The Milwaukee Brewers should be favored to win the 2026 World Series after taking down the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Division Series and the National League Championship Series.

While this is the case, the games have to be played. Just because the Brewers are the better team on paper doesn't mean that they are going to come out on top. Milwaukee is four wins away and needs to show what it can do on the field. The series begins on Friday. Here are three mistakes for Milwaukee to avoid ahead of Game 1.

Changing What Has Worked From A Matchups Perspective

Throughout the postseason so far, the Brewers have pushed all of the right buttons. From a lineup perspective, that has meant alternating in and out righties and lefties. Joey Ortiz and David Hamilton have both gotten time at third base and have both had success in their own way. When a lefty has been on the mound, we've seen Andrew Vaughn in the lineup and even Christian Yelich has sat a few times to begin games. Sal Frelick and Luis Lara have come in and out of right field depending on the hurler. And the list goes on.

If it's not broken, don't fix it. The Brewers have to keep this up. On Friday, it would be a surprise if the righty Drew Rasmussen wasn't on the hill. If he's on the hill, Hamilton and Lara should be in the lineup.

Don't Pull Jacob Misiorowski Too Early

Jacob Misiorowski is the likely 2026 National League Cy Young Award winner for a reason. Misiorowski was the best pitcher in baseball in 2026. So far in the postseason, he has made just two starts. He went four innings in his first outing and 4 1/3 innings in his second appearance. Now, of course, the bullpen has been amazing and has carried the load. But Misiorowski is fresh. This is the World Series now we're talking about. You need your stars to step up.

Now, of course, if Misiorowski blows up and struggles out of the gate, then you pull him. But this could end up being a longer series than the other ones. If you can put a little less strain on the bullpen early in the series, it will help in the long run.

Take In The Moment, But Wash It Away Quickly

It's going to be a special night at American Family Field on Friday. It's going to be the first World Series game played by the Brewers since 1982. But Milwaukee can't get caught up in the hype. There will be ceremonies and things of the nature, but the second first arrives, it's time to play. The Tampa Bay Rays are a tough team. Arguably, they're the closest thing to being the American League version of the Brewers. They play the game the right way. They're going to be tough to beat. If Milwaukee enters the series with anything other than its foot on the gas, it's going to be tough to take the Rays down.