This year’s National League Championship Series presents a true clash of titans.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are the back-to-back defending World Series champions and are aiming to become the first team to win three consecutive titles since the New York Yankees from 1998 to 2000. The Milwaukee Brewers are the best team in baseball with 103 regular season wins and a league-best plus-214 run differential. Add in the headline-grabbing payroll and market size disparities between the two teams, and you have a compelling matchup from last year’s NLCS that’s also rich in subplots.
To set the scene for what could be a thriller of a series, CBS Sports baseball experts are here to make their picks for the Dodgers-Brewers duel that begins Sunday night in Milwaukee. You will find these predictions just below.
Brewers vs. Dodgers
Axisa: The Brewers are better than last year and the Dodgers are worse than last year, but I still think the Dodgers are more dangerous in a short playoff run. There is so much power in the lineup and big swings win you games in the playoffs. Maybe the Brewers may be the exception (they’ve hit with a lot more power in recent weeks), but I still lean toward the offense being better at hitting the ball out of the park. The Dodgers also have the rotation advantage, especially once you get to the Nos. 3 and 4 starters, and that matters now that we’re in best-of-seven territory. Fear it, run from it, the Dodgers are coming anyway. Pick: Dodgers in 6
Feldman: I think this is going to be a close series, but it will all come down to pitching and the Dodgers will simply outplay the Brewers, even with a 1-2 punch of Jacob Misiorowski and Logan Henderson. Los Angeles still isn’t getting much (if anything) from Shohei Ohtani and yet they continue to win anyway. And as always, power wins in October. Pick: Dodgers in 6
McWilliams: What the Brewers are doing in the regular season is impressive, no doubt, but October is a different sport. Give them the first game with Jacob Misiorowski. Afterwards, it is difficult to see a path. The Dodgers field elite weapons and a lineup that punishes any mistake. Milwaukee’s offense squeaked, putting balls in play and stealing runs, but they finished 28th in home runs. In the playoffs, it’s power that plays a role. This is the separator for Los Angeles. Pick: Dodgers in 5
2026 MLB playoff picture: Schedule, scores as Guardians force Game 5 against White Sox in ALDS
Kate Feldman
Pear: This one obviously has the makings of a classic, and neither result would be truly shocking. The Dodgers have a clear advantage in the rotation, at least on paper, but the Brewers’ frontcourt, of course, compares quite favorably. Milwaukee has the advantage in the bullpen, but the Dodgers have more power in their lineup. This last point is essential, since power reigns in the playoffs. The Brewers have been trending toward increasing their home run power for some time. On the Los Angeles side, struggling Shohei Ohtani is currently a major unknown due to his knee problems. To me, that extra home field advantage gives the Brewers a narrow advantage. Choose: Brewers in 7
Snider: The Brewers were dominated by the Dodgers’ rotation last season, but the offense is a bit better this time around behind budding superstar Jackson Chourio. Meanwhile, Shohei Ohtani is clearly compromised on the Dodgers side. Additionally, Milwaukee has Jacob Misiorowski and Logan Henderson capable of pitching like aces and that wasn’t the case last year. With things a little tighter in both the rotation and offense, the Brewers being better on defense and doing the “little things,” that’s what swings this one. Plus, their late-inning vibes are off the charts, so I’ll say they pull it off in Game 7. Why not? It would be a lot of fun. Choose: Brewers in 7
Gn sports
