Want to know how to win in October? The 2026 Milwaukee Brewers are providing the blueprint

It's arguably the most important question for organizations and fans across Major League Baseball ; how do you win in the playoffs? There's a theoretical formula for getting to October, draft and develop well, build a complete roster that has depth at key positions, use analytics to piece together the best mix of skill sets and sign targeted free agents to fill in missing pieces.

The more money you have, the easier it is to sign those free agents, of course, but as the Yankees, Mets, Giants, and Angels will tell you, playing in a big market and acquiring expensive talent doesn't always guarantee results.

But once you're in the postseason, how can you ensure your team gets a spot in the World Series? The ultimate goal, the only outcome that matters, and the only determinant of the "best team in baseball?" A DODGERS-LESS WORLD SERIES WOULD HURT NOW, BUT HELP MLB LATER | BOBBY BURACK The 2026 Milwaukee Brewers are showing the rest of the sport exactly how it's done.

For context, the Brewers enter Thursday afternoon as overwhelming favorites to advance to the World Series thanks to their 3-0 series lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers .

The Dodgers have the most expensive roster in the sport, though by active player payroll in 2026 they did trail the New York Mets, depending on which source you use.

Milwaukee? They were just 19th this season.

They traded away Freddy Peralta, their best pitcher, in 2025, a year after trading star closer Devin Williams to the Yankees, and trading Corbin Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles.

Their big offseason acquisitions were backup catcher Gary Sanchez, Angel Zerpa, Jake Woodford, and a trade to bring in David Hamilton, Shane Drohan and Kyle Harrison from the Boston Red Sox for infielder Caleb Durbin and a few other players.

During the season, their big moves were watching Tarik Skubal go to the Dodgers, getting Dustin May and JoJo Romero, and adding reliever Antonio Senzatela.

If that sounds underwhelming, it's because it is.

Yet in game one of the NLCS , the Brewers beat Skubal 2-1.

In game two, they came roaring back from deficit after deficit, knocking out World Series hero Yoshinobu Yamamoto on their way to an easy 7-4 win.

In game three , they fell behind late, only to score five straight runs and cruise to yet another 6-2 win.

So how are they doing it? They've found the blueprint.