The Milwaukee Brewers had a great 2025 season and will now meet the division-rival Chicago Cubs in the National League Divisional Series. This will be an intense series. But what do the Brewers need to do to win? This Cubs-Brewers NLDS will feature many talented players. But one player can be the Brewers' X-factor to help them get to the NLCS for the first time since 2018.
Milwaukee is favored to win the series against Chicago, according to FanDuel. However, it's not nearly as favorable as the top teams in the AL. The Brew Crew had the best record in the majors. Yet, oddsmakers don't seem to favor them or believe they have much of a chance of making a dent in the race.
Talent is abundant on the Brewers, and they could all make a difference. But will the hitting be enough or will they need a standout performance from a pitcher or two? The Brew Crew has one of the best starting pitching rooms in baseball, but another pitcher could be the Brewers' X-factor to get them to the NLCS.
How the Brewers got here
The Brewers were just 16-15 entering the month of May. At the time, it seemed like they were headed toward mediocrity. Milwaukee was 32-28 going into June, and things seemed to stay the same. However, they slowly started improving, going 15-9 in June to finish 47-37 heading into July.
July was a scorcher, as the Brewers went 17-7 in the month to raise their record to 64-44. The Brewers had a great August, going 21-9 to improve their mark to 85-53. The Brewers would finish with a 97-65 record, earning the top seed throughout the NL and home-field advantage throughout the entire playoffs.
Their offense was elite throughout the regular-season. Likewise, their pitching staff was also elite. The key now is figuring out how to sustain the momentum.
Evaluating the offense and pitching staff
The Brewers have some core players that could help them get to the NLCS and World Series. Christian Yelich had a great season, batting .264 with 29 home runs and 103 RBIs. Meanwhile, Jackson Chourio hit .270 with 21 home runs and 78 RBIs. Catcher William Contreras hit well, hitting .260 with 17 home runs and 76 RBIs. Sal Frelick was the best contact hitter, batting .288, while Brice Turang had the most hits with 168.
Freddy Peralta was the ace of the rotation, going 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA. Currently, the plan is for him to be the starter for Game 1 of the NLDS. The Brewers have not yet decided on who will start Games 2 or 3. However, the likely options are Quinn Priester or Chad Patrick. Jacob Misiorowski could join the playoff rotation and might be the key player needed, especially with Brandon Woodruff possibly out for the season.
The Brewers could hit the baseball well. Yet, they will need to sustain great pitching to have a chance, especially with Chicago's pitching staff pitching so well in the playoffs. The Brewers' X-factor will come from their rotation, and it's not Peralta.
Brewers' X-factor to beat Cubs is Quinn Priester
Peralta will likely get two starts, assuming the Brewers don't sweep the Cubs or get swept. Yet, there is always a chance that the bullpen could collapse, or the offense could not get run support. In the worst-case scenario, the Cubs' pitching staff shuts down the Brewers and steals Game 1. If that happens, the Brewers will need someone other than Peralta to step up. That is where Priester fits in.
Priester could potentially start Game 2 and will obviously have all eyes on him. If the Brewers are up 1-0, the pressure will not be as great, but still strong. But if the Cubs take Game 1, all the pressure in the world will be on Priester. When he faced the Cubs on August 21, Priester went 4 1/3 innings while allowing just one earned run on three hits. However, he also walked five runners. That cannot happen if the Brewers want to win this series. For the Brewers to have success on nights where Peralta does not start, they must attack the strike zone. Priester cannot fall into the trap of walking too many hitters.
While Peralta likely could give the bullpen light work in Game 1, it does not change the fact that Priester could still make a difference by avoiding long counts. He must hit the strike zone while also avoiding mistakes down the heart of the plate. What the Brewers need is for Priester to get into favorable counts and put the Cubs' hitters on their heels.
It all starts with the first inning. How does he handle the pressure of the opening moments? If Priester can shut down Michael Busch, Nico Hoerner, and Ian Happ at the top of the lineup, it will prevent juicy opportunities for Kyle Tucker and Seiya Suzuki. The Brewers need Priester to emerge as a secondary ace in their quest to beat the Cubs and get back to the NLCS for the first time in seven years.
