Milwaukee’s manager, Pat Murphy, keeps leaning on an “underdog” message that claims opponents don’t know his roster—despite years of Brewers success, major player recognition, and recent wins over the Cubs. His approach returns this week at Wrigley Field, wher
When Pat Murphy walked into the postgame questions after the Brewers’ 9-3 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field, the theme didn’t change.
Milwaukee had taken the first game of the series, delivering big moments from Christian Yelich and Jake Bauers. But Murphy, again, leaned into the same line he’s used before: that opposing players don’t know who Milwaukee is.
Last year. during the Brewers’ NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Murphy told reporters. “I’m sure that most Dodger players can’t name eight guys on our roster.” He added. “No offense to them. they shouldn’t have to know the names. but these are some guys that hopefully they know their names by the time it’s over. You never know.”.
In that NLCS, the Dodgers won a series of close games, and Shohei Ohtani finished it off with one of the greatest individual games in baseball history.
Now Murphy is repeating the same performance for 2026.
After the Cubs game, he brought the “nobody knows who we are” routine back out. Murphy said. “We know how these series go. you know. you erase it and just keep going. ” adding. “It’s not necessarily a game where they’re ever going to be intimidated by guys. they don’t even know most of our guys’ names. so they’re never going to be intimidated by us. but we’re not looking for that.”.
Then he shifted to what he called the real goal for a long season: “We’re looking to turn around and play good again,” Murphy continued. “And for us, it’s a long season, we’re 45 or 46 games in, it’s a long season so we’re just looking to continue to improve any way we can.”
“I’ve said all year, I trust these guys, but we gotta get better, there’s no question,” Murphy added. “And we’ve got a very young pitching staff, so we’ve gotta have games where we have five ABs. When the lineup turns over five times, then you know good things are happening.”
To many fans, it sounds like an undog message—except the Brewers’ results have been anything but small.
Milwaukee has been built on a pattern that keeps showing up on the stat sheets. They have made the postseason in seven of the last eight years. with their only miss coming in 2022. when they still had a winning record of 86-76. In that stretch, they reached the NLCS twice, each time coming up just short of a World Series trip.
They’ve also won the NL Central three straight years and five times between 2018 and 2025. This year, even after losing Freddy Peralta, they’re right back at the front of the division chase. The Brewers are 8-2 in their last 10 games, sit at 27-18, and are on pace for a 97-win season. They also have the third best run differential in the National League.
The roster reality doesn’t fit the idea that Milwaukee is barely known. Christian Yelich is a former MVP. Jackson Chourio, at 22 years old, is one of the game’s brightest young stars. Brice Turang and Garrett Mitchell are former top prospects, and William Contreras is described as a top-five catcher.
Kyle Harrison is another former top prospect who is delivering on his potential in Milwaukee.
And it’s not just position players. Jacob Misiorowski is one example of the “unknown” narrative falling apart. Murphy isn’t talking about some untested rumor—he’s talking about a staff that includes Misiorowski. who took baseball by storm in 2025. He was added to the All-Star team after a handful of starts.
This year, Misiorowski is striking out over 14 hitters per nine innings. The number would be an all-time MLB record over a full season, if it stays there.
Milwaukee’s “low payroll, high results” story is familiar, too. In 2019, the Brewers’ payroll was listed at $132 million per FanGraphs. Adjusted for inflation, that’s roughly $163-167 million in 2026 dollars. This season, their payroll is $131 million. Owner Mark Attanasio’s commitment to reduce spending has been a central part of the model.
Over the past few years. Milwaukee has traded away multiple star pieces they developed. including closer Josh Hader. top-end starter Corbin Burnes. and another star closer in Devin Williams. They also moved some of the core of their 2025 team like Caleb Durbin and Isaac Collins. along with one of the game’s best pitchers in Freddy Peralta.
So why keep insisting that opponents don’t know the names?
The “us against the world” and “nobody believes in us” cards have always been part of sports language, but Murphy’s version goes further: acting as if the other team hasn’t done its homework on Milwaukee’s players at all.
That message is exactly what didn’t land in the NLCS against the Dodgers last year. It’s exactly the line Murphy is still serving now.
In a week where Milwaukee is back at Wrigley Field and the Brewers’ momentum is on display—starting with the 9-3 win over the Cubs—Murphy’s pitch raises the same question again: if the Brewers are this proven. this recognized. and this dangerous. why keep leaning on a routine that sounds like an insult wrapped as motivation?.
The Brewers are not the Mets, or the Yankees, or the Dodgers, and the teams with higher spending power exist. The point is that they’ve built success anyway. And if they’re going to talk like underdogs. fans may be left wondering why the manager continues to suggest no one even knows who’s on the roster.
The next games at Wrigley Field won’t be won by slogans. They’ll be decided by the same thing Milwaukee has relied on for years: execution, pitching, and improvement—especially from a young staff. Murphy can keep the routine.
But the Brewers’ body of work already answers the question it keeps asking.
Milwaukee Brewers Pat Murphy Cubs Wrigley Field NLCS Dodgers underdog routine Christian Yelich Jacob Misiorowski Shohei Ohtani payroll