The Los Angeles Dodgers are inevitable. Shohei Ohtani wasn't at his best. In fact, the Dodgers only scored 14 runs in four games, averaging a tick above three runs per game in the NLDS. Yet, thanks to Andy Pages' Game 4 heroics, they were able to get past the Atlanta Braves in the best-of-five series, advancing to their third straight NLCS. That's an important step, as the Dodgers hope to win a third straight World Series title.
There're lineup and bullpen concerns, but the foursome of Tarik Skubal, Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow proved it's still as good as it gets when the lights are brightest, and L.A. will hope that vaunted rotation is enough to get them even deeper into October. With that in mind, let's take a look at who they're set to face in the next round.
Who will Dodgers play in the NLCS? Los Angeles faces familiar challenge
The short answer is that we don't know yet, as the Milwaukee Brewers and the San Diego Padres are dueling in a highly competitive NLDS matchup of their own. While the Braves weren't an easy matchup, there's a reason to believe that whether it's the Padres or the Brewers, the Dodgers will have their hands full.
Atlanta's offense has been one of MLB's worst for a while, and has a history of underperforming in the postseason. The Braves were also without several pitchers, including Spencer Strider and Spencer Schwellenbach, and had only one Chris Sale appearance. The Braves are good, but the Padres and Brewers are great.
And what makes them particularly intriguing is that the Dodgers have had to go through them in recent postseasons during their dominant run. It took them a grueling five games to get past the Padres in the 2024 NLDS, and while they made easy work of the Brewers in the 2025 NLCS, Milwaukee won 103 regular-season games. Beating them again won't be an easy feat, especially with how Jacob Misiorowski has been throwing the ball all year.
Regardless of who the Dodgers end up facing, it'll be a tough challenge. These teams are showing how good they are in the NLDS, with each of the first games of their series being decided by one run. However, if the regular season is any indication, they'd likely have a preferred opponent.
Who won the season series between the Dodgers and their possible NLCS opponents?
What happens in the regular season only means so much. In fact, the Dodgers dropped five of six to this very Braves team before taking them out in October. With that being said, the difference in how their season series went against the Brewers and the Padres is pretty stark.
The Dodgers dropped four of seven games against the Brewers, including two of three at Dodger Stadium in August. They managed just six runs in those three games, and it's not like their offense has done much to provide much hope ever since. On the flip side, the Dodgers went 8-5 against the Padres, even after dropping two of three to San Diego in a relatively meaningless three-game set at Dodger Stadium from L.A.'s perspective. The Dodgers certainly got the best of their rivals in the regular season.
The Dodgers should feel confident either way. They're the Dodgers; they've knocked out both of these teams in recent postseasons, and they weren't outplayed by either foe in the regular season. Regardless, it'll be interesting to see what happens on the other side of the bracket.
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