The Milwaukee Brewers earned home-field advantage and set a franchise record for wins in the regular season. The magic wore off in the National League Championship Series, however. The Los Angeles Dodgers swept the top seed and went on to win their second straight World Series title. Fast forward a year, and the circumstances might seem similar on paper. The Brew Crew enters the 2026 NLCS with a franchise-record 103 wins and are preparing to host an LA squad that just eliminated the NL East champions in four games. There should be far more suspense this time around, however.

Sean Casey is preparing himself for a war. “It's gonna be a cage match this year,” the three-time All-Star first baseman and current MLB Network analyst said on “MLB Central.” “I believe the Brewers are a lot better. The Dodgers went and got {Tarik} Skubal, but this isn't the same matchup that it was last year. {Milwaukee} is more experienced, {Jacob Misiorowski} is the best pitcher in the game, Logan Henderson is a nice number two. This bullpen is for real.”

“It's gonna be a cage match this year… This isn't the same matchup that it was last year.” – @TheMayorsOffice #MLBCentral discusses the NLCS rematch between the Brewers and Dodgers. pic.twitter.com/MGxt2hIR8y

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) October 9, 2026

The Brewers' lineup are arguably better equipped to challenge the Dodgers' supreme rotation than any other team. They led MLB in batting average and on-base percentage while ranking second in runs scored. Power is lacking, but Jake Bauers, Jackson Chourio and Brice Turang all hit 20-plus home runs. Former MVP Christian Yelich could always heat up, too. This offense has earned the fan base's trust, even against a modern super team.

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The biggest question the Brewers must ultimately address is their starting pitching staff, which Mark DeRosa notes in the video above. Misiorowski allowed two runs in just four innings pitched versus the San Diego Padres in the NL Division Series. That cannot happen again. Logan Henderson threw only 72 pitches before he was pulled. Milwaukee needs those two hurlers to go deep into games. The bullpen can only give so much before it tires out.

Still, Sean Casey is right to expect a fierce fight in the NLCS. Last time, the Brewers did not have big enough gloves and got themselves clobbered. This time they should stand toe to toe with the Dodgers, and if they play to their full potential, they might even be looking down at the champs by series' end.