB, then each file will be larger, but you’ll need to do fewer downloads overall.
Once you’ve chosen a file size, click Complete request.
Afterwards, Apple will send you an email confirming your data request, and you’ll have to wait up to a week to receive a download link. Once it arrives, you’ll be able to download all your photos and videos directly to your external hard drives. This method is perfect for completing a one-time backup of all your data, but if you want to keep backing up every new photo you make to an external hard drive, you’ll have to manually download them off iCloud each time. That is quite inconvenient, but there is a simpler way to do it.
Use a Mac app to back up your iCloud Photos
Credit: Pranay Parab
If you don’t want to wait before downloading your iCloud Photos, you can use third-party apps to back up your data. One of my favorites is Parachute Backup ($5), which supports backing up iCloud Photos and iCloud Drive files to your Mac, external hard drives, or even network-connected storage such as a NAS.
Parachute Backup is quite easy to use and supports incremental backups, which means that you don’t have to keep backing up photos manually every time you take a new one. Instead, this app can detect when you have a new photo and copy it over to your designated external hard drive in an instant, without redownloading older pictures that have already been backed up. The app also supports full backups, too, which is great in case you want to copy over all of your photos to a second external drive.
Here’s how to get started. When you first open Parachute Backup, you’ll see two sections—iCloud Drive and iCloud Photos. Just click the Authorize button under iCloud Photos, grant access to the app, and click Run Backup Now. The app will handle the rest. You can also configure sync scheduling on the same page to ensure that the app backs up your new photos when you want, whether that’s right away or at set times.
Use an iPhone app for iCloud Photos backups
Credit: Pranay Parab
For users on mobile, BackiGo is an iPhone app that can fetch your photos off iCloud and save them to an external hard drive. You can either connect an external drive to your iPhone’s USB-C port, or add network-connected storage to the Files app, and use BackiGo to save photos to those locations. The app does a pretty good job moving iCloud Photos to external drives, and I like to use it to make backups of iCloud photos, then delete them off my phone to save space.
The default setting enables incremental backups, which ensures that after the first backup is completed, only new photos are backed up to the external hard drive. You can get started with BackiGo for free, and the app can back up 500 photos for you without requiring you to pay. After that limit, you have multiple payment options: $1/month, $7/year, or a one-time payment of $15 to unlock all features.
For weeks, the Milwaukee Brewers’ success was difficult to describe. They weren’t flashy, and there weren’t a lot of frills, but they just found ways to win. After a slow start to a season with low expectations from the outside, they had something to prove.
And now, with the team having put together not only the best stretch in baseball this season but also the best stretch in franchise history, there’s only one way to describe the 2025 Brewers.
Over the past two months, there has been seemingly nothing the Brewers can’t do. Comeback victories? Done. Blowout wins? Got it. Offensive breakouts? Yep. Elite starting pitching? Of course. And the contributors can be found up and down Milwaukee’s 26-man roster — a roster that has seen plenty of additions throughout the course of the season.
Through their game Wednesday, the Brewers have the best record in the sport by six games, and they were the first team in MLB to clear the 70-win threshold. Calling their recent two-month stretch incredible almost doesn’t do it justice. Since June 1, the Brewers are 45-16; that’s a .738 winning percentage. For perspective, the 2001 Seattle Mariners, who won an MLB-record 116 games, won at a .716 clip.
Two months is a ridiculous amount of time for the Brewers to sustain play at this level, and while many have been expecting them to cool off, they simply haven’t. With Wednesday’s 12-5 victory to sweep the Pirates, Milwaukee has won 12 straight, marking its second 10-plus-game winning streak just since the start of July. The Brew Crew are the 10th team in the divisional era to have multiple 10-plus-game winning streaks in a season.
And so the question when it comes to the Milwaukee Brewers’ dominance becomes: How are they doing this? And can they keep it up?
