Brewers' NLCS Win Should Give Cardinals Hope for Future

The Cardinals should be feeling good about themselves after watching the Brewers advance.

Oct 15, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher JoJo Romero (33) reacts during the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game four of the NLCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Milwaukee Brewers are headed to the World Series for the first time since 1982, when the St. Louis Cardinals beat them in seven games. Milwaukee is a small-market team that has built from within to create a sustainable contender, and their work was on full display as they swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series.

The Cardinals haven't made the postseason since 2022, but are a few steps closer after their young core came together in 2026. In fact, the Brewers sweeping the Dodgers in the NLCS should give the Cardinals a ton of hope for the future.

Brewers' NLCS win bodes well for Cardinals

Now, one might be wondering why a postseason achievement of another team bodes well for St. Louis, but when you look closer, it's not hard to see. The Brewers aren't a team that spends big in free agency like the Dodgers do. Much of their work is done by drafting and developing, and they took out one of the biggest spenders in baseball with ease.

This is exactly what the Cardinals are trying to do. They can punch above their weight in terms of spending compared to other smaller-market teams, including the Brewers. But they don't spend the way the Dodgers do.

The Brewers just proved that it's not a requirement to spend a ton of money to construct the roster in order to win. They proved that there's another way to do it, and that should give Cardinals fans a lot of hope.

The Cardinals are taking the smaller-market approach here. They're not going to be in the mix for players like Tarik Skubal this offseason. But they don't have to be.

They have already built a strong young core full of stars like Jordan Walker, Alec Burleson, JJ Wetherholt and Ivan Herrera. Other players such as Leo Bernal have also emerged, and the farm system is full of pitching.

This is historically how the Cardinals have had much of their success over the years. They can spend when it's appropriate, but don't have to break the bank.

That is exactly what the Brewers do now, and that is what the Cardinals are trying to get back to. So, it likely won't be long before the Cardinals can re-emerge as one of the elite teams in Major League Baseball.

The Brewers are a model franchise at the moment, very much in the same way the Cardinals were last decade, and if St. Louis can perfect this strategy, their 12th World Series title will be awaiting them soon.

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