A Cardinals Fan's Guide to the NLCS: Who Should You Root For?

For the second straight October, the Cardinals are watching the Brewers compete in the NLCS.

Oct 6, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Tommy Edman (25) warms up prior to a game against the Atlanta Braves in game three of the NLDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The St. Louis Cardinals may not have a dog in the fight this postseason, but several former Cardinals are still around as the playoffs continue. The National League Championship Series is set after both the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers won their respective NLDS matchups on Wednesday night.

This is the same NLCS matchup from last season, with the Brewers having home field advantage to start. But if you're a Cardinals fan, who should you root for? Granted, it's tough for people in St. Louis to pick a side. On one hand, their division rivals are still in the hunt, but on the other, the Dodgers are going for their third straight title.

Here is a Cardinals fan's guide to the NLCS and a case to root for both teams as the series gets underway.

Why root for the Dodgers?

For starters, it may be hard for some fans to want to cheer for a division rival, especially one that beat the Cardinals 11 of 13 times this year. After all, the Dodgers have a former Cardinals fan favorite on their side in Tommy Edman.

Edman was the NLCS MVP in 2024 after St. Louis shipped him to the Dodgers in the three-way Erick Fedde deal, one that didn't exactly work out in the Cardinals' favor. But the thing to remember about Cardinals fans is that unless a player willingly goes to the Chicago Cubs, that player will always be loved in St. Louis, and the same can be said for Edman.

He was a swiss army knife during his time as a Cardinal and could play almost anywhere on the field, not unlike Cardinals Hall of Famer and former third base coach Jose Oquendo, and he essentially embodied what it meant to be a Cardinal.

Why root for the Brewers?

Yes, the Brewers are their division rivals, but it's important to remember that an NL Central team hasn't made it to the World Series since 2016, so it might be nice to see a change of pace since the Dodgers have won back-to-back World Series titles and even beat St. Louis in the 2021 NL wild card game.

In addition, the Brewers have two former Cardinals on their pitching staff in Dustin May and JoJo Romero, who St. Louis sent to Milwaukee at the trade deadline. And although he doesn't share a connection to the Cardinals, Jacob Misiorowski is a Missouri native and has credited Cardinals legend Adam Wainwright as one of the reasons he fell in love with pitching.

Add us as a preferred source on Google