The Milwaukee Brewers are officially headed to October, clinching the first National League postseason berth in 2026 on Friday night with an absolutely dominating 20-0 rout of the Cincinnati Reds. This isn’t just another trip to the playoffs for the Crew; sitting at 92-56, they’ve got baseball’s best record and could be the first 100-win team since 2023. You can’t ignore a team that just put up two touchdowns and two extra points in a single game to punch their ticket.
They’re Not Just Winning, They’re Dominating
Milwaukee isn’t just squeaking by; they’re rolling into the postseason on pure power. They’ve built this monster of a team the same way they set a franchise record with 97 wins last season. We’re talking top three in the entire league for both runs scored per game *and* runs allowed per game. Think about that: they score a ton, and they don’t let anyone else score. Add in an above average defense and depth that means they barely ever put a weak link on the field. This ain’t their first rodeo either. This is the fourth straight year they’ve punched their ticket to October, and the eighth time in the last nine years. That’s a dynasty in the making for regular season success, even if they’re still chasing that elusive first World Series title. Remember 1982? They won the franchise’s only pennant then, but fell to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. This team wants to finish the job this time.
October Ball Demands Dingers, And These Guys Are Learning
The Brewers play a super fun brand of baseball. They’re all about high-energy offense: stolen bases, sacrifice bunts, infield singles, bunt hits, productive outs. They force you to be locked in defensively, making you play small ball whether you like it or not. It works incredibly well in the regular season. But let’s be real, come postseason, you need the long ball. Trying to string together multiple hits and walks against the league’s top starters and relievers every single night? That’s a tough, uphill battle. The proof is in the numbers, folks. In the postseason, runs per game usually *come down*, but home runs per game actually *go up*. Just look at the last few years: in 2025, regular season runs per game was 4.45 but Post runs per game dipped to 4.01; meanwhile, home runs per game went from 1.16 to 1.20. Same story in 2023, runs per game 4.62 to 4.10, but home runs per game 1.21 to 1.34. It’s a fact you see every October: one swing can change everything. You need dingers to win it all. The good news? The Brewers are beginning to dial in that power stroke, and that’s exactly what they’ll need if they want to get over that hump.
So, what’s next for the Brewers? They’ve got their playoff spot secured, assured of being no worse than the third National League wild-card team, but they’re still gunning for their fourth consecutive NL Central title and that Wild Card Series bye. That’ll take another week or so. But make no mistake, this team, fresh off a 20-0 statement win, has their eyes firmly set on finally bringing home their first-ever World Series championship.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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