The key facts

  • The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Dodgers 4-0 in the NLCS and reached the World Series for the first time since 1982
  • The Dodgers, with a $338 million payroll versus Milwaukee's $143.5 million, were favorites for a third straight title
  • Ohtani, hampered by knee and biceps injuries, managed only one home run; the team went just 5-for-43 with runners in scoring position

Collapse of the three-peat plan

The Los Angeles Dodgers began the 2026 MLB season as the top favorites and contenders for a third consecutive World Series title after wins in 2024 and 2025. The roster, led by Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani, was bolstered by closer Edwin Diaz and outfielder Kyle Tucker, reinforcing confidence in the inevitability of a three-peat. However, on Thursday night the Milwaukee Brewers closed out the National League Championship Series 4-0, and for the first time since 2023 the Dodgers will not play in the World Series. The Brewers celebrated their first World Series appearance in 44 years amid a hushed Dodger Stadium.

Roberts' admission

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, whose team with a payroll of about $338 million far outstrips Milwaukee's $143.5 million, admitted his players were 'outplayed in every aspect.' 'Those guys played flawlessly. Defensively, they pitched better than us, hit better than us, hit more home runs. Sometimes you just have to give them credit,' Roberts said. He said he told the players there were 'no apologies, no regrets': the team gave everything, but it wasn't enough.

Ohtani and offense problems

Warning signs accompanied the Dodgers for much of the second half of the season. The form and physical condition of Ohtani, who signed a $700 million contract, were undermined by knee and biceps injuries that plagued the 32-year-old in recent months; some even discussed the possibility of leaving him out of the starting lineup. In Game 4, Ohtani reminded everyone of his level with a spectacular three-run home run that put the team ahead 4-0, but in his other at-bats he was largely ineffective. 'Honestly, I'm very disappointed,' Ohtani said after the loss. 'The Brewers as a whole were very strong and exposed some of my weaknesses as a player, so full respect to them.' The starting rotation, reinforced before the August trade deadline with ace Tarik Skubal, failed to dominate, and the offense 'froze' at the decisive moment: in the playoffs the team went just 5-for-43 with runners in scoring position.

Roster age question

The collapse intensified the debate about the roster's age: the Dodgers fielded the oldest lineup of the 2026 playoffs — an average of 30.9 years — while the Brewers had the youngest (27.5). Key veterans — 2024 World Series MVP Freddie Freeman (37), shortstop Mookie Betts (34) and third baseman Max Muncy (36) — long ago crossed the 30-year mark. Roster changes are expected in the offseason: some veterans have retired or likely will not return. 'We know we're an older team,' Freeman noted before the elimination. 'That doesn't mean we're old and playing badly because we're old. We're just not playing very well, in my opinion.' Muncy summed it up: 'Three years in a row we gave it our all. The train, it seems, has finally run out of steam. Just a lousy feeling.'