On Thursday night, one could almost feel the collective sigh of relief from a large portion of the baseball world. The Milwaukee Brewers had sent the Los Angeles Dodgers home from the NLCS in four games, ending their chances at a third-straight title.
For fans of the Arizona Diamondbacks, it likely felt like a moment of triumph, watching such a dangerous divisional opponent be thwarted and silenced.
But it also might have been a bit of a bittersweet moment. With the Brewers' 4-0 series sweep, the Diamondbacks are no longer the last team to eliminate the Dodgers from the postseason. They're also, somehow, no longer the last team to sweep LA — Arizona did so in only three games in 2023.
It's not as if those bragging rights mean a great deal, of course, considering the Dodgers' recent success and the Diamondbacks' recent inability to get back to the postseason.
But it goes beyond jeering a division rival. Arizona falling short of the playoffs in a year where the Dodgers appeared weakened and off-balance feels like a major missed opportunity.
Diamondbacks missed opportunity to contend in NL postseason picture
The Dodgers were, clearly, the team to beat this postseason. The Brewers wrested that title away from them as they make their way to the World Series.
But knowing how the NL playoff picture has played out, one can't help but feel the D-backs might have had a chance to do some postseason damage.
Not only was the Dodgers' NLCS effort lackluster across the board, the Diamondbacks appeared to have their number for much of 2026.
Arizona won the season series against LA for the first time since 2018, 7-6. They swept the Dodgers out of their own stadium and nearly repeated that feat at Chase Field.
If Arizona had been in the mix this postseason, they likely could have been a real threat to LA's title hopes. A deep postseason run could have provided a revenue boost and some needed organizational momentum for the Diamondbacks, as well.
Now, would Arizona have had much of a chance to down the Brewers, who clearly look like the best team in the dance? Perhaps not. The D-backs lost the season series 4-2 to Milwaukee. But as 2023 proved, anything can happen for an underdog in the MLB postseason.
But the ifs of this season do not matter. The Diamondbacks squandered their chances to make a postseason run, falling short by two games despite finishing 86-76 on the year. As satisfying as it might be for fans to watch the Dodgers be eliminated, there's much work to be done to get Arizona back into the playoffs of their own accord.
When opportunity is there, it must be seized.
Add us as a preferred source on Google