Dodgers Biggest Advantage Against the Brewers (And the Biggest Concern)

The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched their third consecutive National League Championship Series appearance on Wednesday, defeating the Atlanta Braves in the NL Division Series in four games.

The Dodgers will now take on the Milwaukee Brewers, a rematch of last year's NLCS. Los Angeles took care of business in last year's series, sweeping the Brewers, who had the best record in all of baseball.

Entering the series in 2026, the Brewers again have the best record in baseball, while the Dodgers have the second-best record.

Although this is a rematch of last year's series and there are a majority of the same players, it will be far from what we witnessed in 2025.

Milwaukee is a better club than a season ago, and the same goes for the Dodgers. It will be tougher for Los Angeles this time around, no doubt.

With that in mind, here are the Dodgers' biggest advantages and some concerns heading into the series.

Advantages

Starting Rotation

The Dodgers' starting rotation is elite from top to bottom.

Their starting four is as good as it gets with Tarik Skubal, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow.

Yamamoto may be the best pitcher of the bunch, and yet they sent him out in Game 3, where he was his dominant self in October.

Skubal was just as good in Game 1. Snell was shaky in his lone start of the series.

Glasnow wasn't as sharp, but it was enough to keep the offense in the game.

Dodgers Have More Postseason Experience

This one is less tangible, but it's a legitimate advantage.

The Dodgers' core has played many more postseason games, heading into their third consecutive NLCS and attempting to win a third straight World Series.

Milwaukee is also heading back to the NLCS for the second straight season; however, the Brewers are inexperienced despite that fact.

The Dodgers have a group of players who have been through virtually every October scenario imaginable.

Los Angeles knows exactly what October pressure feels like, and with a matchup that could come down to a one-run game, bullpen decisions and at-bats in enormous situations, the slight advantage goes to the Dodgers.

Dodgers Have Lineup Depth Even When Their Stars Aren't Producing

Shohei Ohtani and Will Smith struggled mightily in the NLDS, but Andy Pages delivered the biggest hit of the NLDS. Freddie Freeman homered twice, while Max Muncy hit three and can provide power in timely spots.

That's without mentioning guys like Tommy Edman, Teoscar Hernández and Kike Hernández, who turn up their game in October.

The bats can get cold, yes; however, anyone in the Dodgers' lineup can produce a big hit if they are given the chance.

Did we mention they have Mookie Betts, a four-time World Series champion?

Concerns

The Bats Against Milwaukee's Elite Pitching

This overlaps with an advantage, but Milwaukee's pitching is just as elite as the Dodgers' from top to bottom.

The Brewers have shown they're comfortable using unconventional pitching strategies and don't need their starters to give them seven innings every night.

Brewers starters Jacob Misiorowski and Logan Henderson are the stars of the show, but it goes beyond them.

Milwaukee has a multitude of ways to give the batters headaches beyond their starters, using the bullpen and tons of multi-inning appearances.

That could be problematic for a Dodgers lineup that sometimes has trouble stringing together productive at-bats.

It's as simple as this: Can the Dodgers finally start capitalizing on scoring opportunities after going 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position in the NLDS?

That'll be a tall order against this elite Brewers pitching staff.

The Dodgers' Dependence on the Home Run

Before Game 4, all 10 of the Dodgers' postseason runs had come via home runs. They finally broke through with Pages' two-run single, but the fact remains that Los Angeles has struggled to manufacture runs in other ways.

Against the Brewers, a club that excels at limiting mistakes, relying on home runs can be dangerous.

The Brewers allowed just two home runs to the San Diego Padres in the NLDS.

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