2025 NLCS Preview_ Los Angeles Dodgers vs Milwaukee Brewers _ Predictions _ Pick to Win

The Brewers one out away from Advancing to the NLCS Abner Uribe gets Carson Kelly on the slider to ground out and that is your ballgame. Milwaukee going to face the Dodgers in the NLCS first time they won a playoff series since twenty eighteen. All right now we bring in CBS Sports MLB writer Matt Snyder to break it all down. And there's so many great storylines here. Matt when you look at the Brewers make up and the Dodgers we know what they bring to the table the defending World Series champs when it comes to the pitching matchups right who holds the advantage in your eyes there. I mean in terms of starting pitching you've got to go with the Dodgers right now. I mean it's Shohei Ohtani Tyler Glass now Yoshinobu Yamamoto right there is a really really nice big three. And you know they have really kind of they had major bullpen issues down the stretch but Roki Suzuki has really kind of solidified the bullpen as well. I think the Dodgers look on paper like they have the much better rotation when you look at the Brewers Freddy Peralta is definitely an ace. Quinn Priester was terrible against the Cubs in Game 3. There's question marks there. Jacob Mizrowski looks like they like to use an opener in front of him. Chad Patrick really really good pitcher but they've mostly been using him in relief and this Cub series will be interesting to see what direction they take something to watch on the Brewers and there is Brandon Woodruff Brandon Woodruff was injured for the first round of the playoffs. There's a possibility he might return. He could throw like an ace much like Freddy Peralta could much like Jacob Mizrowski could much like Chad Patrick we've seen a little bit and I neglected to mention Blake Snell on the Dodgers end as well you know just the two time Cy Young winner there a Dodger but on paper it looks like a drastic advantage for the Dodgers just based on name recognition. But I don't think that anybody should be counting out the Brewers or thinking that they don't have firepower there because they do. Mizrowski Patrick if Woodruff comes back those are some live arms. They are some live arms and get this you know this the Brewers they won every game against the Dodgers this season so they've got to be feeling good even though we know sometimes the regular season does not always translate to the postseason. So that's on the pitching right the pitching front. Excuse me. What about when it comes to the starting lineup or not the starting line the batting line right that order because the Dodgers they are loaded. They got three MVP on their roster the Brewers they have talented guys as well. But does L.A. hold the edge there as well or do you think it gets a little interesting. Yeah they do. I mean they've got Shohei Otani they've got Freddie Freeman Mookie Betts has been his old self for the last six weeks or so is really hitting the ball hard in the NLDS against the Phillies. Tosca Hernandez the lineup gets deeper a little bit down there with Max Muncy now that Will Smith is over his hand injury. That's a really really deep lineup. So you have the Dodgers again they have the better rotation they have the better lineup. I do think the Brewers have the advantage in the bullpen especially if they get Brandon Woodruff back and so they can you know you know if you have an extra starter there that just makes the bullpen better because you kick guys down to the bullpen from the rotation. I it's interesting. I do think that the Brewers have some advantages here. But if you just said like hey I'm paper who has the better rotation who has the better lineup it's the Dodgers and almost kind of a blowout. I don't want to discount the Brewers at all but come on. I mean look at the Dodgers payroll. They're loaded. Yeah they are loaded and they they back it up with their play. So you have this right. The Dodgers they have the edge in hitting. They have the edge in starting pitching the Brewers the edge in the bullpen. So ultimately Matt who is Van who is advancing to the World Series. I actually I'm going to say the Brewers here. I think they've been they've been the best team in baseball since late May. They are like the whole is better than the sum of their parts type team it's perfectly encapsulated in that statement there when you look at this Brewers team it's if you just look at just some of the talent on paper in the Cubs series I think you would have said the Cubs have better players the Cubs should be better. But if you watch the series it's very evident that the Brewers were the better team there. And I think we're going to see something similar in the NLCS the Brewers are going to have guys like Bryce Turing hitting a homerun tonight. So many people who are going to be casually watching the series who don't regularly watch the Brewers are going to say I have no idea who this player like Sal Freelich and right field so many people are going to say I don't even know who that guy was. I have a column that's coming out right before the series where I make the argument the Brewers are what so many people think the Rays are that everybody talks about the Rays they're the best run organization they have the shoestring payroll they beat they win every single trade nobody share a trade with them the Brewers be the reason to trade for Willie Adamas just three years ago the Brewers are the best run organization in in baseball if you do it by the dollar by salary the Brewers are unbelievable at developing their own guys are unbelievable at winning trades they get every ounce of skill out of their players talent and I think we're going to see it on the stage against the Dodgers and I think they're going to knock off the defending champs in seven we'll say seven in American family field right there in front of those Milwaukee fans and they'll see their first ever NL pennant they won the AL in 1989 1982 this would be their first ever NL pennant yeah and if you are right Matt it'll be their second World Series appearance as they're looking to get their first World Series title and yeah sign me up for seven games between the Dodgers and the Brewers appreciate the time at all right so for the Dodgers yeah they lost the season series but they won both previous postseason meetings versus more versus Milwaukee so that's something to keep in mind in L.A. They're seeking to become the first team to win back to back World Series titles since 2000 so twenty five years ago.