The Milwaukee Brewers’ 3-1 win over the San Diego Padres in their NLDS series means that they have set up a rematch of the 2025 National League Championship Series (NLCS) against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers, meanwhile, advanced past the Atlanta Braves in four games.
Speaking before the series, Brewers captain Christian Yelich explained exactly what he loves about playing in Milwaukee. The 34-year-old spoke about the impact the Brewers have on the entire city, per a post on X by Hunter Baumgardt.
“You understand that your performance as a team directly impacts the happiness of the people in the state and the city, and you don’t take that for granted,” he said.
Yelich went on to praise the Dodgers, claiming that while they had utmost respect for their opponents, they were also ready to compete. The Dodgers are pursuing a third consecutive World Series championship, while Milwaukee is looking to reach the Fall Classic for the first time since 1982 and have never won a World Series title.
Milwaukee's 103 wins gave it a three-game advantage over Los Angeles and home-field advantage in the NLCS. However, there is little doubt that the Dodgers have more firepower, and much will depend on how Milwaukee bats against the likes of Tarik Skubal, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow.
The Brewers hit .257 as a team in 2026, matching their 2025 batting average, and finished with a .743 OPS. Jackson Chourio hit two decisive home runs and drove in six runs against San Diego, and William Contreras went 6-for-16 with two home runs in the NLDS. Yelich himself went 5-for-14 in the series against the Padres.
Regardless, with Milwaukee set to play the first game at American Family Field at home, there is little doubt that they will be backing themselves to pull off an upset.