Well, they’ve made a habit of doing just about everything well. Offensively, the Brewers are second in batting average, second in on-base percentage and fifth in slugging percentage since June began. On the mound, they rank second in starter ERA and third in bullpen ERA. And defensively, they’ve been solid all season, ranking third in outs above average and sixth in defensive runs saved.
“We like putting pressure on and getting guys on base and moving runners, so that’s always going to be our bread and butter,” right fielder Sal Frelick said recently. “But at the same time, it’s awesome when you see guys going and taking shots and hit balls over the fence.”
Could the 2025 Brewers be the team that wins the first World Series in franchise history? (Joseph Raines/Yahoo Sports)
The old adage goes, “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” and that’s a mentality that many recent Brewers teams have embodied. This season is no different, but make no mistake, this squad is also getting strong individual performances from some unlikely contributors.
First baseman Andrew Vaughn, the third pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, no longer had a spot in Chicago after a disappointing tenure with the White Sox. But a trade that sent him 90 minutes north has brought the Cal product new life. Since joining the Brewers, Vaughn has been one of baseball’s best hitters, slashing .340/.404/.630 with eight homers in 28 games. His 1.055 OPS since July 7 ranks sixth in MLB (min. 100 PAs).
“He’s been huge for us,” Brewers left fielder Christian Yelich said. “Just stepping up, and it’s kind of a theme throughout our team. You get an opportunity, you’re put in a position, just do what you can to contribute and help the boys out. So it’s been great to see from him. He fits our group really well, just who he is as a person and competitor and player.”
On the mound, right-hander Quinn Preister, once a top prospect in baseball, was also looking for a new home after beginning the season with the Red Sox’s Triple-A affiliate. With the Brewers needing to stabilize their injured rotation early this year, Milwaukee took a chance on the 18th overall pick from the 2019 draft, trading for Priester in April.
Since then, Priester has more than filled a void for Milwaukee. Even with other starters getting healthy, he has earned himself a regular spot in the rotation. The Brewers’ right-hander is 11-2 with a 3.49 ERA in 2025 and has been even better as a starter, with a very respectable 3.03 ERA.
Beyond the new faces in Milwaukee, even known commodities such as Yelich have turned back the clock. Although no longer the superstar talent he once was, Yelich has stayed healthy and been productive this year while providing the veteran presence on a young roster. The 2018 NL MVP has 23 homers on the season, his most since 2019.
But, as manager Pat Murphy pointed out, “It’s not just all slug. He does all the other things … Defends when you put him out there. Run the bases. Take the extra base. And offensively, bunts, does whatever he has to do to help us win. Runs a hard 90. Cuts the bases as good as anybody. He’s a good player, and when one aspect is not going good, he can do it another way.”
It’s worth noting that Milwaukee’s impressive couple of months have coincided with their division rival Chicago Cubs enduring their worst stretch of the season. While the Brewers have looked almost unbeatable since the beginning of June, the Cubs have gone a mediocre 31-29. As a result, over the past eight weeks, Milwaukee has moved from third in the NL Central and trailing Chicago by 5.5 games to leading the division by 8 games over the Cubs.
The Brewers will play a five-game set against Chicago next week at Wrigley Field in what is shaping up to be a critical final battle between the two teams. It could be the Cubs’ last real chance to get back in the division race. Or, given the way the teams have been playing lately, the Brewers could extinguish any remaining hope the Cubs have of winning the NL Central.
“Seems like it’s the best rivalry in baseball right now — between that and the Dodgers and Padres,” Milwaukee closer Trevor Megill said of the Cubs and Brewers. “Every time we play, either [in Milwaukee] or over at Wrigley, it’s not a seat in the house that’s empty, and everybody is energized.”
Beyond the impact on the NL Central, the Brewers’ incredible summer run has changed the complexion of the entire National League. If the season ended today, Milwaukee would be the NL’s No. 1 seed, with a ticket punched for the NLDS and home-field advantage through the NL playoffs.
“The Brewers are a very good organization,” Cubs manager (and former Brewers skipper) Craig Counsell said recently. “They’re very well run. They have exceptional leadership. That’s a part of that. And so, yeah, it makes this fun, right? And it makes this interesting. And it makes this good competition, man. This is the highest level of competition. That’s what’s great about it.”
