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5 reasons Dodgers-Brewers NLCS is different this time around

The Milwaukee Brewers enter this year’s National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers with a starkly different dynamic than their 2023 clash, where they were swept in four games despite dominating the regular-season matchups. After a grueling five-game Division Series against the Cubs—one that left the team emotionally and physically drained, according to manager Pat Murphy and pitching coach Chris Hook—the Brewers now arrive with a fresh edge.

Hook emphasized that while last year’s postseason run ended abruptly, this group has matured under pressure, ready to capitalize on the momentum built in their NLDS victory. The pitching staff, in particular, boasts a stronger lineup, with ace Jacob Misiorowski fully rested and primed for Game 1 after a late-season slump sidelined him last October.

Unlike 2023, when the Brewers scrambled through a hodgepodge of starters—including a compromised Quinn Priester and a struggling Freddy Peralta—they now have a clear, confident rotation, starting with Misiorowski followed by the reliable Logan Henderson, who has yet to allow more than three runs in any of his 24 career starts. The contrast in preparation and roster health could prove decisive as the Brewers aim to silence the Dodgers’ dominant starters, who shut them out in each game of last year’s series.

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