Dodgers vs. Brewers NLCS Matchup Is a Historic Rarity for 100-Win Teams

This is only the second time that two 100-win teams will meet in National League Championship Series history.

Aug 16, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (32) during pregame against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jon Endow-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The 2026 National League Championship Series is set. The 103-win Milwaukee Brewers will face the 100-win Los Angeles Dodgers, with a World Series berth on the line.

Per ESPN Insights, this is only the second NLCS matchup between two teams that won 100 games in the regular season. The last time was in 1976, when the Cincinnati Reds defeated the Philadelphia Phillies.

A clash of 100-win teams for a spot in the World Series ⚔️

Dodgers vs. Brewers is the second NLCS in history between 100-win teams (1976: Reds def. Phillies) pic.twitter.com/oyFMmeWxI3

— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) October 8, 2026

That's a crazy fact. The league championship series began in 1969, so that means it's only happened twice in the 58 years the NLCS has existed. With two teams with 100+ wins entering the series, there's no question of whether the Dodgers or Brewers will earn a World Series trip.

The Brewers aim for a stronger showing in the NLCS in their rematch against the Dodgers. Last year, Los Angeles completed a dominant four-game sweep en route to their second consecutive World Series championship.

The underlying narrative is the big vs. small market club. Citing figures on Roster Resource, the Dodgers have a Competitive Balance Tax payroll of $421 million compared to the Brewers' $153 million. With an expiring Collective Bargaining Agreement and talks of a potential lockout in the offseason, there will be strong opinions on how much spending affects competitiveness.

Jacob Misiorowski-Tarik Skubal Starting Pitcher Matchup Highlights NLCS

Oct 3, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) throws during the sixth inning of game one of the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

What should make this series more compelling is that both teams should be well-rested going in. Neither the Brewers nor the Dodgers were overextended in their NLDS victories, with both teams wrapping it up in four games. That means they can set their rotation for the NLCS, leading to the best possible starting pitcher matchups.

The most anticipated pitching matchup of the entire postseason will happen in Game 1. Jacob Misiorowski, the National League Cy Young Award frontrunner, will face two-time American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. The two best pitchers in MLB will face off with early control of the series on the line.

The Misiorowski vs. Skubal matchup will be the key determining factor, especially for the Brewers. The Dodgers have the rotation edge with their No. 2-4 starters. So Milwaukee has more urgency to win this specific pitching matchup.

Here are the projected starting pitcher matchups for the series. This is mostly based on how the two teams deployed their rotation in the division series.

• Game 1: LHP Tarik Skubal vs. RHP Jacob Misiorowski
• Game 2: RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto vs. RHP Logan Henderson
• Game 3: LHP Blake Snell vs. RHP Dustin May
• Game 4: RHP Tyler Glasnow vs. LHP Robert Gasser

The pattern will repeat if the series plays out for Games 5-7. The one change is Yamamoto and Snell switch spots, due to the former's better performance on the road.