Latest MLB Power Rankings add even more weight to Brewers and Cubs' first 2026 series

In each of the last three seasons, the Milwaukee Brewers have finished in first place in the National League Central, and behind them as the runner-up in the division were their I-94 rivals, the Chicago Cubs. Though Milwaukee's five-game cushion in the division in 2025 was the closest the Cubs came to dethroning the Brew Crew as the NL Central champions in the last three seasons, the rivalry between the two National League powerhouses has undoubtedly reached new heights in recent years.

The modern iteration of the Brewers and Cubs' rivalry began with the 2018 division race. The Brewers were 2.5 games back of the Cubs as play began on September 23rd eight years ago, before rattling off seven straight wins to close out the regular season and forced a game 163 tiebreaker for the division crown. The Brewers won the afternoon tiebreaker at Wrigley Field by a score of 3-1 and sealed their first division title since the 2011 season. Chicago then lost the one-game NL Wild Card game while the Brewers advanced to within one game of the World Series.

Over the next five seasons, the Brewers made four playoff appearances and won two division titles, while Chicago won the division in 2020 but failed to clinch a postseason berth outside of the COVID-impacted campaign. Then came the 2023-24 offseason and with it one of the most stunning managerial hires in MLB history.

With his contract with the Brewers officially expired, many expected Craig Counsell to sign a new contract in Milwaukee or join former Brewers' President of Baseball Operations David Stearns in New York. No one, however, expected him to join the division rival Cubs, who had former fan favorite David Ross in line to begin his fifth season as manager in 2024. However, on November 6, 2023, the Cubs terminated Ross' contract and gave Counsell the biggest managerial contract in MLB history.

Since then, the Brewers have outplayed the Cubs in each of the last two seasons, despite Chicago operating with a much larger budget during that time and swinging a major trade for Kyle Tucker ahead of the 2025 season. Milwaukee maintained a pretty consistent lead in the division in 2024, but in 2025 they came roaring back with an excellent second half of the season to steal the division crown from a talented Cubs team who also ended up in the postseason.

For the first time in the history of the two ballclubs, the Brewers and Cubs met in the postseason in 2025. A thrilling five-game divisional series ended in a Brewers win at American Family Field, which marked Milwaukee's first postseason series win since their aforementioned 2018 playoff run.

Brewers and Cubs kick off first matchup of 2026 as two of the top teams in the National League

Though the calendar now reads 2026, the Brewers and Cubs once again find themselves atop the NL Central through the first seven weeks of the MLB season. Chicago reinforced their lineup by signing Alex Bregman to a five-year, $175 million contract over the offseason and traded another top prospect to acquire starting pitcher Edward Cabrera. Meanwhile, the Brewers swung a series of impactful trades over the offseason that netted them Kyle Harrison and Brandon Sproat, but led to the departures of Freddy Peralta and Caleb Durbin.

Despite the roster turnover, the Brewers and Cubs remain two of the top four teams in the National League according to FanSided's latest Power Rankings. The Atlanta Braves, who are enjoying a resurgence after their disappointing 2025 season, stand in the No. 1 spot, and the Los Angeles Dodgers, unsurprisingly, are once again one of the top teams in baseball, but the Cubs check in at No. 3, and the Brewers grabbed the No. 5 spot. Be sure to check out FanSided's complete MLB Power Rankings, which are free to read over at FanSided.com and linked below for your convenience.

MLB Power Rankings: Is a dark-horse World Series contender hiding in plain sight?

While the Cubs hold a narrow 1.5-game lead in the division entering their first series of the year against the Brewers, Milwaukee currently has the edge when it comes to run differential, sporting a +61 mark to Chicago's +42 tally to this point in the season. The Brew Crew certainly enters the three-game set in better form, as they are 8-2 in their last 10 games, while the North Siders are 4-6.

It's bound to be an entertaining three games in Wrigleyville, with the two top teams in the NL Central squaring off for the first time since last October. Milwaukee could leapfrog the Cubs and claim an early-season division lead, or Chicago could grow their currently narrow advantage over a much more competitive NL Central. Regardless of how these three games play out, it appears as if another entertaining chapter will be added to the Brewers and Cubs' growing rivalry in 2026.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow