3 matchups that will define the Brewers and Dodgers' NLCS rematch

For the second consecutive season, the Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers will face off in the National League Championship Series (NLCS). Milwaukee is hoping to reach the Fall Classic for the first time since 1982 as the Brewers continues their pursuit of their first World Series title. Meanwhile, the Dodgers are looking to make a run at capturing their third consecutive World Series championship, something that has only ever been accomplished by two MLB franchises (New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics).

A year ago, the Dodgers and Brewers met at this same stage of the postseason, and Los Angeles swept Milwaukee in four games. That series was a stark contrast to their previous NLCS meeting in 2018, when the two teams battled through seven games, before the Dodgers ultimately emerged as the winners.

This time around, both teams enter the series as 100-win clubs, with Milwaukee capturing the season series 4-3 and holding home-field advantage thanks to three more regular season wins than Los Angeles. They also both battled through the NLDS to eliminate tough opponents, with the Brewers knocking off the red-hot San Diego Padres and the Dodgers taking down the experienced Atlanta Braves. With both teams tested and playing at a high level, the stage is set for what should be a competitive, hard-fought series, in which these three matchups will be key determinants in the outcome.

3 matchups that will define the Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers' NLCS rematch

1. Jacob Misiorowski vs. Tarik Skubal

All signs point to an electric Game 1 pitching matchup between 2026 NL Cy Young frontrunner Jacob Misiorowski and reigning back-to-back AL Cy Young award winner Tarik Skubal. Not only are Miz and Skubal two of the best starting pitchers in the sport right now, but Milwaukee's reported interest in landing the former Detroit Tigers' ace at the trade deadline makes Game 1's pitching matchup all the more intriguing. When the Brewers lost the Skubal sweepstakes to the Dodgers at the trade deadline, this is exactly the consequence that was discussed -- Milwaukee not only missing out on having the dominant southpaw in their postseason rotation, but also having to face him in the NLCS.

Who emerges victorious from Misiorowski and Skubal's matchup in Game 1 will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the remainder of the series. Miz, who had an underwhelming start by his high standards in Game 1 of the NLDS, is hoping to continue his success against the Dodgers; the flame-throwing 24-year-old has allowed just two earned runs in 12 innings across two regular season starts against the Dodgers in his career, and allowed one earned run in a five-inning performance against Los Angeles in last year's NLCS. Skubal, meanwhile, owns a 2.10 ERA in four starts against the Brewers in his career, and is facing Pat Murphy's lineup for the third time this year.

Should the series advance to a Game 5, it will likely be Miz vs. Skubal once again, meaning this pitching matchup could theoretically determine the outcome of two NLCS games. Therefore, which of the two dominant arms turns in the better performance in the series could end up having a huge impact on who moves on to the World Series.

2. Brewers hitters vs. Dodgers bullpen

Skubal is one of four All-Star starting pitchers in the Dodgers' rotation and one of two who has won multiple Cy Young awards. Southpaw Blake Snell has twice been named the league's Cy Young, while right-handers Yoshinobu Yamamoto, last year's World Series MVP, and Tyler Glasnow, have both been named All-Stars at some point in their careers. All that to say, the Dodgers' rotation is stacked.

As a result, the Brewers' focus will be on growing the Dodgers' starters' pitch counts by working counts, getting on base, and not chasing pitches out of the zone -- all things they excel at -- in hopes of getting to Los Angeles' bullpen as soon as possible. However, that strategy only works if the Brewers take advantage of the at-bats they have against the Dodgers' bullpen, which is by no means bad.

Los Angeles' relief corps posted a collective 3.74 ERA during the 2026 regular season, which ranked ninth in all of baseball. That said, as is seemingly always the case with every part of the Dodgers' roster, Los Angeles' bullpen hit its stride during the final weeks of the regular season. Edwin Díaz finally looks like the All-Star closer he used to be after a rough start to the season. Alex Vesia, Roki Sasaki, and Evan Phillips all put together strong months of September, while Tanner Scott and Edgardo Henriquez pose tough at-bats for opposing hitters as well. It's by no means an easy task, piecing together runs against this Dodgers' bullpen, but given the strength of Los Angeles' rotation, these late-game matchups will be especially important.

3. Pat Murphy vs. Dave Roberts

While not a matchup that will take place on the field, the chess match between Brewers manager Pat Murphy and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, both of whom served as the interim manager of the San Diego Padres at one point during the 2015 season, will undoubtedly have a major impact on the outcome of the NLCS this year.

Roberts' job, aided by his quartet of aces and All-Star-laden lineup, is quite a bit easier than Murphy's. Whereas Roberts doesn't need to think twice about who is starting Game 3 or Game 4 for his squad, Murphy and his coaching staff have some decisions to make. Will they go with Dustin May in Game 3 as they did in the NLDS? Or will Robert Gasser, who out-pitched May in the NLDS, be bumped up to Game 3? Does it make sense to use an opener for the right-handed May, and how long can Murphy trust his No. 3 and No. 4 starters?

Managerial decisions will have a significant impact throughout this series beyond the Brewers' looming rotation decisions. How both teams elect to optimize matchups and which players they reserve for late-game pinch-hit opportunities could have a major impact on the outcome. How each manager uses their bullpens will be key as well, especially if the series goes to six or seven games. Yes, it ultimately comes down to execution on the players' part, but how each manager sets their players up for success will certainly be a major factor in this year's NLCS.

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