It was nothing but a formality at this point, but on Tuesday, the Milwaukee Brewers officially won the NL Central division title with a 5-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on the road. With this latest victory, the Brewers improved to 94-57 on the season, and with the Chicago Cubs maxing out at 94 wins this season (they are at 84-68 after their loss to the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday), Milwaukee sealed the division crown by virtue of winning the season series over Chicago.

This is nothing short of a big feat for the Brewers, a franchise that's made achieving success look routine. Their budgetary shortcomings have been well-documented. They do have a payroll total of around $145 million for this season, but that budget pales in comparison to the giants of the game that they're rubbing elbows with.

In fact, at 94-57 on the season, the Brewers own the best record in MLB, which is not a small feat whatsoever in a sport dominated by the Los Angeles Dodgers and their deep pockets. For reference, the Dodgers are footing a $378 million payroll this year, which is around 2.6 times the bill the Brewers have to foot.

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The Brewers have now won at least 90 games in four out of the past five seasons, winning the NL Central title in every year during that span except in 2022, when they heartbreakingly missed the postseason despite winning 86 games.

Milwaukee has made it their standard operating procedure to trade away some of their key players who are headed for free agency, and it is admirable how the organization has managed to keep the train moving by developing youngsters to take their place, who they then sign to team-friendly contract extensions.

The Brewers have become one of the gold standard organizations in MLB, as they have maintained their place as one of the biggest powerhouses in the big leagues even amid the limitations they face on a yearly basis. All that's left for them is to finally achieve some success in the postseason, as they are yet to break through and make it to the World Series despite being a perennial contender.