The Brewers are No. 1 in the final 2026 MLB Power Rankings, and after the way they finished, there’s no argument left to make.
Milwaukee closed the season as World Series champions, and the column’s author made it clear the lesson has finally sunk in: stop betting against this team. The Brewers kept proving it all year, from the roster moves that never seemed to knock them off course to the way they handled the Dodgers in the NLCS.
Even the idea that Tarik Skubal might be the answer for Milwaukee never mattered in the end. The Brewers beat him and swept Los Angeles.
What stands out most about this group, though, is how many different players carried them. Jackson Chourio is turning into a superstar.
Jacob Misiorowski is projected to win the National League Cy Young. Christian Yelich is already a former MVP.
But the story of this team was never just the headliners. It was Robert Gasser dealing in Game 3 after beginning the season in the minors.
It was Jake Bauers winning NLCS MVP not long after he was ready to retire from baseball. It was Aaron Ashby delivering one of the greatest reliever performances in playoff history.
It was Sal Frelick hitting a game-tying bomb. It was Cooper Pratt’s coming-out party in the World Series.
And that list keeps going.
Milwaukee is now being described as the best organization in baseball, taking that spot from the Dodgers, who had been the two-time defending champions. The Brewers still have questions heading into next season, but the expectation is that they’ll handle them the way they always do.
That’s why the final ranking has them on top, and why the early read for next spring is the same. The Brewers are expected to open as No. 1 again heading into spring training.
There is already one name to watch for Milwaukee this offseason: Brice Turang. He has clearly become a star over the last two seasons, and he is under team control through 2028. The question now is whether the Brewers would move him this winter.
Behind Milwaukee, the Dodgers land at No. 2 with two major questions hanging over them: whether they re-sign Tarik Skubal and whether Shohei Ohtani returns to full-time two-way playing. The Rays are third, with Yandy Díaz headed to free agency.
The Padres check in at No. 4 after giving the Brewers the biggest scare in the playoffs, followed by the Braves at No. 5 and the Guardians at No. 6.
The rest of the top 10 features the Yankees at No. 7, the Red Sox at No. 8, the Cubs at No. 9 and the White Sox at No. 10. The White Sox are coming off a strong 2026 season and now need to finish building out their rotation.
Further down the list, the Phillies sit at No. 11, the Diamondbacks at No. 12 and the Pirates at No. 13.
The Astros are down at No. 14, with the prediction that their next playoff appearance won’t come until the 2030s. The Marlins are No. 15, described as a fringe contender with a big offseason ahead.
The Rangers come in at No. 16, the Orioles at No. 17 and the Blue Jays at No. 18.
The Tigers are No. 19, with the note that their +71 run differential makes their 76-86 finish stand out even more. The Twins are No. 20, the Nationals No. 21 and the Cardinals No.
The Mariners are No. 23, with Cal Raleigh’s late-season line of .250/.373/.573 over his last 36 games drawing attention. The Mets are No. 24, and the run Freddy Peralta went on once he fixed himself with the Rays is said to be a concern for that organization.
The Reds are No. 25, the Royals No. 26, the Giants No. 27, the Athletics No. 28, the Angels No. 29 and the Rockies No. 30.
In Other News...
Brewers Suddenly Face A Tough Call On A Breakout Bat
The qualifying offer market is set, and among the eight players to receive the one-year, $23.15 million deal is Jake Bauers, giving Milwaukee an immediate offseason decision on a player who changed the conversation around his future. Players have until Nov. 17 to accept or reject the offer, and if they sign elsewhere, their former teams can receive draft pick compensation, which adds another layer to a call the Brewers now have to weigh carefully.
Bauers was not supposed to be part of this kind of discussion earlier in the year, but his breakout season in Milwaukee made him impossible to ignore. The Brewers have to decide whether to lock in a pricey short-term commitment or risk letting a resurgent bat test the market, and the answer could shape both their lineup plans and the value they might get back if he departs. [Read more 🡒]
Christian Yelichs Brewers Victory Lap Just Hit Milwaukee Fans Differently
Christian Yelich has been making the rounds since the Brewers brought home their first World Series championship, and the celebration has felt as public as it has personal. Between the parade and a Saturday Night Live appearance, he has leaned into the moment in a way that matched the scale of the accomplishment, while also taking time to acknowledge how much the fan support has meant to him and the team.
One of the more unexpected stops came at a Raising Cane's in Greendale, where Yelich worked a shift and spent time interacting with customers as the championship glow kept rolling through Milwaukee. It was the kind of offbeat victory lap that only lands when a player has become part of the city's sports fabric, and it underscored how much this title has changed the way Brewers fans will remember this group. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Just Lost Another Outfield Lottery Ticket
The Brewers outfield depth chart took another small hit this week, as Akil Baddoo moved on after a season that never really got off the ground. Baddoo spent 2026 bouncing between injury rehab and Triple-A, never making it back to the majors, and now hes headed to a new opportunity with a club that can give him a clearer path to playing time.
For Milwaukee, it is another reminder of how quickly these fringe roster pieces can turn over when a player is trying to re-establish himself. Baddoo is on a 40-man roster again and will get a chance to compete for an outfield job, but the larger question is whether he can stick long enough to matter after losing some of the flexibility that usually helps players in his position survive the churn. [Read more 🡒]