How are the Milwaukee Brewers in first place at the all-star break? Here's why.

To fully appreciate the surprising performance of the Milwaukee Brewers during the first half of the 2017 season, manager Craig Counsell says you have to look back to 2016.

“I think last year was very important in this whole process,” said Counsell, whose relatively inexperienced team has built a 50-41 record before the all-star break for a 5 ½-game lead in the National League Central Division.

“There were a lot of guys who aren’t here that helped set up rolling into this year. I think about that a lot. How we started out last year, and the contributions of guys last year. Specifically, in spring training.”

Counsell referred to since-departed veterans such as catchers Jonathan Lucroy and Martin Maldonado, infielders Aaron Hill, Scooter Gennett and Chris Carter, outfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis and relievers Blaine Boyer, Chris Capuano, Will Smith, Tyler Thornburg and Jeremy Jeffress, who helped young players find their way and learn what it means to be a big-leaguer.

With that foundation established, the primary question for 2017 was how many players would take the next step forward and prove they are keepers in the Brewers’ large-scale rebuilding process. As it turns out, nearly all of them have staked a claim on keeping their jobs moving forward.

“I think this year has been a case of a bunch of guys that are in same boat,” Counsell said. “They didn’t know each other, necessarily. They hadn’t been together a long time. But so many of them are in similar places in their careers.

“It’s a place for them to bond and enjoy each other, and I think they’ve done that. But it’s also a place where growth is going to happen. That’s going to be a big part of the second half for us."

AT A GLANCE: MLB standings | Brewers stats, schedule, etc.

The increased competition for jobs and playing time, starting in spring training, has also energized the Brewers' rebuild. And not only in the big leagues. Beyond those vying for spots on the Brewers’ roster, a burgeoning crop of highly regarded minor-league prospects made their presence known in exhibition play, displaying their talent.

Some have gotten their first taste of the majors this season, such as outfielders Lewis Brinson and Brett Phillips, and left-hander Josh Hader, currently working out of the Brewers’ bullpen. Right-hander Brandon Woodruff’s debut was delayed when he strained a hamstring stretching before a scheduled start in St. Louis.

“This is competition,” Counsell said. “You’ve got to compete, and you’ve got to earn it. I think that’s fair for a group like this. They’ve welcomed it and they’ve all handled it in the right way, understanding it and believing it’s part of it.”

Add it all up and you have the most surprising first-place team in the majors at the break. 

Some might call the Brewers’ first-half showing a fluke but Counsell said that is not fair to his club, which put on a finishing 9-2 kick to distance itself from the defending world champion Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals, both of whom go into the break under .500.

“I think we’ve earned our record. It’s not a fluke,” Counsell said. “Expectations are what they are. We felt really good going into spring training. And we felt really good about last September. Last September, this team played really well, and it wasn’t a fluke. We played well against good teams.

“I don’t think we’re as surprised as everybody else is.”

How Did This Happen?

So how did this relatively inexperienced team exceed expectations to this extent over the first half? Here are 10 reasons for the Brewers’ surprise showing:

1. CORNERING THE MARKET

Seeking to balance what had been a predominantly right-handed lineup in 2016, the Brewers acquired two left-handed hitters with pop to man their infield corners. First baseman Eric Thames was signed to a three-year deal after tearing up the Korean Baseball Organization for three seasons and third baseman Travis Shaw was part of a package of players acquired from Boston in a trade for reliever Tyler Thornburg.

It is safe to say that both Thames and Shaw have exceeded expectations. Thames was the talk of the baseball world in April when he set a club record with 11 home runs and posted a 1.276 OPS. He has cooled off considerably since but still made it to the break with 23 home runs and a .936 OPS. Shaw was the steadiest offensive player on the club, blasting 19 home runs – three more than he had in 145 games with Boston last season – and driving in 65 runs to go with a .937 OPS.

“They have given us the balance we were seeking in our lineup,” manager Craig Counsell said. “I put Travis in the cleanup spot and he has been there every day. Consistency is the word to use when describing his play this season.

2. HAVING DEEP DEPTH

At the outset of the season, leadoff hitter Jonathan Villar and No. 3 hitter Ryan Braun figured to be key parts of the offense, just as they were in 2016. But Villar (.641 OPS) became mired in a deep slump and eventually ceded playing time at second base to Eric Sogard, before Sogard was sidelined with an ankle injury. Braun has been plagued much of the season by a left calf issue and played in only 40 of the Brewers’ 91 games, batting .259 with 10 homers and 23 RBI.

To say the Brewers have covered for those two is an understatement. They have scored 451 runs, the fourth-highest total in the NL, and lead the league with 138 home runs. The depth has been such a key factor in the Brewers’ performance that Counsell no longer uses the word “bench.” Instead, he calls the non-pitchers his “position player group.”

Making that depth more remarkable is the fact that the Brewers have carried only 12 position players most of the season, leaving Counsell with only four players on the bench (pardon that word) during games.

3. ALL FOR ONE

Looking at it logically, there’s little reason to expect the Brewers to have great team chemistry. Many of the players have played together for only a short time, and very few came up together through the farm system. Much of the roster was built via trades, waiver claims and signings.

Yet, the cohesiveness of the club is undeniable. As Counsell puts it, “We enjoy each other’s company.” The never-ending debate in baseball is what comes first – winning or chemistry? Whatever the case, those two almost always are linked and that has been the case from the outset. Counsell and his coaching staff deserve credit for fostering a positive culture that boosted player confidence.

“I could see it immediately,” said catcher Stephen Vogt, who joined the team in late June after being claimed on waivers from Oakland. “You walk in and it’s contagious. This group has each other’s backs; this group loves each other; this group is pulling for each other. I’ve been in groups like this in Oakland, where you really feel there’s 25 guys pulling for each other.”

