Don't expect another NLCS sweep this year. Yes, the No. 1 seed Milwaukee Brewers are once again taking on the No. 2 seed Los Angeles Dodgers in the best-of-seven series. Yes, the Brewers have home field advantage again. Yes, they had the best record in baseball for the second year in a row.
But this is a different Brewers team. Somehow, they got better after parting ways with Freddy Peralta and Caleb Durbin this offseason.
It starts with the pitching staff. Jacob Misiorowski took a leap in his second year with an outstanding 0.80 WHIP and is a virtual lock for the NL Cy Young Award. The 24-year-old flamethrower has grown into a full-fledged ace, and he won't be relegated to a bullpen role like in 2025 -- he's starting Game 1 as the MLB leader
in strikeouts and ERA. Logan Henderson also emerged as a solid No. 2 guy in the rotation with a 2.47 ERA in 18 starts this season. His 5.1% walk rate is among the best in the big leagues; that's going to be crucial against a Dodgers lineup that slugged their way to victory in the NLDS but struggled to string together hits and walks.
Then there's one of the deepest bullpens in baseball, led by Trevor Megill and Abner Uribe on the back end. Combine that with the Dodgers just as formidable pitching, and it's clear that runs will be at a premium this series. That's an area the Brewers are all too comfortable with.
These have been two of the best offenses in the big leagues this season; they're both elite when it comes to getting on base. But from there, their successes have come in completely opposite ways. Dodgers had the second-most home runs; the Brewers had the second fewest. That's not to say they don't have pop; Jackson Chourio and Jake Bauers are true long ball threats. But where Milwaukee excels is at putting the ball in play, stealing bases and getting guys over.
This should be a much closer series than it was last October, but one thing this matchup isn't is David vs. Goliath, despite what some talking heads might try to have you believe.
"They have the best record in baseball," Dodgers manager Roberts told reporters on Friday. "They have that for a reason, and they’ve got home-field advantage. So we got to play our best baseball. I mean, they’re certainly not afraid of us. They’ve got the guy who’s going to win the Cy Young in the National League, starting Game 1.
"We got our work cut out."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why these Brewers are bigger threat to Dodgers than last year's NLCS team