On the surface, the Brewers’ success might look unsustainable, but they seem to have found a recipe that’s allowing them to maintain their high level of play for months at a time. They’re confident and composed, playing like a team that has been here before. Still, it should be pointed out that they’re one of the youngest squads in baseball, and while many of the players on this year’s roster played in the 2024 wild-card round against the Mets, most of the team’s new faces and rookies, such as Isaac Collins (who is now the betting favorite to win ROY) and Jacob Misiorowski, are getting a crash course on the big leagues in the midst of a pennant race — and thriving.
At this point in the season, with baseball’s contenders separating themselves and the playoff picture emerging, nothing seems to be slowing down the Brew Crew, and what they’re building looks strong enough to wreak havoc in October. Could this be the team that finally wins the franchise’s first World Series?
“There’s still two months of baseball left — we know that,” Yelich said earlier this month. “Let’s go out there and play our game, try to put pressure on [the other team], and you never know what can happen. Just play hard and make it messy out there and kind of play our style of baseball and see what happens.”
For weeks, the Milwaukee Brewers’ success was difficult to describe. They weren’t flashy, and there weren’t a lot of frills, but they just found ways to win. After a slow start to a season with low expectations from the outside, they had something to prove.
And now, with the team having put together not only the best stretch in baseball this season but also the best stretch in franchise history, there’s only one way to describe the 2025 Brewers.
Over the past two months, there has been seemingly nothing the Brewers can’t do. Comeback victories? Done. Blowout wins? Got it. Offensive breakouts? Yep. Elite starting pitching? Of course. And the contributors can be found up and down Milwaukee’s 26-man roster — a roster that has seen plenty of additions throughout the course of the season.
Through their game Wednesday, the Brewers have the best record in the sport by six games, and they were the first team in MLB to clear the 70-win threshold. Calling their recent two-month stretch incredible almost doesn’t do it justice. Since June 1, the Brewers are 45-16; that’s a .738 winning percentage. For perspective, the 2001 Seattle Mariners, who won an MLB-record 116 games, won at a .716 clip.
Two months is a ridiculous amount of time for the Brewers to sustain play at this level, and while many have been expecting them to cool off, they simply haven’t. With Wednesday’s 12-5 victory to sweep the Pirates, Milwaukee has won 12 straight, marking its second 10-plus-game winning streak just since the start of July. The Brew Crew are the 10th team in the divisional era to have multiple 10-plus-game winning streaks in a season.
And so the question when it comes to the Milwaukee Brewers’ dominance becomes: How are they doing this? And can they keep it up?
Well, they’ve made a habit of doing just about everything well. Offensively, the Brewers are second in batting average, second in on-base percentage and fifth in slugging percentage since June began. On the mound, they rank second in starter ERA and third in bullpen ERA. And defensively, they’ve been solid all season, ranking third in outs above average and sixth in defensive runs saved.
“We like putting pressure on and getting guys on base and moving runners, so that’s always going to be our bread and butter,” right fielder Sal Frelick said recently. “But at the same time, it’s awesome when you see guys going and taking shots and hit balls over the fence.”
Could the 2025 Brewers be the team that wins the first World Series in franchise history? (Joseph Raines/Yahoo Sports)
The old adage goes, “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” and that’s a mentality that many recent Brewers teams have embodied. This season is no different, but make no mistake, this squad is also getting strong individual performances from some unlikely contributors.
First baseman Andrew Vaughn, the third pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, no longer had a spot in Chicago after a disappointing tenure with the White Sox. But a trade that sent him 90 minutes north has brought the Cal product new life. Since joining the Brewers, Vaughn has been one of baseball’s best hitters, slashing .340/.404/.630 with eight homers in 28 games. His 1.055 OPS since July 7 ranks sixth in MLB (min. 100 PAs).
