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Mookie Betts reveals what makes Brewers legit World Series contenders: ‘Good recipe over there’
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Another series, another sweep for the Milwaukee Brewers, as they took down the Pittsburgh Pirates, 12-5, on Wednesday night.
That win made it 12 in a row for the team with the best record in MLB at 76-44.
If you were to ask any baseball fan entering the season who would have the league’s best record as the year turns toward the postseason, it’s likely they wouldn’t have said the Brewers. But that’s the beautiful thing about the game – any team can emerge as not just a surprise winner, but a juggernaut poised for a World Series run.
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Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Sal Frelick (10) celebrates as Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Blake Perkins (16) prepares to cross home plate against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the fourth inning at American Family Field. (Michael McLoone/Imagn Images)
Los Angeles Dodgers eight-time All-Star Mookie Betts admitted Milwaukee wasn’t really on his mind at the start of the season. But after playing against them, he can totally understand where this success has come from.
“At first, you’re a little surprised like, ‘Wow, they’re doing really well. They do all facets well.’ But when you play against them, you really see why. They have starting pitching, they have relieving, and they have speed, defense, timely hitting. They have belief in each other – you can definitely see they believe in each other. That’s a close-knit group over there.”
While the Brewers may be considered a surprise team in 2025, Betts reminded everyone that they’ve been quite successful in recent seasons.
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“The Brewers have always been a really good ballclub. They’ve always been around the bubble, they’ve been in the playoffs a lot,” he said.
Milwaukee won the NL Central division in each of the last two campaigns and figures to make it three by the end of this regular season. And they’ve made the postseason in six of their last seven seasons.
So, the success has always been there, but the closest they have come to the World Series has been Game 7 of the 2018 NLCS, ultimately losing to the Dodgers. Betts wasn’t on the team at the time, but rather beat them as a member of the Boston Red Sox to secure his first of three World Series Rings.
Since that NLCS appearance, the Brewers have only made it as far as the NLDS. They’ve lost in the NL Wild Card round in each of the past two seasons, including a crushing Game 3 loss that came to the surging New York Mets, who made it all the way to the NLCS.
Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Jacob Misiorowski throws to the Minnesota Twins in the first inning of a baseball game on Friday, June 20, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)
Now, Betts thinks things are different in Milwaukee, and he pointed to one facet of the game in particular.
“They really have a good recipe over there, but their pitching staff is really, really good. When you have pitching, you can have a chance to win everything,” he said.
Pitching is key, especially when October rolls around. One great start, or shutdown pieces in the bullpen, can be the difference between moving on in a series or heading home.
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The Brewers own the league’s third-best team ERA (3.59), which isn’t far behind the league’s-best Texas Rangers (3.32) and San Diego Padres (3.55).
In the starting rotation, Freddy Peralta has been pitching like a true ace with a 2.90 ERA over 136.2 innings, striking out 148 batters while walking only 50 over that span. But 24-year-old Quinn Priester’s breakout season has been a joy to watch, as he owns a 3.49 ERA over a career-high 118.2 innings. Jose Quintana (3.44 ERA), Chad Patrick (3.52 ERA) and the flame-throwing rookie Jacob Misiorowski (2.70 ERA over 33.1 innings) have all been solid options for the Brewers in the rotation this year.
Then, when it’s time to shut the door on the opponent, the Brewers can count on closer Trevor Megill to end it. He has 28 saves in 44 games this season with a 2.20 ERA (41 innings). He earned himself his first career All-Star nod because of how great of a season he’s having, though he did post a 2.72 ERA in 2024 over 48 games.
“They just find ways to do it, they find ways to get things done. They play small ball, they hit home runs. They kinda do everything,” Betts added.
When it comes to hitting, Christian Yelich is playing like the bona fide All-Star he needs to be if the Brewers want to go far in the postseason. He’s slashing .266/.344/.456 with a team-leading 23 home runs and 81 RBI.
Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Joey Ortiz (3) and second baseman Brice Turang (2) celebrate after a victory over the Atlanta Braves in the ninth inning at Truist Park. (Brett Davis/Imagn Images)
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But there’s young life in the lineup, too, as Jackson Chourio continues to shine with Yelich in the outfield, hitting .276 while slugging .474 with 17 homers and 29 doubles on the year. From Williams Contreras to Rhys Hoskins, to Brice Turang, to Sal Frelick, and the list goes on, these Brewers are relentless when it’s their turn to produce offense.
Will that last through an October postseason run? If it does, it won’t be a surprise to Betts and the rest of MLB.
The Dodgers have lost all six of their games against the Brewers this season.
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The Carolina Panthers created havoc for the Los Angeles Rams and received a boost from the sloppy weather as they defeated the best team in the NFC, 31-28.
Carolina notched its seventh win of the year. It’s the first time they have won at least seven games since the 2022 season when Matt Rhule, and eventually Steve Wilks, were at the helm. The Panthers also snapped the Rams’ six-game winning streak.
