MLB playoffs 2026: Is this the Milwaukee Brewers' year? - ESPN

For most of the past decade, the story of the Milwaukee Brewers has been roughly the same. It has been an engrossing story, too, except perhaps for the lack of a storybook ending.

Since the beginning of the 2017 season, a full decade now, the Brewers have played just two games out of playoff contention. Yet, for all Milwaukee's regular-season success, it remains one of the five franchises still seeking its first-ever championship.

That's a lot of proverbial door-knocking, as the old metaphor goes. At no point have the Brewers knocked louder on the championship door than this season, the best yet in the 57-year history of the franchise.

Despite typically unenthusiastic preseason forecasts, the Brewers logged a franchise-record 103 victories, won the NL Central for the fourth year in a row and led all of baseball in run differential. That differential (plus-214) set a new franchise record by 50 runs, surpassing the 1982 AL championship team's mark that last year's team fell two runs shy of tying. The Brewers ranked second in runs scored and, despite featuring baseball's youngest pitching staff, second in team ERA.

Once again, it's the start of a great story. But every good story, in order to eventually reach a satisfying ending, needs a strong antagonist. As it has been for most of Milwaukee's ongoing run of success, that villain doesn't wear a black hat but a blue one. As ever, the dynastic Dodgers stand in the way of the Brewers' ideal final chapter.

Have they improved enough? We'll see. But Milwaukee is a better club than a year ago.

«It's really fun to watch these guys grow and develop over just the year,» second baseman Brice Turang said. «And how much better of a team we've been. The growth in the clubhouse, as well.