“He’s been huge for us,” Brewers left fielder Christian Yelich said. “Just stepping up, and it’s kind of a theme throughout our team. You get an opportunity, you’re put in a position, just do what you can to contribute and help the boys out. So it’s been great to see from him. He fits our group really well, just who he is as a person and competitor and player.”
On the mound, right-hander Quinn Preister, once a top prospect in baseball, was also looking for a new home after beginning the season with the Red Sox’s Triple-A affiliate. With the Brewers needing to stabilize their injured rotation early this year, Milwaukee took a chance on the 18th overall pick from the 2019 draft, trading for Priester in April.
Since then, Priester has more than filled a void for Milwaukee. Even with other starters getting healthy, he has earned himself a regular spot in the rotation. The Brewers’ right-hander is 11-2 with a 3.49 ERA in 2025 and has been even better as a starter, with a very respectable 3.03 ERA.
Beyond the new faces in Milwaukee, even known commodities such as Yelich have turned back the clock. Although no longer the superstar talent he once was, Yelich has stayed healthy and been productive this year while providing the veteran presence on a young roster. The 2018 NL MVP has 23 homers on the season, his most since 2019.
But, as manager Pat Murphy pointed out, “It’s not just all slug. He does all the other things … Defends when you put him out there. Run the bases. Take the extra base. And offensively, bunts, does whatever he has to do to help us win. Runs a hard 90. Cuts the bases as good as anybody. He’s a good player, and when one aspect is not going good, he can do it another way.”
It’s worth noting that Milwaukee’s impressive couple of months have coincided with their division rival Chicago Cubs enduring their worst stretch of the season. While the Brewers have looked almost unbeatable since the beginning of June, the Cubs have gone a mediocre 31-29. As a result, over the past eight weeks, Milwaukee has moved from third in the NL Central and trailing Chicago by 5.5 games to leading the division by 8 games over the Cubs.
The Brewers will play a five-game set against Chicago next week at Wrigley Field in what is shaping up to be a critical final battle between the two teams. It could be the Cubs’ last real chance to get back in the division race. Or, given the way the teams have been playing lately, the Brewers could extinguish any remaining hope the Cubs have of winning the NL Central.
“Seems like it’s the best rivalry in baseball right now — between that and the Dodgers and Padres,” Milwaukee closer Trevor Megill said of the Cubs and Brewers. “Every time we play, either [in Milwaukee] or over at Wrigley, it’s not a seat in the house that’s empty, and everybody is energized.”
Beyond the impact on the NL Central, the Brewers’ incredible summer run has changed the complexion of the entire National League. If the season ended today, Milwaukee would be the NL’s No. 1 seed, with a ticket punched for the NLDS and home-field advantage through the NL playoffs.
“The Brewers are a very good organization,” Cubs manager (and former Brewers skipper) Craig Counsell said recently. “They’re very well run. They have exceptional leadership. That’s a part of that. And so, yeah, it makes this fun, right? And it makes this interesting. And it makes this good competition, man. This is the highest level of competition. That’s what’s great about it.”
On the surface, the Brewers’ success might look unsustainable, but they seem to have found a recipe that’s allowing them to maintain their high level of play for months at a time. They’re confident and composed, playing like a team that has been here before. Still, it should be pointed out that they’re one of the youngest squads in baseball, and while many of the players on this year’s roster played in the 2024 wild-card round against the Mets, most of the team’s new faces and rookies, such as Isaac Collins (who is now the betting favorite to win ROY) and Jacob Misiorowski, are getting a crash course on the big leagues in the midst of a pennant race — and thriving.
At this point in the season, with baseball’s contenders separating themselves and the playoff picture emerging, nothing seems to be slowing down the Brew Crew, and what they’re building looks strong enough to wreak havoc in October. Could this be the team that finally wins the franchise’s first World Series?
“There’s still two months of baseball left — we know that,” Yelich said earlier this month. “Let’s go out there and play our game, try to put pressure on [the other team], and you never know what can happen. Just play hard and make it messy out there and kind of play our style of baseball and see what happens.”
