Milwaukee and San Diego have surged as the two hottest NL clubs, rewriting postseason math with strong pitching, elite defense, and a willingness to lean into power in a power-driven era. The Brewers and Padres aren’t built on home runs, but they’re converting balls in play into outs at a top-tier rate and riding deep bullpens and wipeout front-line arms toward October.

Power matters more than last decade’s small-ball bias in the current postseason math. The Brewers have quietly added Andrew Vaughn and Brice Turang to lengthen their lineup and boost slug, while San Diego’s late-season upgrades Ramon Laureano and Ryan O’Hearn bolster the middle of the order and provide plate discipline upfront. The Padres also rely on trio Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Gavin Sheets to supply the bulk of their power, while Jackson Merrill’s resurgence hints at upside on the mound.

This matchup isn’t about fluff; it’s about a shift in how teams win in October. The data show home runs correlate more strongly with World Series success than avoiding strikeouts, and the 2025 landscape favors power with contact. The Astros, Yankees, Dodgers, and Mariners are still poised to capitalize on that, but Milwaukee and San Diego are proving you can win with a composite of speed, defense, and big blasts when the lineup breathes and the bullpen holds the late innings.