The Milwaukee Brewers are heading into the NLDS with the San Diego Padres, and the timing makes this a fascinating matchup. San Diego rolled through the Wild Card round with a sweep of the Chicago Cubs, outscoring them 12-1 across the two games.
Chicago’s pitching let them down, and the offense never found much of anything, finishing the series without a home run. The Cubs have now lost 14 straight games when they fail to leave the yard.
Milwaukee, though, is built differently. The Brewers have the kind of staff that can keep them in games, and their lineup has made a habit of manufacturing offense without relying on power. They led the MLB in batting average, ranked second in runs scored, and did it while finishing with the second-fewest home runs in baseball.
That makes the health of three bats especially important as October gets going. If the Brewers are going to push past a hot Padres team, they could use a lift from Sal Frelick, Christian Yelich, and Luis Lara.
Frelick’s season never really matched the expectations that followed his breakout 2025. After putting together a .288/.351/.405 line with 12 home runs and 63 RBI last year, he saw his production slide hard in 2026.
He finished at .230/.295/.319 with four home runs and 40 RBI, and September was even rougher, when he slashed .178/.224/.222. His glove should keep him in the lineup, so any offensive spark would be a major bonus for Milwaukee.
Yelich’s year came with a different kind of disappointment. Even with the respect and popularity he’s earned in Milwaukee, his bat never really carried the way the Brewers needed in 2026.
In the month he was named the first official captain in team history, he hit .222/.296/.361 with three home runs and 12 RBI. That 12-RBI month was actually his best of the season in that category, since he never drove in more than 12 runs in any other month.
Still, if he can find something at the plate in October, it would be a welcome finish to a strong run in Milwaukee.
Then there’s Lara, who has given the Brewers one of their best stories of the year. He signed a long-term extension before even reaching the majors, then showed up and handled elite defensive work in centerfield and right field.
At the plate, he posted a .246/.311/.325 line with a home run, 26 RBI, and three stolen bases. September, however, was a step back, as he hit just .188/.243/.203.
His switch-hitting ability and blazing speed should earn him playing time in the NLDS, and Milwaukee will need more from him if that bat is going to matter in the series.
In Other News...
Brewers Send A Clear NLDS Message With Latest Pitching Cut
The Brewers made another quick pitching move late in September, designating right-hander Lyon Richardson for assignment just two days after promoting him to the majors. It was a brief stay on the active roster for Richardson, who had already spent time in the organization before this latest call-up and was trying to carve out a spot as Milwaukee sorted through its pitching options down the stretch.
Richardson then chose free agency on Sept. 28 rather than accept an outright assignment to the minors, ending his latest run with the club after one big-league appearance in 2025. For Milwaukee, it was another reminder of how tightly the roster is being managed as the Brewers look to sharpen their pitching staff for October and keep every spot pointed toward the same postseason goal. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Drew A Dangerous NLDS Matchup At The Worst Time
The Brewers spent the final stretch of the regular season looking every bit like the No. 1 seed in the National League, but the reward for that work arrived with a tricky Oct. NLDS draw. San Diego rolled through the Chicago Cubs in the Wild Card Series and now comes to Milwaukee with momentum, a pitching staff that has carried the Padres through October, and enough early offense to make a short series feel even shorter.
For Milwaukee, the timing is uncomfortable because the matchup lands right as the Padres are playing their best baseball. San Diego is expected to lean heavily on its bullpen while also lining up Jacob Misiorowski, Logan Henderson and Robbie Ray for the series, giving the Brewers a difficult blend of power arms and recent results to sort through. The top seed still has home-field advantage, but the path to the next round suddenly looks a lot less predictable than it did a week ago. [Read more 🡒]
CC Sabathias World Series Pick Gave Brewers Fans A Strange Laugh
CC Sabathia gave Brewers fans a little something to chuckle about while working as a studio analyst for NBC Sports, when he picked the New York Yankees to win the 2027 World Series over Milwaukee. Sabathia framed the choice as part of a wish to see two of his former teams on the sports biggest stage, a nod to the Yankees and Brewers that fits his long and complicated baseball journey.
There was one obvious omission in the mix, though, and it came from the left-handers first stop in pro ball. Sabathia left out the Cleveland Guardians, the franchise where he began his career and has often spoken fondly of his formative years, even though they remain in the postseason picture and are still very much part of the conversation he was trying to start. [Read more 🡒]