Who will the Milwaukee Brewers face in the MLB Playoffs? Analyzing roster, matchups and more

The Milwaukee Brewers weren't supposed to be here after trading Corbin Burnes and losing Craig Counsell to the Chicago Cubs, yet they were the first time to clinch a division title this season, winning the NL Central in convincing fashion.

The Brewers lack the big-name talent that the other elite National League teams have, especially with Christian Yelich and Brandon Woodruff on the IL, but their bullpen is among the best in baseball, their defense is excellent, and their lineup has been consistent even without Yelich.

The Brewers won their division in dominant fashion, but barring a strong finish to their season and a lot of help from either the Philadelphia Phillies or the NL West winner, they'll finish as the No. 3 seed in the NL, meaning that they'll get home-field advantage in the Wild Card Round but won't get the same bye that the other two division winners get.

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Milwaukee Brewers postseason rotation and lineup projections

The weakness of this Brewers team, as expected, is its rotation, which makes sense with Burnes traded and Woodruff hurt. Freddy Peralta is still there, and Tobias Myers has been a nice surprise, but comparing them to just about every other National League postseason team in the rotation, the Brewers will find themselves at a disadvantage.

That's where the bullpen will have to make up for that weakness. Fortunately, postseason rotations shrinking to three starters in the Wild Card Round and four starters each round after that should help the Brewers.

Peralta figures to get the Game 1 nod, considering the fact that he's the leader of the staff, but Myers has been arguably their most consistent starter all year and might give them the best chance to win. Guys like Civale and Montas have had their ups and downs this season, but have pitched better since being acquired by the Brewers in midseason trades.

Their rotation is a weakness, but their lineup, even without Yelich, is quite good, even if the names aren't as recognizable.

This Brewers lineup has tremendous speed with Brice Turang and Jackson Chourio at the top, and a good amount of power with guys like William Contreras, Willy Adames, and Rhys Hoskins lengthening the order. They can beat you in multiple ways, making them a dangerous threat in October.

MLB Playoff Bracket: Who could the Brewers face in the postseason?

As mentioned prior, the Brewers currently hold the No. 3 seed and are 3.5 games back of the Phillies for the No. 2 seed. Barring a massive surprise, they'll be the No. 3 seed in the postseason, meaning that they'll have to play in the Wild Card Series. Fortunately, they'll have home-field advantage for all three games that round, and will face the worst of the three NL Wild Card teams.

Among the teams they can face in the Wild Card Round are the San Diego Padres, New York Mets, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Atlanta Braves.

The team that the Brewers would most like to face based on these regular season records would presumably be the New York Mets, but there are a couple of things to consider. First, they swept the Mets back in March. This Mets team is very different now than it was then. Second, they're about to play the Mets in their final series of the regular season. Do they really want six straight against the same opponent?

Fortunately for the Brewers, it'd take a lot of losses for the Padres to fall to the third Wild Card spot, making it likely that they'll avoid facing a San Diego team that they struggled with in the regular season.