Jake Bauers didn’t just have a good NLCS. He ended up with the trophy that goes with it, after helping push the Milwaukee Brewers past the Los Angeles Dodgers and into the World Series with a 6-4 win in Game 4 on Thursday night.
The Brewers completed the sweep of the two-time defending champions, and Bauers was named NLCS MVP after stacking together the kind of series that wins awards. He finished 4 for 14 overall, but the hits landed at the biggest possible moments.
In Game 4, he drove in two runs with a double that cut the Dodgers’ lead in half. Two nights earlier, he delivered the decisive swing in Game 3 with a go-ahead, two-run homer in the seventh inning.
Over the four games, he drove in six runs. His impact stretched beyond the box score too, including a 12-pitch walk in Game 2 that helped chase 2025 World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto from the game.
“There was never a doubt in that dugout what was going to happen,” Bauers said after the game. “We knew we were going to win.”
For Milwaukee, this was the franchise’s first LCS MVP. That’s a notable milestone on its own, especially since the Brewers’ only previous pennant came in the American League back in 1982, when Fred Lynn of the losing Angels took home ALCS MVP honors after going 11 for 18 with two doubles, a home run and five RBI in the five-game series.
This time, there was no awkward debate over whether the award went to the right player. Milwaukee controlled the series from start to finish, and plenty of Brewers made their case.
William Contreras and Aaron Ashby drew consideration. Robert Gasser threw five scoreless innings in Game 3.
JoJo Romero and DL Hall were excellent. Jackson Chourio hit a huge homer.
Garrett Mitchell went deep twice. David Hamilton finished 4 for 7 with a home run.
Christian Yelich also contributed.
Bauers’ route to this moment makes the award even more striking. He has been through seven different organizations and nearly walked away after the 2023 season, but kept playing because his then-pregnant wife needed health insurance. He spent time in both the minors and majors in 2025, then turned this season into a breakout year, hitting .266/.389/.484 with 22 doubles, 26 homers, 86 RBI, 93 runs and 3.3 WAR.
Now he’s the NLCS MVP, and the Brewers are headed to the World Series.
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Brewers Just Saw Why The Dodgers Face A Huge Skubal Decision
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Then came the NLCS, where Milwaukee swept the Dodgers and turned the focus from what Skubal brought on the mound to what comes next around him. The uncertainty now is bigger than one October stumble, because the Dodgers still have to figure out how long they can actually keep him in the fold with the landscape around the sport potentially changing in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]