Previewing the World Series: Who Should the Brewers Want to Face?

The Milwaukee Brewers have had a historic season, and after winning a league-best 103 regular-season games, they will have home-field advantage when the World Series begins next week.

The Brewers are getting a full week's rest after thrashing the Los Angeles Dodgers in a clean sweep of the NLCS, but it's still unclear who they will face next. After making it this far in the postseason, you won't face any pushover opponents, but there's still a case to be made for why Milwaukee should want to face the Cleveland Guardians or the Tampa Bay Rays.

Milwaukee has been playing near-perfect this postseason, winning seven of its last eight games, but Cleveland and Tampa Bay got hot at the perfect time. During the regular season, Milwaukee went 2-1 against both teams. The Brewers' bullpen is their biggest advantage over either squad, but in the end, they should be rooting for the Guardians to reach the World Series.

Cleveland should be Milwaukee's preferred opponent

Oct 15, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy celebrates after winning the NLCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Of all playoff teams, the Guardians had the lowest OPS (.696) and fewest runs (678) during the regular season. That's just the tip of the iceberg. Despite Cleveland hitting well in the postseason right now, Tampa Bay has been the far more complete offense over the last six months. It's not necessarily that the Guardians' offense is performing great; it's just been better than the Rays' offense.

On the flip side, the Brewers' offense is centered on applying pressure and winning with a small-ball approach. Milwaukee ranked among the top five in doubles, runs, hits, walks, batting average and on-base percentage during the regular season, but that style may not work as well against Tampa Bay, which allowed the fewest walks in the league (409) and ranked second in defensive runs saved (87), which would likely give the Brewers a lot more trouble.

Overall, the Rays have been the better team over the course of the season, and even with the Guardians' recent success, they should be the opponent the Brewers want to go against in the World Series. Cleveland holds a 2-1 lead over Tampa Bay heading into Game 4 of the ALCS, but similar to the Guardians' ALDS performance, the Rays should not be counted out just yet.

The Brewers have a star-studded roster, headlined by superstar pitcher Jacob Misiorowski, and they just defeated the two-time reigning champions. No matter which team reaches the World Series, Milwaukee has a strong chance to win it all.

Add us as a preferred source on Google