Milwaukee Brewers News Roundup — October 1, 2026

The Milwaukee Brewers will face the San Diego Padres in the NLDS after securing the top seed with a franchise-record 103 wins, while the Padres swept the Chicago Cubs in the Wild Card Series. This marks the first playoff matchup between the two franchises, with the series beginning Saturday at American Family Field.

Both teams enter the series riding strong September performances, each posting 18-6 records over the final month. The Padres' bullpen arrives well-rested after their dominant Wild Card showing, where Michael King and Nick Pivetta combined to allow just one earned run across 10.1 innings. The Brewers counter with Jacob Misiorowski scheduled to start Game 1, coming off a dominant regular season outing against San Diego in which he pitched seven scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts. Logan Henderson is slated for Game 2, though the Brewers still face roster decisions including whether to include pitcher Kyle Harrison, who showed improvement in a relief role down the stretch after struggling following his return from injury.

The Brewers' offense will be led by Willy Adames, who earned All-MLB consideration at second base with 7.3 bWAR, combining elite defense with a .268/.366/.450 batting line and 19 stolen bases. Young outfielder Jackson Chourio, at 22 years old, has already established himself as a clutch October performer and is tied for the franchise record with four playoff home runs, needing just one more to claim the record outright.

The regular season matchups between these teams favored Milwaukee despite strong individual performances, with the Brewers finishing 2-4 against San Diego. The Padres' infield defense rates as league-average compared to the Cubs' elite unit, potentially providing the Brewers' offense additional opportunities against ground balls.