A small market team that is willing to spend money.
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A promising corps of players that are producing far beyond expectations.
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A pitching staff that is producing quality start after quality start.
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A weak National League Central Division.
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The Milwaukee Brewers, the best team in baseball?!

That’s right everyone, the Milwaukee Brewers have the best record in baseball, and are showing no signs of slowing down. After only 37 games, the Brew Crew holds a commanding seven-game lead over Chicago and Houston and a nine-game lead over defending champion St. Louis. With a plethora of young stars in the making and the steady production of veterans, the Brewers may be this year’s version of the Detroit Tigers of 2006. From top to bottom this team is playing well and with weak competition within the struggling NL Central, the Brew Crew could easily put this division away before the All-Star break.

The Brewers have not performed well in only one aspect of the game; they have done nearly everything correctly to lead them to 25 wins thus far into the season. With contributions from nearly everybody, it’s difficult to pin the success of the team on any one man, so I’ll pin it on three.

J.J. Hardy

Through two tough seasons with the Brewers, the young shortstop had compiled a .245 average and had shown moderate power for a middle infielder, hitting 14 homeruns in his first 159 games. However, since the beginning of 2007, Hardy has been hitting lights out and has shown that he can be a middle-of-the-lineup presence for the upstart Brewers. He is tied for the NL lead in home runs with 11 and his .325 average ranks him eighth in the senior circuit. If Hardy can stay healthy and continue to put the ball in play, good things will continue to happen and the Brewers will reap the benefits.

Prince Fielder

The son of Cecil has done nothing but amaze since his call-up in 2005. Showing the ability to hit for average as well as power, the young first baseman is tied with Hardy for the lead in homeruns in the National League. However, it’s not just the long-ball that keeps this kid going. He has shown gap-to-gap power and his .292 average is third on the team behind Hardy and Johnny Estrada. Look for Fielder to continue his assault on baseballs across the country and for him to continue to power Milwaukee towards the playoffs.

Claudio Vargas

It is difficult to argue that Jeff Suppan has gotten plenty of attention for his uncharacteristically great start, and Ben Sheets is still the staff ace, despite an ERA higher than 4.00, but the fourth man in this rotation is who is leading the way. Claudio Vargas has never had a season like this before. With a career ERA over 4.75, who could have predicted that Vargas would lead the staff with 37 strikeouts in just 34 innings, or that his 2.65 ERA would have him leading the team as well? Vargas has been dominant at times, such as his nine-strikeout effort against Florida and his 11-strikeout effort against Pittsburgh. He has been one of the main components for the Brewers’ surge and if he continues to pitch the way he has been, he is a near lock to make the All-Star team with teammates Fielder and Hardy.