The Brewers were the best team in the National League for nearly the entire 2026 regular season -- and they wasted no time proving as much in the National League Championship Series.

But by finishing off a sweep of the Dodgers with a 6-4 victory in Game 4 on Thursday night, the Brewers not only clinched the NL pennant but significantly helped their outlook for the upcoming World Series.

Here’s a look at the four main takeaways from Milwaukee’s NLCS victory and how they might impact the club’s quest to win its first World Series title.

1. Miz gets to rest up for World Series

It was appointment viewing any time Jacob Misiorowski took the mound this season. The NL Cy Young frontrunner went 16-5 with a ridiculous 1.80 ERA and 252 strikeouts over 174 2/3 innings. He led the Majors in ERA, strikeouts, WHIP (0.80), FIP (2.17) and opponents' batting average (.157), among other stats.

But we haven’t seen that version of Misiorowski in October.

The Brewers’ ace has not completed five innings in either of his two starts this postseason. He allowed two runs over four innings in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Padres, then was lifted after 4 1/3 innings of one-run ball in Game 1 of the NLCS against the Dodgers.

Manager Pat Murphy acknowledged after Misiorowski’s last outing that they have to be cognizant of the 24-year-old's workload, given that his innings total is well above any previous professional season.

“His innings are up to almost 190 this year. That's way over what he's ever done,” Murphy said. “The kid's bound to be a little bit tired, you know what I mean? You can't expect him to understand what this is all about, going this far and having to pitch this much this year with the pressure he's had on him.”

Well, the pressure will only grow when Misiorowski presumably takes the mound for Game 1 of the World Series. But between the adrenaline of pitching in the Fall Classic and having 11 days of rest since his last outing, the velo readings should be worth watching when Misiorowski takes the mound.

2. Much-needed refresh for ‘pen

Abner Uribe has pitched in seven of the Brewers’ eight games this postseason. Aaron Ashby has pitched in six games, and he’s gone more than one inning in five of those six outings -- including pitching the final three innings of Milwaukee’s pennant-clinching victory.

Closer Trevor Megill has pitched in five games this postseason. He’s gone more than one inning twice, and he was warming and ready to enter in Game 4 of the NLCS, if needed.

In other words, this Brewers bullpen can use the rest -- and, thanks to the sweep, it will get it. Those guys will all get a full week off before Game 1 of the World Series next Friday in Milwaukee.

Plus, with the customary day off between Games 2 and 3 as well as Games 5 and 6 (if necessary), that means the Brewers could continue with their strategy of rolling out their high-leverage relievers every single game if the situation calls for it.

All the more reason that wrapping up the NLCS early was so important.

3. Everyone is stepping up

Sure, Brewers superstar Jackson Chourio has had his big-time moments this postseason, but he’s hitting just .171 overall this postseason and his .554 OPS is the lowest of any Brewers everyday player.

Of course, that says just as much about everyone else on this Milwaukee roster as it does about Chourio.

William Contreras (1.157 OPS) has fully embraced playing on the game’s biggest stage. NLCS MVP Jake Bauers (.864 OPS) has won battle after battle in October. Garrett Mitchell (.786 OPS) has had some clutch knocks.

And if there was ever a sign that the Brewers are truly getting contributions from up and down the lineup, look no further than No. 9 hitter David Hamilton going 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs in the pennant-clinching victory.

It’ll be interesting to see how the week off affects the Brewers’ offense, but they’ve been getting contributions from just about everyone to this point.

4. Time to sit and wait for opponent

Yes, we’ve covered how the downtime will help Misiorowski and the bullpen … but there’s also the simple fact that the Brewers will have multiple extra days off than whomever they end up playing in the World Series.

With the Guardians leading the Rays 2-1 in the ALCS, the earliest that series could end would be Saturday. It could go as long as Tuesday. In other words, the Brewers will have anywhere from two to five extra days of rest than either the Guardians or Rays.

While heading into the World Series coming off a sweep hasn’t always proven to be a winning formula historically, the last three teams to clinch the pennant via sweep -- the 2019 Nationals, '22 Astros, and '25 Dodgers -- all went on to win the World Series.

Not to mention, this is nothing new for a Brewers team that had a five-day layoff following the end of the regular season thanks to earning a first-round bye.

Their response? They've won seven of their eight games so far this postseason.