Nearly a year after being swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series, the Milwaukee Brewers are on the cusp of returning the favor in the 2026 NLCS. 

The Brewers own a commanding 3-0 lead in the NLCS over Los Angeles after a 6-2 Game 3 win on Wednesday. Now, the Brewers will try to finish off the Dodgers in their stadium on Thursday. 

With their backs against the wall, it will not be surprising to see the Dodgers fighting for survival. Therefore, Milwaukee is going to need all hands on deck. 

Specifically, two players need to step up their game, especially in the batter's box, to ensure success. 

Chourio was a momentum starter in Game 3 when he took left-hander Blake Snell to right-center field on a first-pitch solo home run. However, despite Chourio's two home runs during Milwaukee's current quest through the playoffs, he could be better. 

Over the course of seven games, Chourio has taken 30 at-bats, but he has only logged six hits. As it stands, Chourio has a .200 batting average, a .242 on-base percentage, a .400 slugging percentage and a .642 OPS in the postseason. 

Again, the importance of his home run in Game 3 cannot be understated, but he did not log a hit for the rest of the game after it. Chourio provides one of the Brewers' most important bats, and if he cannot deliver another long ball in Game 4, he has to be more consistent at the plate.

I do not want it to seem like I am picking on two of the players who delivered home runs for Milwaukee in a critical Game 3. However, context is important.

After Brewers first baseman Jake Bauers won an 11-pitch battle in emphatic fashion against Snell with a two-run home run, Mitchell hit a subsequent solo shot of his own that forced Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to pull Snell out of the game. Mitchell has also been an important player for Milwaukee this season, and he has been good in center field for the team.

But it is important to note that over seven postseason games so far, Mitchell is 5-for-25 at the plate, which matches Chourio's .200 batting average. 

Mitchell's on-base percentage of .310 and his OPS of .710 are slightly better than Chourio's, but he has struck out 12 times, which is tied with Bauers for the most on the team during the playoffs, and it is by a wide margin.

Hitting in the playoffs is certainly more difficult, but Mitchell has what it takes to deliver, and the Brewers will need him.