The Milwaukee Brewers will host the Arizona Diamondbacks in a three-game National League Wild Card Round series beginning on Tuesday at American Family Field.
The Brewers clinched the NL Central well before the end of the season and locked themselves into the No. 3 seed in the NL playoff field. The Diamondbacks limped to the finish line with losses to the Astros, but secured their spot by virtue of losses by both the Cubs and Reds.
The Brewers, who will host all three potential games, opened as -194 favorites to advance to the NLDS at FanDuel. The visiting Diamondbacks are +156 underdogs.
Below, you'll find the full schedule for this series, as well as a breakdown of both teams and how they got to this point.
All odds cited below via FanDuel. For updated odds on every series throughout the postseason, be sure to visit our MLB futures page. For individual game odds throughout the postseason at a variety of sportsbooks, visit our MLB odds page.
Diamondbacks vs. Brewers NL Wild Card Round Schedule
- Game 1: Tuesday, October 3, 7:08 p.m. ET, ESPN2
- Game 2: Wednesday, October 4, 7:08 p.m. ET, ESPN2
- Game 3: Thursday, October 5, 7:08 p.m. ET, ESPN2 (if necessary)
Arizona Diamondbacks
- World Series Odds: +4000
- Pennant Odds: +1800
- Regular Season Record: 84-78
- Team wRC+ (Rank): 98 (18th)
- Starting Pitching xFIP (Rank): 4.36 (18th)
- Bullpen xFIP (Rank): 4.27 (16th)
How They Got Here
The Arizona Diamondbacks played well down the final stretch of the season, but they got out to one of the hottest starts in baseball, which has helped keep them in the race. Outside of the Baltimore Orioles, there is probably not another team in the playoff race with a more stacked supply of young players at their disposal. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is one of the veteran regulars, and he is not even 30-years-old.
This team will not necessarily get by in the playoffs with luck. They may look like underdogs, but having two aces at the top of the rotation with two go-to arms in the bullpen helps. They could cause some chaos if they manage to get some consistency from the lineup and ‘pen.
Offense
Arizona has worked its way around some pretty bad expected numbers. The Diamondbacks do not hit the ball all too hard. They rank in the bottom-10 in Hard Hit Rate and the bottom-half of the league in wRC+ and OPS.
They have some stars, like Corbin Carroll and Christian Walker, who are dangerous threats against any pitcher, but the lineup does drop off from there, when it comes to consistency.
Rotation
The D'backs have arguably the best 1-2 punch at the top of the starting pitching rotation in the playoff field. Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly are great pitchers and can be some of the most reliable starters in the league.
However, Arizona ranks in the bottom-10 in starting pitcher xFIP this season. Since August 1, on the other hand, they rank in the top-10, and this is basically because the rest of the rotation has not been as bad.
Since they have a couple great starters, they can get by in a shortened series with just that and a bullpen. They might have some trouble after the Wild Card Round.
Bullpen
The Snakes added Paul Sewald at the deadline to help supplement Miguel Castro at the back-end of the bullpen. This was a savvy move, as on the season they rank in the bottom-half in bullpen xFIP.
Since August 1, they are pretty much in the same spot, but having those two at their disposal will make the decisions easier for manager Torey Lovullo.
—D.J. James
Bet Diamondbacks vs. Brewers at FanDuel
Milwaukee Brewers
- World Series Odds: +2000
- Pennant Odds: +850
- Regular Season Record: 92-70
- Team wRC+ (Rank): 92 (23rd)
- Starting Pitching xFIP (Rank): 4.13 (10th)
- Bullpen xFIP (Rank): 4.13 (9th)
How They Got Here
The Milwaukee Brewers, despite being picked below the St. Louis Cardinals in some preseason projections, finished the season as NL Central champions.
The Brewers have a great rotation and bullpen. They’re used to playing with only a few hot bats and some solid pitching, which is what’s needed to make a deep postseason run.
Offense
The Brewers are one of the weaker hitting teams in the league, but Darin Ruf, Blake Perkins and Jesse Winker could all be back in time for a playoff run. That won’t eliminate all Milwaukee’s issues, but it’ll help.
On the season, the Brewers rank in the bottom-10 in wRC+ and OPS. Since August 1, they are in the top-half of the league, but it’s still a concern because other playoff teams, like the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers, can all hammer the ball. If they can outpitch everyone, the Brewers will make it to the World Series.
Rotation
Milwaukee boasts a top-10 starting rotation. The Brewers typically don’t walk many batters and strike out more than league average.
However, since August 1, they’ve drastically improved. Milwaukee only trails the Tampa Bay Rays and San Francisco Giants in starting pitcher xFIP in that timeframe and has also lowered its walk rate.
Bullpen
Milwaukee’s bullpen has been one of the best in baseball, and Elvis Peguero could be back in time for a playoff run. The Brewers rank in the top-10 in bullpen xFIP and the numbers are getting even better since August 1. Milwaukee ranks fifth in bullpen xFIP with a 25%+ strikeout rate.
The Brewers also have a litany of options in relief and Devin Williams is one of the best closers in MLB.
—D.J. James