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Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young runs against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, in Charlotte, North Carolina (Rusty Jones/AP Photo)
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford entered the game as the NFL MVP favorite. It seemed like he was going to have a big game as he led the team down for a touchdown on the opening drive. At the time, it was his 28th touchdown pass without an interception, which broke an NFL record.
The good vibes didn’t last long as Stafford threw an interception on his next drive and later had a pick six to Panthers cornerback Mike Jackson. The Panthers’ defense then forced Stafford to fumble the ball on the Rams’ final drive, which sunk any hopes of them coming back to force overtime or win the game.
Panthers quarterback Bryce Young was 15-of-20 with 206 passing yards and three touchdown passes. He found rookie wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan for a 43-yard go-ahead touchdown with 6:34 left in the game. It was McMillan’s only catch of the game.
Carolina Panthers safety Nick Scott celebrates after intercepting a pass against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Jacob Kupferman/AP Photo)
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Carolina’s Jalen Coker had four catches for 74 yards and a touchdown. Running back Chuba Hubbard had two catches for 41 yards and a touchdown. He also added 83 yards on the ground on 17 carries.
Stafford finished 18-of-28 with 243 passing yards and two touchdown passes. Both touchdowns were to Davante Adams, who finished with four catches for 58 yards.
The Panthers’ (7-6) win kept them in contention for the NFC South lead. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a higher winning percentage after their win over the Arizona Cardinals, moving to 7-5.
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The Rams’ grip on the conference was loosened. The loss meant the Chicago Bears have the best record in the NFC. Chicago defeated the Philadelphia Eagles on Black Friday.
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Kiffin became a hovering theme of the latter part of the college football season as his future at Mississippi became uncertain.
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That’s a wrap on the regular season. All 31 automatic bids have been decided. Next up is the Selection Show on Sunday at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN where the other 33 at-large teams along with the seeding will be revealed.
Volleyball seeds the top-eight teams in each region and the top four serve as first- and second-round hosts. The rest of the bracket is filled out to balance it competitively and geographically. The highest remaining seeds also host the regionals, and the 2025 Final Four is in Kansas City, Missouri, on Dec. 18 with the finals on Dec. 21.
Bracket watch
Pittsburgh’s win over Louisville, although much closer than the sweep would indicate, was still convincing enough to push the Panthers onto the top line as the final No. 1 seed. The other three top seeds — Nebraska, Kentucky and Texas — should be easy for the committee. The big discussion and decision-making will likely center around which teams slot as No. 2 seeds and which ones falls on the No. 3 line. That group includes teams such as Arizona State, Stanford, Louisville, Creighton, SMU, Wisconsin and Texas A&M with résumés that are so close; differentiating them won’t be easy.
The final spots for the right to host the first and second rounds will also take some time. Miami and USC seem to have played their way into the top 16 with good finishes to the regular season. Indiana slipped a bit down the stretch. The Hoosiers might just hold onto a spot in the top 16.
Top seedings
No. 1 seeds: Nebraska, Kentucky, Texas, Pittsburgh
No. 2 seeds: Arizona State, Texas A&M, Creighton, SMU
No. 3 seeds: Stanford, Wisconsin, Louisville, Purdue
No. 4 seeds: Miami, Minnesota, USC, Indiana
No. 5 seeds: Kansas, BYU, Baylor, Tennessee
No. 6 seeds: TCU, Kansas State, Colorado, Iowa State
No. 7 seeds: Penn State, UTEP, Western Kentucky, Northern Iowa
No. 8 seeds: Marquette, North Carolina, Florida, San Diego
Rest of the field (alphabetical): American, Arizona, Arkansas State, Campbell, UCLA, Cal Poly, Central Arkansas, Coppin State, Eastern Illinois, Fairfield, Florida A&M, Georgia Tech, High Point, Long Island, Loyola-Chicago, Maryland-Baltimore County, Northern Colorado, Princeton, Rice, St. Thomas, South Dakota State, South Florida, Stephen F. Austin, Toledo, Tulsa, Utah State, Utah Valley, Villanova, Western Kentucky, Wofford, Wright State, Xavier
(The rest of the field teams wouldn’t be seeded)
Bubble watch
The biggest change on the bubble in the season’s final weekend was Arizona playing itself into the field with two wins. The Wildcats beat Cincinnati in four sets Saturday in a match that became a de facto play-in game. The Bearcats’ two losses over the past three days were backbreaking. Oregon picked up a pair of wins, but beating Rutgers and Maryland weren’t enough to elevate the Ducks, who lack a significant nonconference victory and didn’t play the nonconference schedule of South Florida.
Last Four In: Georgia Tech, Villanova, Arizona, South Florida
First Four Out: Oregon, Cincinnati, Dayton, Missouri
Next Four Out: Auburn, Florida State, Pepperdine, James Madison
Conference breakdown
Big 12: 8
Big Ten: 8
ACC: 7
SEC: 5
Big East: 4
American: 3
CUSA: 2
Summit: 2
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