Craig Counsell’s Cubs arrive as World Series contenders, but those pesky Brewers won’t go away

A buzz once again surrounds the Chicago Cubs, who have spent 100-plus days in first place this season, recharging the electric atmosphere at Wrigley Field. In climbing to 18 games above .500 at the All-Star break, the Cubs won series at Dodger Stadium and Yankee Stadium while posting winning records against each of the four other teams in their division. It’s a given that Jed Hoyer’s front office will be extremely motivated buyers at the July 31 trade deadline.

Yet for all that has gone right so far — Pete Crow-Armstrong blossoming into a superstar, Kyle Tucker pushing to be the offseason’s No. 1 free agent, the Cubs getting unexpected contributions from so many pitchers — the Milwaukee Brewers are still breathing down their necks.

In recent years, it doesn’t seem to matter who leaves Milwaukee (or commutes from Wisconsin). Besides Cubs manager Craig Counsell and New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns going to bigger markets, the exodus of All-Star talent includes Willy Adames, Devin Williams, Corbin Burnes and Josh Hader. Even with minimal spending on free agents, the Brewers remain highly competitive.

“Our job is just to keep winning, man,” Counsell said. “It’s as simple as that. There is so much season left. Just keep winning. Stack up wins. We’re going to be in a good position.”

The Cubs hold a one-game lead over the Brewers, and those National League Central rivals are scheduled to play each other eight times between July 28 and Aug. 21. Counsell will inevitably get booed in Milwaukee. Third baseman Eugenio Suárez appears to be a solid trade target for either club if the Arizona Diamondbacks ultimately decide to sell at the deadline. In any event, the pesky Brewers should push the Cubs to improve and use their immense resources to boost their World Series odds.

If not for Milwaukee’s midseason surge — the Brewers are 31-12 since the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, which translates into a ridiculous .720 winning percentage — the Cubs could get a little too comfortable.

Working in concert with the front office, Counsell often plays the role of devil’s advocate. “That’s his personality,” said Hoyer, the club’s president of baseball operations, “in a good way.”

Around the trade deadline, Counsell considers himself a consultant, respecting the expertise of those who evaluate players all year but without simply toeing the company line if his own vast experience sparks different ideas.

“He’s always pushing us on different things,” Hoyer said. “He’s a significant voice. We’re constantly talking to him about what we’re doing.”

In April, Counsell approved the minor move to acquire veteran left-hander Drew Pomeranz from the Seattle Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate. Pomeranz had been a good addition for the Brewers at the 2019 trade deadline, though he had not pitched in the majors since 2021 due to injuries.

By looping in a manager who understands how a modern front office works, the Cubs could hit the ground running with Pomeranz, who struck out Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber in his first appearance. At age 36, Pomeranz has a 0.70 ERA across 25 2/3 innings as a Cub, illustrating Counsell’s feel for the roster.

As it stands, this focused group has taken on some of the qualities of those Counsell-led Milwaukee teams that frustrated the Cubs after the 2016 World Series. These Cubs push the envelope with their baserunning, play defense at an elite level and use “out-getters” for matchups to win on the margins.

“He just has the expectations of us doing the little things right,” said Cubs pitcher Colin Rea, who also played for Counsell in Milwaukee. “Come in every single day and give your best effort. That would be the same for the players on this team, too, holding each other accountable for those things when you step through those doors every single day.”

Every team in every sport talks about that kind of stuff. But the Cubs have backed it up throughout the first half of the season, working around the injuries that sidelined starting pitchers Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon and Javier Assad. By pursing his lips, squinting his eyes and being comfortable with awkward silence, Counsell can turn around an easy talking point and make sure it doesn’t become an excuse.

“We haven’t had a lot of injuries,” Counsell said. “We’ve just had injuries to the same part of the team.”

Indeed, while the starting rotation has been battered, seven position players have played between 86 and 95 games (out of a possible 96). Winning at this pace hasn’t burned out the bullpen, either. The club’s coleaders in appearances — Brad Keller and Caleb Thielbar, with 40 — are tied for 55th among all major-league pitchers in that category.

This weekend, Chicago Bears rookies will report for training camp and the NBA Summer League will end before the Cubs experience a four-game losing streak. The less glamorous parts of being a successful team involve minimizing slumps, staying prepared and preventing a full-blown spiral.

“The nature of the schedule is you’re going to get beat some days,” Counsell said. “And some guys are going to make you have some quiet days. But you don’t let it linger. You come out the next day and erase it and not let it carry over to the next day. Good teams do that.”

Not that Counsell is looking ahead, but the Cubs have the easiest remaining schedule in the majors, according to FanGraphs. While he set his priorities and followed his instincts when he signed a five-year, $40 million contract with the Cubs, Counsell hasn’t made it about himself, refocusing everything around the team. With so many different ways to improve the roster — and the usual disclaimers about how this could be an underwhelming trade deadline that forces clubs to get creative — his voice will be heard.

“It’s that collective effort,” Counsell said. “That’s what you need to play consistent, winning baseball. You need contributions from (all over). You need to have a different answer every day. In baseball, it can’t just be one guy. It just won’t work.”

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