1998 Milwaukee Brewers season


The Milwaukee Brewers' 1998 season was the first season for the franchise as a member of the National League. The Brewers finished in fifth in the NL Central, 28 games behind the Houston Astros, with a record of 74 wins and 88 losses. Before the 1998 regular season began, two new teams—the Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Devil Rays—were added by Major League Baseball. This resulted in the American League and National League having fifteen teams. However, in order for MLB officials to continue primarily intraleague play, both leagues would need to carry a number of teams that was divisible by two, so the decision was made to move one club from the AL Central to the NL Central.
This realignment was widely considered to have great financial benefit to the club moving. However, to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, Commissioner Bud Selig decided another team should have the first chance to switch leagues. The choice was offered to the Kansas City Royals, who ultimately decided to stay in the American League. The choice then fell to the Brewers, who, on November 6, 1997, elected to move to the National League. Had the Brewers elected not to move to the National League, the Minnesota Twins would have been offered the opportunity to switch leagues.
Also, Milwaukee was not totally unfamiliar with the National League, having been the home of the NL Braves for 13 seasons.

Offseason

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Notable transactions

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos = position; G = Games played; AB = At Bats; R = Runs; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting Average; HR = Home Runs; RBI = Runs Batted In; SB = Stolen Bases
PosPlayerGABRHAvg.HRRBISB
CMike Matheny1083202476.2386271
1BJohn Jaha732162945.2087381
2BFernando Viña
3BJeff Cirillo
SSJosé Valentín
LFGeoff Jenkins842623360.2299281
CFMarquis Grissom
RFJeromy Burnitz

Other batters

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Other pitchers

Relief pitchers

Farm system