The Dodgers and the Brewers are going to face each other in the NLCS showdown, and it feels as much related to philosophy as it is related to baseball. On one side, MLB has its billion-dollar team, a powerhouse where World Series appearances are basically expected. On the other side, the Brewers have a small-market success history powered by player development, athleticism, and hustle. Despite the Brewers’ impressive season and home-field advantage, multiple analysts still think that this series will be the Dodgers’.

The Brewers, who beat the Dodgers during the regular season, are hunting their first World Series berth since 1982. The Dodgers, for now, are heading to become MLB’s first repeat champion in 25 years. Now, early NLCS anticipations give the Dodgers a slight 55% edge. Analysts cite L.A.’s regained health, October experience, and deep rotation as deciding elements, even as Shohei Ohtani’s worrying postseason decline has drawn attention.

As The Athletic’s Chad Jennings put it, this is the Dodgers “as we imagined them back in April.” Their rotation is finally at full strength, their bullpen, while chaotic, has somehow held firm, and their players have the pedigree to rebound. “The Dodgers just beat the Phillies despite basically all of their key hitters struggling. Is Shohei Ohtani really going to hit .056 again? Is Freddie Freeman going to slug .267? The Dodgers were built to win in October, and it shows. They have some problems, but they have even more solutions,” Jennings stated.

Another writer, Levi Weaver, echoed the same sentiment and argued that the Brewers‘ home advantage does not tilt the series.

“That was the regular-season Dodgers,” Weaver referred to LA winning fewer games than Milwaukee. “The Dodgers who had, like, 2 1/2 starting pitchers and seemingly couldn’t be bothered to lock in for a midseason matchup against mere humans. Have these Dodgers, with their enough-starters-to-stash-three-of-them-in-the-bullpen staff, looked at all like those Dodgers? Not to me, they haven’t. I would always rather see a new team in the WS, but if you’re asking who I think will make it? The October Dodgers.” 

Still, Pat Murphy’s team is not short of beliefs.

Jayson Stark and Will Sammon are the analysts who praised the Brewers’ fundamentals, team chemistry, and capability to pressure defenses. Yet, another analyst, Katie Woo, remarked, “The Brewers are athletic, smart and relentless on the bases. The qualms about the Dodgers’ bullpen are valid, especially in a best-of-seven series — as are the concerns regarding Ohtani’s abysmal offensive production. But it’s still the Dodgers. And they will always be the team to beat.”

For every grit and heart of the Brewers, it looks like the Dodgers’ experience and firepower once again make the team an overwhelming October hero.

And nowhere is such a championship narrative clearer than in the case of Mookie Betts, whose performance in the postseason has molded skepticism into a stabilized team approach.

Mookie Betts’ defensive masterclass and October consistency anchor the Dodgers amid Ohtani’s slump

If Shohei Ohtani’s bat has frozen, Mookie Betts has made sure the Dodgers don’t miss a beat. Once a Gold Glove right fielder, Betts’ emergence as an elite shortstop has become one of the defining stories of the postseason.

His defensive metrics, 17 defensive runs saved and a top-10 ranking in outs above average, are staggering for a player who only transitioned in 2024. His glove work in the NLDS opposite Philadelphia was surgical, cutting down runners and stabilizing the Dodgers’ infield at the most decisive moment. But Betts’ influence has not stopped with defense.

As Shohei Ohtani finds himself pitched around or intentionally walked, Betts has answered with his trademark composure at the plate. Going 6-for-9 in the Wild Card round with three RBI, he has embraced the role of clutch catalyst.

“I wouldn’t let Shohei swing either,” Betts voiced, acknowledging his franchise’s strategy. “I just got to be ready to do my thing.” His attitude has epitomized the Dodgers’ adaptability, a hallmark of their championship DNA. While others worry about Ohtani’s downturn, Betts’ excellence continues to keep L.A. on track for another World Series sprint.

Finally, while the Brewers’ home-field advantage and aggressive style give them a fighting chance, the Dodgers’ poise of star power and adaptability still distinguish them. Shohei Ohtani’s bat may be silent, but Mookie Betts’ leadership and defensive brilliance have kept Los Angeles steady. If October baseball rewards resilience and depth, the Dodgers look ready to prove once again why they remain the franchise to beat.