Scaling the Rocks: The Brewers look inevitable

The Milwaukee Brewers have an answer for everything.

They've cruised through the first two rounds of the postseason at 7-1, even overcoming a 4-0 deficit to defeat the Dodgers 6-4 in Thursday's NLCS clincher and reach the World Series for the first time since 1982.

And they're getting contributions from the entire Crew.

Jake Bauers , who battled through an 11-pitch at-bat before homering off Blake Snell in Game 3, earned NLCS MVP honors. Garrett Mitchell homered in consecutive games , David Hamilton added a Game 4 insurance homer after hitting just four during the regular season, and Aaron Ashby delivered 6.2 scoreless innings out of the bullpen during the NLCS.

Everything seems to be going Milwaukee's way.

In 2007, Colorado won 21 of 22 games, sweeping their way through the NLDS and NLCS . Like Milwaukee, the Rockies found heroes everywhere. In Game 3, Yorvit Torrealba battled through a seven-pitch at-bat before launching a go-ahead three-run homer . In Game 4, rookie Seth Smith sparked a six-run inning with a pinch-hit double , and Manny Corpas closed out the 6-4 victory.

Then came eight days off and four straight losses to Boston.

Historically, sweeping the League Championship Series hasn't guaranteed a championship. Since 1995, only four of nine teams to accomplish the feat have gone on to win the World Series. Interestingly, three of those four champions have come since 2019: Washington in 2019, Houston in 2022, and Los Angeles in 2025.

Milwaukee now faces seven days off while awaiting its AL opponent. Perhaps the extended layoff matters . Or perhaps it doesn't.

Either way, looking inevitable doesn't guarantee a championship.

The Rockies made some progress in 2026, but there's still plenty of work ahead. Scott Roche examines the decisions facing Paul DePodesta, including Kyle Freeland's uncertain future, whether to bring back Tomoyuki Sugano (菅野 智之), and how Colorado might address its starting rotation. With a potential lockout looming, the front office may have a limited window to make some important moves.

Jack O'Dowd is hitting .250 with a double, a home run and four RBI through five games, while Jared Thomas has added a homer and four stolen bases in seven games. Friday's 10-0 loss to Peoria wasn't much fun, although Konner Eaton tossed 2.0 scoreless innings with two strikeouts. Check out O'Dowd's two-run homer below, and if you're looking for more baseball, MLB is streaming most AFL games for free .

TJ Rumfield's impressive rookie season is getting some recognition beyond his work at the plate. Maddy Dickens looks at the first baseman's Gold Glove candidacy and explains why he deserves more attention in the National League Rookie of the Year conversation. Rumfield finished his rookie season hitting .300 with a .390 on-base percentage, and now he's competing with Matt Olson and Ty France for a Gold Glove.

How does Colorado's farm system stack up when looking beyond traditional statistics? J.J. Cooper evaluates all 30 organizations using Statcast-based measures of pitching quality and hitting performance. It's an interesting way to examine the underlying talent being developed throughout baseball, including the Rockies' organization.

Rockies prospect Charlie Condon gets some attention in the latest Future Projection podcast from Baseball America. Ben Badler and Carlos Collazo discuss Cleveland's impressive 2022 draft class before turning to several prospects worth watching this offseason. The conversation shifts to Condon around the 34-minute mark, offering an outside perspective on one of Colorado's most intriguing young hitters.

The Guardians and Rays received an unexpected day off after Friday's ALCS Game 4 was postponed because of weather. The game has been rescheduled for Saturday, with Game 5 moving to Sunday. Cleveland holds a 2-1 series lead as both teams adjust their pitching plans and prepare to resume play.

Petey Halpin wasn't known for his power entering the postseason, but the Guardians outfielder picked a pretty good time to show some off. David Laurila examines Halpin's game-winning home run in Game 3 of the ALCS and revisits an earlier conversation about his offensive development. After hitting just four home runs during the regular season, Halpin is giving Cleveland fans something new to appreciate.

The World Series will feature two of baseball's lower-payroll clubs, an interesting development with another round of labor negotiations approaching. The Associated Press examines what the matchup means for the ongoing debate over competitive balance, payroll disparities and a potential salary cap. With the current CBA nearing expiration, there's plenty more at stake than which team takes home the trophy.

The Brewers have gotten contributions from seemingly everyone this postseason, but William Contreras has been particularly important behind the plate and in the batter's box. Michael Baumann examines the catcher's approach during Milwaukee's NLCS clincher and how his at-bats helped keep the pressure on Los Angeles.

It's never too early to start looking ahead to the next MLB Draft. Baseball America's Carlos Collazo, J.J. Cooper and Jacob Rudner discuss the early candidates for the No. 1 overall pick in 2027, including Dylan Seward , Tomas Valincius , Brendan Lawson and Dax Whitney . With no clear favorite emerging, there's plenty to sort through before next summer.

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