Dodgers ace Blake Snell's deeply annoying Brewers take misses the entire point

In many ways, the Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers' NLCS matchup feels bigger than baseball. While the David vs. Goliath rhetoric has already dominated the headlines, other MLB insiders are claiming that the outcome of the series would have implications even greater than who represents the National League in the World Series.

ESPN's Jeff Passan published an article this morning outlining how the Brewers defeating the Dodgers in the NLCS could impact MLB owners' plea for the inclusion of a salary cap. The gist of his argument: if the Brewers win, they will prove that small market teams can be competitive without a salary cap, supporting the Player's Union's stance that no such change is needed when the current collective bargaining agreement expires on December 1, 2026. Commissioner Rob Manfred is reportedly on the side of the owners, meaning, if Passan's argument holds any merit, the head of MLB will be rooting for a Dodgers victory.

The reason why this topic even exists at a time when the focus should be purely on baseball is the ridiculous disparity in the payrolls of the National League's final two teams. According to Spotrac, a popular website that details the finances behind most of the major sports, the Los Angeles Dodgers' total payroll allocations in 2025 exceeded the $350 million mark, giving them the most expensive roster in all of MLB. Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Brewers, who exist in the smallest TV market in baseball -- a major factor when it comes to how much teams can spend on their rosters -- ranked 22nd in all of baseball with a payroll of roughly $121 million.

While the Dodgers have the luxury of signing any elite free agent they want, the Brewers are forced to resort to opportunistic trades and acquire players that other teams have given up on despite them still having potential. One of Los Angeles' elite free agents, starting pitcher Blake Snell, who is set to start Game 1 of the NLCS, shared his thoughts on the Brewers' roster during a press conference on Sunday evening.

According to MLB.com's Sonja Chen, who covers the Los Angeles Dodgers, Snell said, "I'm not falling for the 'average joes' -- they're not. They have the best record in the NL. They're a really good team."

Blake Snell's comments on Brewers roster miss the point of Pat Murphy's nickname for his squad

Snell's comments are in reference to Pat Murphy's nickname for his underappreciated group of ballplayers. Back in July after the Brewers swept the Dodgers in Los Angeles, though not the first time Murphy has used the term, the Brewers manager referred to his team as a "bunch of Average Joes," as reported in an article from MLB.com's Andrés Soto.

However, Murphy wasn't referring to the performance of his team when he called them 'Average Joes' as Snell alludes to by saying that "They're a really good team." Heck, they just swept the Dodgers in LA. Murphy, who likely has more confidence in his team than any other manager in baseball, was instead referring to the fact that the Brewers don't sign big-name free agents to fill out their roster; they instead rely on young, hungry players who simply need an opportunity to prove themselves in MLB.

Snell and his 2025 salary that is higher than the entire Brewers' infield group combined, acknowledging that the Brewers are a good team, when his team won four less games than them during the regular season simply comes off as patronizing. A better response would have acknowledged the fact that despite having a payroll nearly one-third the size of the Dodgers', the reason that Snell's first NLCS start will come on the road is because the Brewers were the better team in 2025.

The Brewers' payroll might trick you into thinking their team is a bunch of "Average Joes," and their lack of name recognition in LA might lead some to think that their roster isn't full of talented players, but don't get it twisted; the Milwaukee Brewers belong in the NLCS.