Team Venezuela’s championship culture could help Brewers in October

This story was excerpted from the Brewers Beat newsletter. This edition was written by Zach Sweet. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

MILWAUKEE -- When Antonio Senzatela learned the Rockies had traded him to the Brewers, one thought immediately came to mind.

“Oh, I’m going to a winning team,” Senzatela told beloved Brewers coach Nestor Corredor.

Senzatela would know one when he sees one.

Before joining a Milwaukee club that owns MLB’s best record at 77-48, Senzatela experienced a different kind of championship run alongside several familiar faces. He, Corredor, Jackson Chourio, William Contreras and Ángel Zerpa were all part of the Venezuelan team that captured the 2026 World Baseball Classic title in March.

Now, as the Brewers pursue the first World Series championship in franchise history, they have a collection of Venezuelan players who understand what it takes to thrive in a tournament filled with heightened emotion, packed ballparks and win-or-go-home pressure.

“Obviously, winning is fun,” said Corredor, Milwaukee’s Major League field coordinator. “Winning is contagious.”

The Brewers acquired Senzatela at the Trade Deadline to strengthen their bullpen and provide another option in meaningful innings. But his arrival also added another champion to a Venezuelan contingent that has already played together -- and won together -- on one of baseball’s biggest stages.

Venezuela’s path to its first WBC title included three consecutive elimination victories over Japan, Italy and the United States. According to Corredor, the team survived those challenges by combining unshakable confidence with a willingness to leave individual egos behind.

“Our mentality was like, ‘Nobody’s better than us,’ but the egos were on the side,” Corredor said. “The priority was the team: Play for the next guy, play as a group, play for the next hitter, play for the next pitcher.

“When you play as a group and you’re pushing for the same goal, that’s way easier to win games.”

That formula should sound familiar in Milwaukee.

The Brewers have built the best record in baseball without relying upon one player to carry them. Different contributors have stepped forward throughout the season, while players across the roster have accepted changing responsibilities in pursuit of a shared objective.

Chourio and Contreras have been central to that culture, and their experience in high-pressure games extends beyond the WBC.

Contreras helped the Braves win the World Series during his rookie season in 2021 and has reached the postseason every year since. That includes the past two seasons with Milwaukee, giving him experience on both sides of October: The fulfillment of finishing a championship run and the disappointment of falling short.

Chourio has helped lead the Brewers into the playoffs during each of his first two Major League seasons. He has also demonstrated that the postseason stage does not overwhelm him; he has hit four playoff home runs over the past two years. Contreras has added two postseason homers during that span.

Together, they give Milwaukee two everyday players who have experienced MLB’s postseason and then helped Venezuela navigate the pressure of an international championship tournament.

Zerpa was one of Venezuela’s most effective relievers, delivering 5 1/3 scoreless innings across six appearances and earning the victory in the semifinal. Tommy John surgery ended his debut season with Milwaukee in May, but he remains part of the Venezuelan connection within the organization.

Senzatela has now restored the Brewers’ active group of Venezuelan champions.

The 31-year-old only pitched one inning during the WBC, but he experienced Venezuela’s entire run and the team-first approach behind it. He also has previous MLB postseason experience, having allowed two runs across five innings for Colorado in Game 1 of the 2018 National League Division Series -- against Milwaukee.

When the Brewers explored acquiring Senzatela, Corredor offered an immediate endorsement. Chourio also believed his former Venezuelan teammate would fit comfortably inside Milwaukee’s clubhouse.

“He’s a tremendous person,” Chourio said. “I knew he was going to be able to come in and be a good fit for this group, both pitching and just in the clubhouse.”

Senzatela’s early results with Milwaukee have been uneven, but his velocity has increased across his arsenal since leaving Colorado. The Brewers believe he can help in leverage situations as they move closer to October.

His familiarity with the clubhouse should only ease the transition.

“The winning mentality will take over,” Corredor said.

A WBC title cannot guarantee the Brewers a World Series championship. But as Milwaukee prepares for another opportunity in October, the Venezuelan members of its clubhouse can carry forward a formula that has already worked for them: Leave the egos behind, play for the next guy and believe nobody is better.