A forlorn Matt Arnold, the president of baseball operations for the Milwaukee Brewers, entered an elevator at Dodger Stadium after Game 4 of the 2025 NLCS, looking pale and despondent. It was as though he had just seen a terrifying film. For the organization that had been trying to overcome a lengthy 43-year gap and its loyal fans, this sentiment was palpable. The Brewers faced an embarrassing sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers, the eventual champions of the World Series, and the realization that they had yet to reach their destination was becoming clear.
A year later, the narrative changed dramatically, as Milwaukee experienced a more uplifting tale. This time, the Brewers emerged as the champions. Not only did they advance to the World Series for the first time since 1982, but they accomplished this by decisively defeating the Dodgers, who had instilled fear in them just one year prior. In doing so, the Brewers ended the third-longest World Series appearance drought in MLB history.
“The series against the Dodgers last year really took a toll on us. I believe Murph has mentioned that frequently,” Arnold remarked last week regarding manager Pat Murphy. “It was the same with the Padres. That’s simply part of the game. We will need to display resilience. This current group appears to be at a different level compared to that. They have faced numerous challenges.”
Defeating the Dodgers marks a monumental chapter in the Brewers’ saga. Milwaukee is now the first team in MLB playoff history to achieve a sweep against a team that had previously swept them the year before. Against a squad that has instilled apprehension in adversaries throughout baseball for the past two years, the Brewers showcased that this version of their team is not easily rattled.
“I cannot speak for anyone else, but for myself, witnessing how they held themselves on the field after sweeping us last year was quite enlightening,” NLCS MVP Jake Bauers commented following Game 4 on Thursday. “We managed to defeat the Cubs in the NLDS [in 2025], and I think we celebrated as if that was a great accomplishment.
“Those guys were the ones who swept us, sending us home, and it felt as if we were in a handshake line after a spring training match. That really stuck with me. It served as motivation to keep pushing forward until there are no games left to play.”
The fact that the Brewers triumphed over the reigning World Series champions should not be surprising. While a sweep may have been unexpected, this version of the Brewers has consistently demonstrated throughout the season that it’s among the elite in baseball. However, their journey to overcome more than four decades of disappointments, failures, and heartbreak didn’t just begin in the last couple of years.
The climb that Milwaukee has taken to secure the National League pennant has been deliberate and steady over the last decade. During this period, the Brewers have established themselves as a model of consistency. They have risen to become one of the top organizations in baseball as a direct result.
“Many people predicted they would win around 82 or 83 games, and yet here we are at 110 and still counting,” Murphy stated after the Brewers completed their NLCS sweep. “It simply illustrates the caliber of the group we have here. They have embraced one another. They have fully bought into the team concept.”
The Brewers have reached the playoffs in eight out of the last nine seasons and have made three appearances in the NLCS. Over the past eight complete seasons (excluding the shortened 2020 season), they have averaged 94 wins and have attained the No. 1 seed in the postseason for two consecutive years. This journey to the Fall Classic has indeed been a long time coming.
The initial encounter between the Dodgers and the Brewers in the NLCS in 2018 saw a vastly different organization. They were under the leadership of David Stearns, now the president of baseball operations for the New York Mets, and manager Craig Counsell, who is now with their rivals, the Chicago Cubs. Following Stearns’ exit in 2022 and Counsell’s in 2023, there was speculation that Milwaukee’s run of success might come to an end.
History will reveal that this was a mere blip on the franchise’s timeline, as the collaboration between Arnold and Murphy, both elevated to their positions in light of those departures, has propelled the organization to new heights.
In 2026, the Brewers concluded the season ranked second in MLB for runs scored, but after tying for 28th in home runs, many questioned whether their offensive achievements could persist into the postseason. Yet, during these playoffs, Milwaukee has led all teams in home runs, slugging percentage, OPS, as well as batting average and on-base percentage, proving that their offense is among the finest.
“You cannot succeed in this game alone,” second baseman Brice Turang noted. “You have to trust your teammates to get the job done. If it requires moving a runner along, you do it. And sometimes in trying to advance them, you might drive a ball into the gap, thereby scoring them. So it ends up benefiting yourself too. When you play with that mindset, positive outcomes tend to follow.”
The narrative of the 2026 Milwaukee Brewers remains incomplete, as they are set to host Games 1 and 2 of the Fall Classic next week in Milwaukee. However, this team is far from a Cinderella story. The Brewers are a formidable force in the National League that has diligently worked toward this achievement for an extended period.
Now just four victories away from their ultimate aspiration, with a roster that is among the youngest in the league, this could very well be the start of an exciting new chapter.
