Pat Murphy's pre-postseason quote reveals where Brewers' confidence is heading into World Series

The Milwaukee Brewers are in the midst of World Series preparations. Having defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series last Thursday and with Game 1 of the World Series set for this Friday, October 23, the Brewers will have plenty of time to rest and recover for their first appearance in the Fall Classic since 1982.

It's not yet determined who the Brewers will match up against in the World Series -- the Tampa Bay Rays currently hold a 3-2 lead over the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Championship Series with Game 6 set to take place tonight at Tropicana Field in Tampa. Regardless of who the Brewers face in the World Series, Milwaukee will certainly be the favorites, which means nothing this time of year. The Dodgers were favored in their NLCS matchup with the Brewers and look how far that got them.

However, while being the odds-on favorites doesn't guarantee anything in the postseason, there's no denying the Brewers' victories over the Padres and Dodgers in the NLDS and NLCS, respectively, prepared them for whomever they end up facing in the World Series. Brewers' manager Pat Murphy said as much during his pre-NLDS press conference back on October 3, and his comments should have his team and the fanbase feeling even more confident about the World Series.

Brewers' matchups with red-hot Padres and defending champion Dodgers have them more than prepared for the World Series

When asked about what excites him most about the postseason run ahead of him back on October 3, Murphy responded, "This week and next week, we're going to play two teams that prepare us to win the World Series, you know what I mean? You can beat these two teams, you're right there, because they're two of the best teams in baseball. Now whether it's the Braves or the Dodgers, I don't know. But if you can beat those two teams, you can be champs."

It's hard to argue with Murphy's assessment of the Padres and what eventually ended up being the Dodgers. While San Diego may not have been one of the best teams in baseball throughout the regular season, they were tied with the Brewers for the best record in baseball during the month of September and knocked off a strong Chicago Cubs team in dominant fashion in the Wild Card Series. It's by no means a stretch to say that the Padres were the hottest team in baseball before the Brewers ended their season in the NLDS.

The Dodgers, meanwhile, had assembled one of the most talented, and most decorated rosters in baseball history. With a quartet of All-Stars in their starting rotation and a trio of MVPs atop their lineup, Los Angeles, while not "in-form" when they ran into the Brewers, was undoubtedly the second-best team in baseball throughout the regular season, and Milwaukee made quick work of them in the NLCS.

Murphy didn't mean to suggest that his team wouldn't show the necessary respect to the eventual AL Champions should they meet in the World Series, and acknowledged as much by saying, "Not that I don't respect the Yankees or Tampa Bay or Cleveland or Chicago. Respect the heck out of them. And when we get there I'll tell you at that time, this is the greatest team in the league." That final line was met with laughter from the room of reporters, but it reiterates the respect that Murphy and the Brewers have for their opponents regardless of what the odds say. In some ways, each opponent should be treated as "the greatest team in the league," as that mindset will lead to a high level of preparation and leave no stone unturned.

Now on the other side of series victories over the Padres and Dodgers, it's clear the Brew Crew is more prepared than ever to bring home their first-ever World Series title. Concerns over the long layoff and the hypothetical momentum advantage the AL Champions may hold are neutralized by the Brewers' energizing and confidence-building series wins over two of the best teams in the sport.

"This is a great test," said Murphy on his team's path to the World Series. "But this is what you have to do if you want to be champions." Now, his team will officially play for the right to call themselves the champions, and because of this difficult path, they are more than prepared to win four more games and hoist the Commissioner's Trophy.

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