With about 40 games left in the regular season, the Milwaukee Brewers boast the best record in Major League Baseball (74-44), 2.5 games ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays and three games ahead of the Atlanta Braves. They are on pace to win the NL Central for the fourth year in a row, all while improving their win-loss record each year.
Yet, despite the impeccable record, a Cy Young frontrunner and high-end baserunning, several fans and experts don't seem to be taking the Brewers seriously as World Series contenders. Per BetMGM, the Brewers do have the third-best odds of winning the 2026 World Series at +1000, but that's a far cry from the favorite Los Angeles Dodgers (+155).
Sure, the Dodgers have won two straight World Series, made the biggest acquisition of this year's trade deadline, and boast a starting rotation that could go toe-to-toe with the Avengers, but when the playoffs come around, anything can happen right?
The Brewers have improved each of the last four years, getting further in the playoffs at the same time. Last year, they reached the NLCS for the first time since 2018, and although they were swept by the Dodgers, it was a step in the right direction. If their trajectory over the last few years keeps up, they could very well find themselves in the Fall Classic this time.
So, why are they being overlooked? Is it because they have to stare down the mighty barrel of the Dodgers? Or is there something else that fans are overlooking?
Are the Los Angeles Dodgers too powerful to stop?
Last year, the Dodgers entered the postseason as the National League's No. 3 seed. Despite winning the previous World Series, many fans thought the Dodgers might not have had what it takes to repeat as champions. Obviously, they did.
It took them just four games to dispatch of the Brewers in the NLCS, and seven games to take care of the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series.
This year, the team supposedly got even better. The Dodgers acquired the biggest name during free agency in outfielder Kyle Tucker and added strong relief options in Kirby Yates and closer Edwin Diaz despite spending a ton of money just one year prior on closer Tanner Scott, who did not pan out.
In all fairness, Kyle Tucker hasn't panned out either. The $60 million a year man has been underwhelming in 2026, boasting just a .727 OPS. Does that really matter though? The Dodgers have the funds and the talent to make even massive flops look irrelevant. Look no further than last year, when the team acquired Scott to be their closer and did not perform well. Did the Dodgers have to recover from a poor signing? No. They just spent a bunch more money on Diaz the next year.
Tucker is different though. He's an everyday player, taking away reps from other potential stars. In the playoffs, an outfielder is more important than a late-inning arm that can only go once every two or three days.
Furthermore, Tucker hasn't been that great in the postseason recently. Since 2023, Tucker has gone just 13-for-67 (.194) with only four extra-base hits across 21 postseason games. He still does well to get on base, drawing nearly as many walks as he has strikeouts in that span, his bat hasn't been as threatening when October rolls around, and with how poorly he's playing this year, perhaps that massive offseason acquisition will finally come back to haunt the Dodgers.
The team as a whole also has clearly taken a step back on offense. When the Dodgers won the World Series in 2020, they led all of MLB in runs scored. They did the same in 2024, and were second in 2025. This year, they haven't fallen so far behind, ranking fourth (591) with the Brewers right behind them at fifth (585), but it's evidence that while the Brewers have been climbing these last few years, the Dodgers have been falling; a slow fall, but a fall nonetheless. And with how highly touted the Dodgers' pitching staff is, it's easy to look over the fact that the Dodgers rank seventh in MLB in ERA (3.72) while the Brewers rank second (3.47).
How have the Brewers performed against other strong teams?
If the MLB playoffs began today, here are the six teams that would represent the National League:
- Milwaukee Brewers
- Atlanta Braves
- Los Angeles Dodgers
- Chicago Cubs
- Philadelphia Phillies
- Arizona Diamondbacks
Other teams such as the San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins are in the hunt as well. This season, when facing those eight other teams, the Brewers boast a 27-13 record. They've won more than two-thirds of their games against the best teams in the National League.
For perspective, the Dodgers have a 24-23 record against those same teams (subbing the Dodgers themselves for the Brewers of course). The Braves own a 26-16 record. Good, but not as grand as the Brewers.
In all fairness, both the Dodgers and Braves own 2-1 records against Milwaukee this year, but that's just one series. Anything can happen in three games. We can't assume either team would have the advantage in a seven-game series.
The Cubs are the only team in the National League with a better or similar record than the Brewers against those teams competing for spots in the playoffs (28-15), but the Cubs have gone 2-4 against Milwaukee this year, and have recorded just a .163 batting average and .544 OPS in those games.
How important is pitching in the postseason?
As mentioned earlier, the Brewers currently boast the second-best team ERA in baseball and the best in the National League (3.47). But does that matter in the playoffs?
In 2025, the Dodgers ranked 16th in MLB in team ERA. In 2024, they ranked 13th. In 2023, the Texas Rangers ranked 18th.
In recent years, team pitching hasn't mattered as much as you might think come the postseason. While in 2022, the Houston Astros ranked second in team ERA before winning it all, recent years have favored offensive powerhouses.
That said, while team pitching hasn't mattered as much, single dominant pitching performances have reigned supreme. Just last year, we saw Yoshinobu Yamamoto drag the Dodgers to a World Series title. Yamamoto's Herculean performance was the biggest reason the Dodgers won it all. A single, untouchable arm can make all the difference in a seven-game series, and guess which team has the best pitcher in baseball right now?
Is Jacob Misiorowski built for the postseason?
Jacob Misiorowski has undoubtedly been the best arm in baseball this year, and it stands to reason that should the going get tough in the playoffs, the Brewers would turn to their 24-year-old arm.
The question is whether or not Misiorowksi could handle such a massive workload in such a short span. After all, Yamamoto is currently averaging more than 6.2 innings of work per start , while Misiorowski is averaging barely six.
That might not seem like a huge difference, but it is.
This season, Misiorowski has yet to make an appearance on fewer than four days of rest. In the postseason, it's going to be shorter. Furthermore, he's only pitched more than 100 pitches in a game three times. He also only goes into the seventh inning in just 31.8% of his games.
On the bright side, five of the seven games in which he pitched into the seventh came in a six-game stretch between May 13 and June 12 this year. He gave up just one earned run in that stretch, never had more than five days rest, and threw more than 90 pitches in four of those games. Despite his high velocity, that stretch shows potential for a workhorse load in the playoffs, and that might be exactly what they need.
Brewers' upcoming schedule
Of course, there are still more than 40 games left in the regular season, and one cold stretch could sour any momentum the Brewers have built thus far. Look no further than what is currently happening to the Dodgers.
On Monday, Aug. 10, the Brewers embark on a 12-game stretch during which they will face the Padres, Dodgers and Braves. These series could be a good measuring stick to see just how the Brewers can handle high-caliber opponents day-in, day-out. This will be just the second series against both the Dodgers and Braves for Milwaukee this year.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: The Brewers are being overlooked despite owning MLB's best record
