Brewers, Dodgers, Rays, Guardians: Breaking Down MLB's Final Four

There's still a lot to watch out for, despite the fact that the 2026 MLB season is winding down.

Oct 11, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (32) reacts to a call for a balk during the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game one of the NLCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The final four teams have emerged in the 2026 Major League Baseball season.

In the National League, the final two teams alive are the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers. On Sunday, the two kicked off the National League Championship Series with the Brewers coming out on top, 2-1. In the American League, the final two teams left are the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cleveland Guardians. The Rays and Guardians will kick off the American League Championship Series on Monday night with the first pitch scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.

It's been a fun season and now we know that the 2026 World Series champion will be one of these four teams. It's not a shock that the Dodgers are where they are. They are the two-time reigning World Series champions for a reason. The Brewers dominated throughout the regular season and led the league in wins for the second straight year. Last year, the Brewers made it to the NLCS as well. So, actually, neither of these two teams is a big shock. Milwaukee was swept in the 2025 NLCS and already has earned more wins this year in the 2026 NLCS.

The 2026 Season Is Winding Down

Oct 11, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) singles against the Milwaukee Brewers during the sixth inning in game one of the NLCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In the American League, who saw either of these two teams making it this far before the 2026 season? Last year, the Rays went 77-85 and finished in fourth place in the American League East. In 2026, they went 98-64 and led the American League in wins. A shocking turnaround in just a year, to say the least. The Guardians, on the other hand, seemingly are solid every year, but are never really able to get over the hump.

With the World Series quickly approaching, there are only four potential matchups: Dodgers vs. Rays, Dodgers vs. Guardians, Brewers vs. Rays and Brewers vs. Guardians. When the offseason kicks off, the topic that is going to dominate the spot is the ongoing labor negotiations and a potential lockout. The Dodgers' free-spending ways are a major reason why. Imagine if just before a potential lockout we saw a matchup between the low-spending Brewers and Rays in the World Series? That certainly would add some intrigue to the negotiations.

It's the best time of the year for baseball and also with the playoffs starting to wind down, unfortunately it means that the season is almost over as well. Beforehand, we'll at least have a few more fun matchups to follow.