As the 2026 regular season winds down, a poll of 16 executives and scouts around baseball found the National League viewed as stronger than the American League heading into October, according to the panel. No one affiliated with a contending team was included in the survey to limit bias.
The Milwaukee Brewers were the NL choice as the team to beat, receiving six votes in the poll. The Los Angeles Dodgers drew five votes, the Philadelphia Phillies four and the Chicago Cubs one, according to the results released by the panel.
Voters returned to Milwaukee largely because of its pitching, the panel said. While the Brewers’ team ERA sits about the same as a year ago, insiders cited an improved top end and a bullpen that ranks among the game’s best. “The Brewers’ offense — especially at home — can hang with anyone. They even hit home runs there,” an NL scout said. “With home-field advantage, I don’t worry about them scoring. But it’s Jacob Misiorowski and Logan Henderson that give me more confidence this time around than last year when I picked them. That one-two combo can hang with the Dodgers.” An NL executive added that Milwaukee’s young players do not appear fazed by the moment and that the club is “a little bit better in all phases plus has more pitching than a year ago.”
Other teams received support for different reasons. The Dodgers’ five votes reflected confidence in the club’s season-long approach; an NL executive said Los Angeles has “played it perfectly this year in terms of pressing down on the gas when needed and then backing off” and that securing a bye would leave them “in great shape.” The Phillies were noted for returning most of their core in 2026 and for a rotation that includes Cristopher Sanchez, Zack Wheeler and Jesus Luzardo, plus hitters such as Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber, according to an AL executive.
The panel also identified the Cubs as a potential threat. An AL executive pointed to Chicago’s offense and defense and called out a top starter in Clay Holmes, noting bullpen issues but stressing the importance of limiting long balls.
