The Major League Baseball playoffs have reached their final four. In the American League, the Toronto Blue Jays are set to host the Seattle Mariners, who survived a 15-inning epic to win the ALDS. And in the National League, last year’s World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, fresh off a series win over the Phillies, will host the Milwaukee Brewers, who earned their spot after defeating the Chicago Cubs in a winner-take-all Game 5 of the NLDS. The Dodgers are the heavy favorites to clinch their back-to-back rings, but the Brewers are a dangerous opponent. And it didn’t go unnoticed..

The first warning came from legendary pitcher and current TBS analyst Pedro Martinez. Martinez first praised the Brewers and their manager, Pat Murphy, for their incredible season.  “I want to congratulate the Milwaukee Brewers and Pat Murphy for all they’ve done, not just this series but all year,” Martinez posted on X. “The consistency at such a young age.

The energy they carry is unique. The maturity they show when they play the game… that’s the kind of baseball you want to watch.” After his congratulations, Pedro warned the reigning champions.

In a post on X, Martinez wrote: “Dodgers be careful with this pesky team!” Martinez wrote. “Before you know it, they might be on you! Let’s see who plays the game better!” The term “pesky” perfectly describes the Brewers, who consistently challenge teams with bigger stars and much larger payrolls and outdueled them as they did now with the Cubs.

So what exactly makes the Brewers so “pesky?” Under manager Pat Murphy, they have built that identity. Though all of their 3 runs come from solo homers in the decisive Game 5 against the Cubs, they naturally don’t rely on overwhelming power. Instead, they focus on aggression, speed, and fundamentals to put pressure on their opponents. Brice Turang’s 50 stolen bases last season and 24 stolen bases this season, and their second rank in all of baseball with 164 stolen bases, is proof of that strategy.

And it’s a perfect fit for a franchise often haunted by October failures

From 2019 to 2024, the Brewers had a 2-10 postseason record. But this year feels different. Their recent NLDS victory over the Cubs was their first postseason series win since 2018, a massive breakthrough. Plus, they earned that win in a tough situation that can give them some extra confidence. But the biggest reason the Dodgers should be on high alert is that the Brewers completely dominated them, sweeping them 6-0 in all six games they played this season. 

Plus, Shohei Ohtani’s bat is completely silent since his multi-homer Game 1 against the Reds in the Wild Card series, going just 1-for-18 with a shockingly low .056 batting average and nine strikeouts in the NLDS series against the Phillies. It’s another major reason why the Dodgers should be extra careful about their NLCS opponent.

Last but not least is the Dodgers’ own troubling postseason history, where they often dominate the regular season, only to fall to underdog teams in October. The 106-game winning Dodgers team left clueless in October against the 88-winning Atlanta Braves in the 2021 NLCS. Then, in 2022, the 111-winning Dodgers team ended their season after dropping their NLDS against the division rival San Diego Padres. And again in 2023, they were swept in the NLDS by the Arizona Diamondbacks, who had a massive 98-point winning percentage advantage for the season.

The Brewers fit this “pesky team” profile perfectly and have the talent, the style, and the confidence to be the next underdog to end the Dodgers’ season.