4. BEND BUT DON'T BREAK

The Brewers have suffered more than their share of excruciating last at-bat losses, including seven in extra innings. They are only 10-11 in one-run games and 2-5 in walk-off games. Yet, almost without fail, they have come back the next day, turned the page and moved on without suffering a hangover.

The Brewers did it one last time over the weekend in New York. Ahead, 3-2, in the bottom of the ninth on Saturday, they lost when Yankees rookie Clint Frazier blasted a three-run homer off closer Corey Knebel. But they came right back on Sunday to win a tense 5-3 battle, with Knebel striking out the last three hitters to seal the victory.

“When we come to the ballpark, we don’t think about what happened yesterday, whether we win or lose,” utility player Hernán Pérez said. “We just think about today’s game, and we go out and battle and try to win. We play hard every day.”

5. THE EARLY BIRDS

If baseball were a one-inning game, you could print World Series tickets for the Brewers. They were an amazing offensive club in the opening inning throughout the first half, scoring 81 runs while batting .314 as a club with 34 doubles, two triples, 18 home runs and 44 walks.

That quick-strike ability had the Brewers’ starting pitchers working with leads on a regular basis, which beats the heck out of trying to play catch-up every day.

“I don’t have any great explanation for it but I know that we’ve been excellent in the first inning,” Counsell said. “It has been different guys doing it. This game is easier to play from the lead, there’s no doubt. It sets up the bullpen way better and gives the starters some breathing room and freedom and confidence. It’s important and, hopefully, we can continue it.”

6. THE PEN IS MIGHTIER

The combination of too many short starts from the rotation over the first month and the inability of closer Neftali Feliz to keep the ball in the park put the bullpen in crisis mode midway through the first half. Despite giving Feliz a $5.35 million free-agent deal to pitch the ninth inning, the Brewers eventually were forced to cut ties with him and turn the closer's job over to Knebel.

By going to eight relievers (and sometimes nine) and eventually getting longer outings from some starters, the relief corps was able to catch its breath and become effective again. But heavy usage of late-inning relievers Carlos Torres, Jacob Barnes and Corey Knebel remains something to monitor over the second half. Knebel and Torres are part of a group tied for third in the NL with 43 appearances apiece, and Barnes is right behind them with 42.

7. COMING OUT PARTY

Orlando Arcia was ranked as the Brewers’ No. 1 prospect when he was called up with two months remaining in the 2016 season and installed as the starting shortstop. But Arcia never got comfortable at the plate and batted only .219 with a .273 on-base percentage in 55 games.

When Arcia continued to struggle at the plate at the outset of this season – he was batting .208 with a .261 OBP on May 17 – there was reason to wonder if he’d hit enough to make an impact in the majors. Then, suddenly, he took off and began to blossom and fulfill his potential. Over the final 48 games of the half, he batted .337, raising his average to .283.

Arcia’s flair for playing defense and running the bases also has been accentuated, and now everyone sees what all of the fuss was about. And he doesn't turn 23 until next month. 

8. CATCH AS CATCH CAN

When the Brewers traded catcher Jonathan Lucroy on Aug. 1 of last season and backup Martin Maldonado over the winter, there was reason to wonder if the position would become a problem area. But Manny Piña and Jett Bandy won jobs with banner springs and both broke out with big offensive showings over the first month.

When Bandy went into a deep slump and also had issues throwing out runners, the Brewers made the move to claim Vogt. Now, with Bandy and Andrew Susac doing the catching at Class AAA Colorado Springs, the Brewers might have the best depth at the position they’ve ever had.

“Jonathan Lucroy was a great player for us but our catching has been an area of strength,” principal owner Mark Attanasio said. “When (GM) David (Stearns) and his staff had the opportunity to go after Stephen Vogt, it only made us stronger at that position.”

9. THE POWER COMPANY

Simply put, the Brewers are at their best when they hit home runs. Only the Houston Astros (148) hit more than the Brewers among the 30 big-league clubs in the first half. They went 42-29 when hitting at least one home run and 8-12 when they didn’t go deep.

The Brewers already have six players in double figures in home runs, and backup first baseman Jesus Aguilar -- a huge success story in the first half -- needs just one more to join them (and two more for Villar and Arcia). With those home runs come a lot of swings and misses. The Brewers are tied with Tampa Bay for the most strikeouts in the majors (874), and Keon Broxton leads the NL with 117.

“That’s who we are,” Counsell said. “We score a lot of runs on homers. That’s OK with me. How you do it doesn’t matter. And with home runs, you usually have strikeouts. Those two go together.”

10. THE STARTING LINE

As noted earlier, the starting pitchers were having issues going deep into games in the early going. And No. 1 starter Junior Guerra was lost on opening day for six weeks with a calf strain, and is back on the DL now with a bruised shin. Disappointing Wily Peralta also pitched his way into the bullpen, and then the minors.

Despite those issues, the rotation eventually stabilized. It did hurt when Chase Anderson, putting together his best season (6-2, 2.89 in 16 starts), was lost for 6-8 weeks in late June with an oblique strain. But Jimmy Nelson (8-4, 3.30) also is putting together his best season, and Zach Davies has used robust run support (six runs per game) to keep winning (10-4) while finally harnessing his command more consistently in recent weeks.

Veteran Matt Garza (4-4, 3.98) has held his own, and soft-tossing lefty Brent Suter turned in a couple of solid starts in Anderson’s absence. It remains to be seen if the Brewers go after an established starter before the July 31 trade deadline to bolster their postseason chances but what once was an area of concern became an asset (4.07 ERA, fifth in the NL).