Yelich, Woodruff relish standing as last ones left from 2018 division champs

PITTSBURGH -- The group photo shrinks with each passing year. On Tuesday night at PNC Park, as the Brewers popped champagne and for the latest time during the longest stretch of regular season success in franchise history, it was a party of three.

Mark Attanasio, Christian Yelich and Brandon Woodruff -- the owner, the former MVP and the patriarch of the pitching staff -- posed on the mound. There are so many other important contributors to the Brewers’ streak of celebrations like this since 2018, from bench coach turned manager Pat Murphy, to president of baseball operations Matt Arnold and his longtime lieutenants, to the other front office officials and clubhouse staff who have been with the Brewers for the long haul.

But as this run grows longer, the group of men and women who have experienced it from the start gets smaller and smaller. Last year, Freddy Peralta was in that photo. He was traded to the Mets in January.

“Each team is different, right?” Yelich said. “I think these guys are hungry. We play together as a team. We really enjoy being a team and we’re really talented. I think that gets overlooked sometimes -- these guys are good players and we’re a good team. Hopefully finish this thing off strong and go into October on a high note.”

Yelich, Woodruff and Attanasio all know that the best record in the regular season doesn’t guarantee anything in October. Woodruff might know best that nothing is guaranteed in this game, as he attempts a long-shot comeback from the latest shoulder setback that derailed his 2026 regular season.

The Brewers’ latest injury report on Tuesday said Woodruff is throwing at 105 feet and will be evaluated at the end of this month to see whether he’s ready to try throwing off the mound. It’s a Hail Mary, but it beats the prognosis from earlier this season, when Woodruff was scheduled for season-ending surgery.

How is he approaching the next couple of weeks?

“That’s a question I knew I would have to answer at some point,” Woodruff said. “I’m still doing my daily throwing and progression, and seeing where that’s going to put me at. I don’t really know what the future holds, but I’m doing good right now.

“I’m daydreaming about getting the last out of the World Series. I don’t know if that will happen, but I’m going to do everything I can to put myself in a position to do it.”

Said Yelich: “You can sign me up for that. I’ll take that.”

Add it to the reasons that the next couple of weeks still matter to the Brewers, even though the division is locked up.

“We’re still playing for something,” Yelich said. “We still want to get a bye. We still want to hold our position. These games still matter and we still want to play the games hard and play them out all the way into the postseason and not let up. We’re celebrating tonight. It’s an incredible accomplishment.”