Four Winners and One Loser From Brewers NLCS Sweep of Dodgers

After finishing off the Los Angeles Dodgers in a four-game sweep, the Milwaukee Brewers are headed to their first World Series in 54 years. They'll take a long-awaited rest between games, as Game 1 will not be until October 23.

Just one year after the Brewers suffered heartbreak at the hands of the Dodgers, they flipped the script. Milwaukee found a way to come back in all four games, never allowing their opponent to get any air in the series.

Every player, coach, and employee of the Brewers is a winner in the sense that the team reached the World Series. But there are four big winners and one loser for their performance in the NLCS.

The Biggest Winners

Pat Murphy

Pat Murphy had to wait until he was nearly 66 before getting his first full-time managerial opportunity. He spent plenty of time around the game, ultimately joining the Brewers as Craig Counsell's bench coach. When the Cubs poached Counsell to be their manager, Milwaukee simply promoted Murphy.

Three seasons later, that proved to be a great decision. The club has won 200 games in the past two seasons. The Brewers' clubhouse culture could not be any stronger, and they're a team that never believes they're truly out of any game. He's got an excellent chance at becoming the first manager to win the Manager of the Year Award for three consecutive seasons.

Now he'll get his chance to manage a World Series.

Christian Yelich

The Brewers' captain was part of two heartbreaking NLCS defeats to the Dodgers in 2018 and 2025. However, third time's the charm for Christian Yelich in getting over the hump. He'll play in his first World Series.

Yelich isn't the MVP frontrunner he was in his first two seasons as a Brewer. But he still provides a critical role in the lineup and in the clubhouse. Much of the Brewers culture for executing at a high level and remaining in games is due to his presence.

A World Series win would mean a lot for a player who chose to finish his career in Milwaukee. And it would also cement Yelich as one of the greatest Brewers players in franchise history.

Jake Bauers

Jake Bauers once contemplated moving on from professional baseball. However, life had different plans and he turned in his best season in 2026. Bauers slashed .266/.389/.484 with 26 home runs and established himself as a key bat in the Brewers lineup.

His career arc took a big change in the NLCS. His Game 3 home run off Blake Snell is the one at-bat can epitomized the entire series. It was also a big reason why he was the clear and obvious choice for the series MVP.

Bauers will have a chance to continue to etch his name in Brewers history, especially if he has a repeat performance in the World Series.. And he should become set for life financially when he hits free agency.

Aaron Ashby

No reliever has performed better in the postseason than Aaron Ashby. The left-hander got the final nine outs of the series after the Brewers took the lead for good in the sixth.

Ashby held the Dodgers scoreless for 6.1 innings. He recorded saves in Games 2 and 4, as Murphy continue to ride the hot hand. Game 4 wasn't as dominant, but was still a great outing in terms of pitching with runners in scoring position.

The Brewers will need Ashby to remain the best reliever in the postseason to win a World Series. That will also require them to get a lead for him to protect.

Losers

Dustin May

Dustin May's performance in Game 4 will have the Brewers mulling over their fourth starter plans. They'll have 11 days to evaluate their options, as that game is scheduled for October 27. But realistically, the first three games may dictate how long a leash May gets.

May struggled in the second inning of Game 4. Shane Drohan exited after allowing a Kyle Tucker single to lead off the inning. May proceeded to surrender an RBI single to Andy Pages then a three-run home run to Shohei Ohtani. To his credit, he bounced back with scoreless third and fourth innings, allowing the Brewers offense to chip away at the lead.