The Milwaukee Brewers enter a critical weekend series needing just one victory to punch a postseason ticket while eyeing a fourth straight division crown.
The Milwaukee Brewers have a very high chance of securing their spot in the 2026 playoffs during the upcoming series against the Cincinnati Reds.
For the first time in years, the Reds had the Brewers' number at Great American Ballpark, but now all eyes are on American Family Field with a postseason berth on the line.
Milwaukee had its first off day after a grueling 16-game stretch where they went 10-6 in those 16 days.
Now, the magic number to make the playoffs is one, but the magic number to win the National League Central can also be achieved during this series.
Magic number to win a fourth straight division title: Five
The NL Central is down to a two-team race, and the Brewers' recent sweep over the Chicago Cubs helped get this magic number down to five.
Remember, any combination of Brewers wins or Cubs losses will get the magic number to fall, so it is, in fact, doable for the Brewers to clinch the division as soon as this weekend.
If Milwaukee sweeps the Reds and the Cubs drop two of their next three, the Brewers are in. The Cubs could also lose all three, and then two wins for the Brewers would be enough to lock up this division.
Seeing as the magic number is five on Friday, Sept. 11, it's hard to imagine a world where the Brewers don't win their fourth straight division title; it's just a matter of how soon they're able to get it out of the way.
Brewers' next win locks up a playoff spot
According to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's JR Radcliffe, the Brewers are officially in the playoffs with their next win.
Milwaukee was the first team in all of baseball to reach 90 wins, and they currently still have the league's best record by a game and a half.
Locking up the top seed would secure home-field advantage through the World Series, but manager Pat Murphy knows they need to be at least in the top two teams in the National League to earn the first-round bye.
Radcliffe knows that's not going to be locked up for a while, but the Brewers can at least confirm a playoff spot either with their next win or a combination of the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres losing.
Moving forward, Brewers fans need to keep a close eye on the Cubs to lock up the division, and then the D-backs and Padres to secure a playoff spot as soon as tonight.
