Why no one should sleep on first-place Brewers come October

With a comfortable lead in the National League Central , the Milwaukee Brewers are positioned to win the division for the third time in four seasons.

As one of the hottest teams in Major League Baseball, Milwaukee could also be an under-the-radar threat to win the NL pennant.

Here's why no one should sleep on the Brewers, who open a three-game series at home Friday against Cincinnati:

1. Strong bats throughout lineup

The Brewers unleashed a blistering offensive performance in their recent three-game sweep over Atlanta, scoring 34 runs. From top to bottom, the lineup delivered stellar hitting, tallying 52 hits (16 extra bases), 19 walks and six stolen bases. The series finale — a 20-hit, six-home run barrage in a 16-7 victory — served as the exclamation point.

Milwaukee's hitters have shined all season and sport a . 259 team batting average heading into Friday's game, the second-highest in the National League. The Brewers lead the majors with a .335 on-base percentage.

All-Star catcher William Contreras is Milwaukee's top performer offensively, leading qualified NL catchers in batting average (.285), on-base-percentage (.358), slugging percentage (.450) and RBI (66).

Batting in the No. 4 spot nearly every game, shortstop Willy Adames has put together one of the best seasons in his seven-year big-league career.

With three homers in the recent series against the Braves, Adames reached the 20-home run milestone for the fourth consecutive year and fifth time overall. He also leads all NL shortstops with 74 RBI.

2. Deep bullpen

Milwaukee's strong, consistent bullpen is a huge reason why the Brewers have reached the postseason in five of the past six seasons. This season's bullpen — which has the third-lowest ERA (3.31) in the majors — is no different.

Three relievers — rookie Bryan Hudson (1.60 over 50 2/3 innings), rookie Jared Koenig (2.06 over 43 2/3 innings) and second-year pitcher Trevor McGill (2.41 over 33 2/3 innings) — have ERAs well below 3.00.

The pen received a huge boost with the return of two-time NL Reliever of the Year winner Devin Williams, who has been out all season after accumulating two stress fractures in his back during spring training.

3. Speed, speed, speed

Under new manager Pat Murphy, the Brewers have embraced a more aggressive style, especially on the basepaths. After stealing 129 bases last season, Milwaukee already has 147, the third-best total in the big leagues.

Second baseman Brice Turang leads the charge, ranking second in the majors with 33 steals. He's joined by five other Brewers in double digits: OF Christian Yelich (21), OF Blake Perkins (16), OF Jackson Chourio (15), OF Sal Frelick (15) and SS Adames (12).

4. Young stars

The head of the pack, Chourio, continues to bolster his resume for Rookie of the Year.

Since All-Star starter Yelich went down with a possible season-ending back injury on July 23, Chourio has seamlessly filled the void, slashing an impressive .407/.439/.667 with four home runs and 10 RBI. Since June, he has batted .335/.380/.541 with nine home runs and 34 RBI.

Chourio, 20, is the youngest player in Milwaukee's history to have a two-HR game since Hall of Famer Hank Aaron.

Another key contributor in the outfield is former first-round draft pick Garrett Mitchell. Coming off a fractured left hand, he has performed well in 27 games since returning from injury, batting .289 with two home runs, seven RBI and 11 walks.

Third baseman Joey Ortiz, acquired in the Corbin Burnes trade with Baltimore in the offseason, is another intriguing rookie. Following a rough July, he found his old rhythm against Atlanta, going 7-for-14 with two doubles and four RBI.

Ortiz has played stellar defense at the hot corner, committing only six errors in 694.1 innings.

Per FanDuel , the Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies are the NL favorites to advance to the World Series, but Milwaukee can't be ignored.