Dodgers and Brewers Open NLCS as Rays Face Guardians

Four teams remain in the 2026 Major League Baseball postseason, with the Los Angeles Dodgers facing the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series and the Tampa Bay Rays meeting the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Championship Series. The best-of-seven matchups began October 11 and October 12, respectively, to determine which clubs will advance to the World Series.

According to CBS Sports, Milwaukee and Tampa Bay entered their respective series as the top seeds after strong regular seasons. The Dodgers eliminated the Atlanta Braves in four games, while the Brewers defeated the San Diego Padres in four. Tampa Bay swept the New York Yankees, and Cleveland overcame a 2-0 series deficit to eliminate the Chicago White Sox.

The National League matchup centers on Milwaukee's pitching and Los Angeles' experienced lineup. The Brewers are pursuing their first World Series appearance since 1982, while the Dodgers are seeking a third consecutive championship and their sixth World Series appearance in the past decade, according to the series previews.

Milwaukee's Jacob Misiorowski, 24, enters the series after a season marked by exceptional velocity and a substantial increase in workload. CBS Sports reported that he recorded 178 2/3 innings across the 2026 regular season and postseason, compared with 141 1/3 innings across the minors, majors and playoffs in 2025. He threw 2,735 pitches during the current season, including 1,167 at 100 mph or faster.

Although the Brewers managed his workload by giving him additional rest in 26 of his 30 regular-season starts, his late-season performance remains a concern. He allowed two runs over four innings against San Diego in Game 1 of the Division Series. Milwaukee is scheduled to start him in Game 1 against Los Angeles, potentially positioning him for another start later in the series.

Los Angeles also faces questions about Shohei Ohtani's health and offensive production. After returning from a knee injury in September, Ohtani hit .154/.267/.154 against Atlanta in the Division Series without an extra-base hit. His September batting average was .200, while his OPS fell from .953 in the first half of the season to .772 in the second half, according to CBS Sports.

The Dodgers also adjusted their roster for the NLCS, adding pitcher Justin Wrobleski as their 13th pitcher and removing infielder Hyeseong Kim. Miguel Rojas remained available despite back and hip soreness during the Division Series. Manager Dave Roberts explained the decision at the team's workout in Milwaukee.

"I think that length, having a guy that can go two or three, is something where you essentially protect downside on the pitching. As far as handedness, they’re pretty balanced. So that really doesn’t come into play.

I think for us it’s more of who can take down a couple innings if something in a medium to lower leverage situation." Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

Wrobleski, an All-Star starting pitcher during the 2026 season, shifted to shorter bulk outings in September to prepare for a postseason role. He also recorded four scoreless appearances in the 2025 World Series, including appearances during the final two games against Toronto, which secured Los Angeles' second consecutive title.

A second report quoted Roberts explaining the same roster decision in shorter terms before Game 1.

"Having a guy that can go two or three, is something where you essentially protect downside on the pitching. I think for us it's more of who can take down a couple innings if something in a medium to lower leverage situation." Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

In the American League, Tampa Bay brings a rested pitching staff into its matchup with Cleveland after using only three starting pitchers against the Yankees. The Rays also finished the regular season with 98 wins and ranked eighth in MLB in OPS, according to CBS Sports.

However, Tampa Bay's performance against left-handed pitching could give Cleveland an opportunity. The Rays posted a .679 OPS against left-handed pitchers, ranking 25th in MLB, and a .296 expected weighted on-base average, ranking 28th. Cleveland's left-handed pitching options could test that weakness.

The Guardians advanced after winning three consecutive games against the White Sox following their initial two losses. Their pitching staff also set a team record for strikeouts in a nine-inning game, while José Ramírez remains their leading offensive figure. Starting pitchers Parker Messick and Gavin Williams provide additional strength at the top of the rotation.

The Rays counter with an offense led by Jonathan Aranda, Junior Caminero and Yandy Díaz. Victor Mesa Jr. and Ryan Vilade homered in the Division Series, and Tampa Bay stole 164 bases during the regular season, the second-highest total in MLB.

Beyond the matchups, the postseason rosters highlight California's influence on professional baseball. Former Dodgers scouting executive Logan White told USA TODAY Sports that identifying productive regions helped guide the organization's scouting investments.

"It's all about fishing in the right pond," Logan White, former vice president of amateur scouting for the Dodgers, said.

White said California benefits from its population, climate and established youth baseball infrastructure. Ten Brewers players on the team's 26-man Division Series roster were born in California, compared with five Dodgers players.

"They have always had a great infrastructure with youth leagues, Little League, everything else." White said.

He also pointed to changes in college baseball recruitment and athlete compensation since name, image and likeness compensation took effect in 2021.

"That never used to happen," White said.

White said some California prospects increasingly choose colleges elsewhere because of financial opportunities, larger crowds and easier access for families watching games remotely. He also raised concerns about the growth of year-round travel baseball programs.

"I think they're just bypassing playing Little League because you have so many of these travel ball programs (that) want their kids playing year-round with their team so they don't let them go play Little League," White said.

Tim Fortugno, a former major league player who scouts for Tampa Bay, cited the depth of California's college baseball programs when discussing the state's talent pipeline.

"That’s just one college," Fortugno said.

He referred to the number of major league players developed by the University of California, Berkeley, and noted that Stanford, Fresno State, UCLA, USC and Cal State Fullerton also provide scouting opportunities.

White believes colder-weather states can produce promising pitchers because young players in warmer regions may pitch throughout the year.

"I think you lose a lot of pitchers," White said, "because they, I don't want to say they got abused, but they pitch so damn much that they get abused, right? I can't tell you how many kids I knew were great pitchers at 12 in Arizona, and even some I've heard of in California, and they were not that good when they're 18. It's because they play in the fall, the winter, and they were playing a lot, I think. And I like playing, but pitching all the time, year-round is tough."

Eight of the 15 California-born players on the Dodgers' and Brewers' Division Series rosters were pitchers, according to USA TODAY Sports. White also identified Washington as a state with a high ratio of major league players to population, while naming Georgia, Ohio and the Carolinas as other productive talent regions.

"California is always going to produce players because it's got weather, it's got population, great infrastructure, coaching, all that stuff. How might those numbers look in a decade?" White said.

The NLCS continues Monday, October 12, with Game 2 between the Dodgers and Brewers at 5 p.m. Eastern time. The Rays and Guardians meet later that day for Game 1 of the ALCS at 8 p.m. Eastern time, according to the published postseason schedule.