The Milwaukee Brewers are the National League's last and best shot to dethrone the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
Nearly everyone had the Dodgers as the favorites to win the pennant again this season after a dominant playoff run a year ago and another offseason of major additions. But it was the Brewers who ran the show during the regular season, putting up a major league-leading 97 wins and sweeping all six games they played against LA.
As the two teams get set to square off in Game 1 on Monday night at American Family Field, the Brewers announced their 26-man roster for the series, with just one very intriguing change from the previous round of the playoffs.
The Brewers' 12-man pitching staff kept 11 of the same arms from the National League Division Series against the Chicago Cubs. But they omitted Nick Mears, who pitched in three of the five games against Chicago, opting for Tobias Myers instead.
Mears, a medium-leverage reliever who didn't allow a run in his 1 2/3 innings of work against the Cubs, pitched to a solid 3.49 ERA during the regular season. But Myers is an arm who makes more sense for the Brewers in a seven-game series.
Because they have been going to the bullpen for nearly all of their needs, the Brewers have gotten just one start of at least five innings in the postseason so far. Myers, who was a rookie last season and threw a five-inning scoreless start in the wild card series against the New York Mets, could be a starting option or a bulk reliever in this one.
It wasn't the follow-up campaign Myers hoped for after a great debut, as the 27-year-old spent most of the season with Triple-A Nashville. But he pitched well in September (2.53 ERA in seven outings) and showcased the ability to pitch in more traditional relief spots.
Maybe the Brewers will use Myers in a similar role to Mears, but the more likely scenario would be letting him loose for several innings when manager Pat Murphy senses he's getting tired.
Meanwhile, the Brewers kept the same 14 position players from the NLDS (notably, no Rhys Hoskins for the second-straight series. Here is the complete roster:
NLCS ready #MagicBrew pic.twitter.com/s5g8lBlruh
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) October 13, 2025
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