The Milwaukee Brewers played better down the stretch than the Chicago Cubs did. Plain and simple, that’s the reason they won the N.L. Central this year, and the reason the Cubs are sitting home this October while the Brewers are in the NLCS.
Two of the most important players the Brewers have this year are center fielder Lorenzo Cain and closer Jeremy Jeffress. Both of these players were acquired by the Brewers within the last two seasons, Jeffress in mid-2017, Cain signed as a free agent prior to 2018.
But did you know that Cain and Jeffress were both originally Brewers draft picks, both made their major-league debuts with the team, and both were traded away — for players who are still paying dividends for the Brewers?