The Milwaukee Brewers have a 2.5-game lead on the Philadelphia Phillies for the top record in MLB with three games to go. A magical summer rolled into the fall, clinching a third straight NL Division title. Jackson Chourio and Christian Yelich have led the offense while a deep pitching staff has dominated. Who are the key Brewers players that will help them win the first World Series in franchise history this postseason?
The Brewers have struggled in the postseason ever since they lost the 2018 National League Championship Series. They dropped Game 7 to the Los Angeles Dodgers and have not won a playoff series since. That includes the 2019 Wild Card Game, where Josh Hader blew the save against the eventual champion Washington Nationals. And then there was last year, which saw Pete Alonso end Devin Williams' time in Milwaukee with a homer.
The Brewers have a chance to win the World Series. Who needs to step up to make that happen?
The Brewers need an MVP-level Christian Yelich
The Brewers traded for Christian Yelich before that 2018 season. He won MVP that year and finished second the following season, but injuries began piling up shortly after. Yelich underwent back surgery in the offseason to fix a problem that cost him 89 games in 2024. He is back as a full-time player and will be the key to the offense in the postseason.
The Brewers made the 2018 NLCS in spite of Yelich's performance. He hit .194 with just three extra-base hits in ten games, quieting down after his incredible Wild Card game. They did not have him against the Mets in 2024, as he was nursing that back injury. If Yelich is the middle-of-the-order bat the Brewers paid him to be, they can make a World Series run.
Can Jackson Chourio continue his postseason magic?
Jackson Chourio is still one of the youngest players in the league at just 21 years old. Yet, he now has two years of regular-season experience under his belt and was solid in the Mets series last year. He hit two homers in Game 2, which was the lone game they won, and picked up at least one hit in each game. If Chourio and Yelich click at the same time, the Brewers may be unbeatable.
The Brewers went on one of their long winning streaks without Chourio, as he was nursing a hamstring injury. But he returned on August 30 to mixed results. He has a .239 batting average and a .676 OPS with just three homers in 22 games. Chourio will have to get back to his dominant ways for the Brewers to win the World Series.
Jacob Misiorowski will get key postseason innings
The Brewers called up top pitching prospect Jacob Misiorowski in June with immediate results. His first four starts were so elite that he was named to the NL All-Star team. After a few rough starts, his season ERA has ballooned to 4.38 in 14 starts. With Brandon Woodruff suffering a lat injury, Misiorowski will be asked to pick up a heavier load.
The Brewers have developed a lot of great pitchers in this competitive stretch, Woodruff included. Freddy Peralta will likely get the Game 1 start, and the re-made Quinn Priester has been excellent this season. But one more elite starter could make the difference between the Brewers and the other National League powers.
Will Trevor Megill end the Brewers' closer woes?
The Brewers had two closers who became some of the best in the league. Josh Hader and Devin Williams both struggled in the postseason with Milwaukee, but they are now gone. Trevor Megill is the new closer for the Brewers and should be coming off the injured list just in time for the postseason. He has to change the history of Milwaukee's ninth-inning men to win the World Series.
Before his injury, Megill had 30 saves in 49 appearances with a 2.54 ERA, all career bests. The Brewers have a great pitching staff and a fantastic offense, leading them to a 95-win season. They have the pieces to win the World Series for the first time in franchise history, but Yelich, Chourio, Misiorowski, and Megill will have to shine to make it happen.
