What It'll Take for Brewers to Win NL Central, Beat Cubs

The Milwaukee Brewers are in a very good position right now with a few weeks to go.

Aug 21, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (32) reacts after pitching six scoreless innings against the Atlanta Braves at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When the 2026 Major League Baseball season comes to an end, there's a very good chance that the Milwaukee Brewers will be the National League Central champions for the fourth straight year.

There hasn't been another National League Central champion since 2022 when the St. Louis Cardinals won the division. The year before, the Brewers won it in 2021. So, Milwaukee has won four of the last five division titles with a chance to win another this season.

Right now, the Brewers have an 81-51 record and a 5 1/2-game lead over the second-place Chicago Cubs. The Brewers' magic number to win the division has been consistently dropping and right now it's down to 24 with 30 games left to be played for Milwaukee. The term "magic number" is thrown around a lot at this time of the year. The playoff race is heating up with just a few weeks to go in the regular season and the "magic number" is a representative of how close a team is to actually clinching a postseason spot. If you're wondering what it is, the "magic number" is a combination of the number of "wins needed by that team and losses by its closest competitor."

The Brewers Are Sitting Pretty

Aug 25, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Kyle Harrison (52) pitches in the first inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If you're a Brewers fan hoping that the club will keep the NL Central streak going, you should be excited. Again, the Brewers have a 5 1/2-game lead over Chicago. The biggest variable here is the fact that the Brewers and Cubs have seven games left against one another. But the odds are in Milwaukee's favor.

With 30 games left, it would take a lot for Milwaukee to blow the lead. If Milwaukee simply went .500 the rest of the way, it would finish the season with a 96-66 record. The Cubs have played 133 games so far and are 76-57. If the Brewers just went .500 the rest of the way, Chicago would have to go 20-9, at least to win the division, only if they end up taking the tiebreaker and winning the season series vs. Milwaukee. Right now, the Brewers have the lead on that front, but with seven games left between these two rivals, things could change.

Simply put, the odds are in Milwaukee's favor. Right now, the magic number is down to 24 for Milwaukee. All they have to do is keep doing what they have been doing and they will be just fine.