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The so-called "I-94 Rivalry", which pits our Chicago Cubs against the Milwaukee Brewers, is one of the more underrated matchups in baseball. Even in an historic campaign for the Brewers—one no doubt given extra fuel in the wake of the legendary Bob Uecker's passing—the Cubs have more than held their own versus Pat Murphy's club. Pointing to as many examples as you'd like, including the extremely fluky and unfortunate concussion to Owen Caissie, the Cubs have stared down and risen above constant adversity, especially in the second half of 2025. But through persistent ailments, hitting slumps, and other miscellaneous calamities, the North Siders have found their identity, and found their groove, while their foes up across the state line dig through a quickly emptying bag of tricks for more magic.
While almost certainly on their way to another NL Central title, the Milwaukee Brewers, as many clubs do, have gotten multiple bites from the injury bug. During the course of a marathon 162-game season, attrition is bound to set in, and injuries are inevitable. Having the depth to rest players and recharge both their stamina and their mental health serves any contender toward piecing together the right formula for postseason success. The Brewers' depth is being tested. Trevor Megill became the Crew's new shutdown closer after the offseason departure of Devin Williams. Before going down with a right flexor injury, Megill had racked up 30 saves. I don't care how much good karma or juju you've got as a squad; that's a big number to simply replace with the "next man up". While their starting pitching has been sensational, stars like Freddy Peralta and Jacob Misiorowski have started to reveal vulnerabilities in their game.
For every player the Brewers have on a heater, the North Siders can counter with heat of their own. Forced to rely on a rotating stable of youngsters to come up in clutch situations, boppers like Moises Ballesteros possess a rare, eye-opening presence in the batter's box, delivering massive hits, as he did in the club's recent series against the Tampa Bay Rays. He's supplemented the superb Nico Hoerner, who appears to have late October on his mind. Hoerner and his .353 average with runners in scoring position are extraordinary, and he's not doing it by luck. He has great vision and knows how to really square up the ball.
If the Cubs win their Wild Card matchup, they're going to have a ball in the NLDS, splashing champagne in either their own home locker room or the visitor's one at American Family Field. Why do I say that with such confidence, bordering on defiance? Because the North Siders are a better team. Where the Brewers have gotten "high off their own supply" since the early days of summer, the Cubs have trudged through every setback put in their way, building a tough muscle memory perfectly suited for playoff baseball. If none of this were enough for you, the Cubs took the season series 7-6 from Milwaukee. The Cubs managed to take 3 of 5 from the Brew Crew in that mid-August, super-sized meeting, and they're closer to full strength now than they were then.
It's late September and we really should be back in school. Here in class, you'd be surprised to find out that it is the Chicago Cubs who are, in fact, the instructor, and the Milwaukee Brewers are the student. While that student is an awfully quick study, the even-keeled, calculated methods of their instructor on the North Side of Chicago, is teaching a masterclass in perseverance and chemistry. Class has started on time, and has Craig Counsell in a surprising advanced placement. There is still so much work to do before making the grade, and the Brewers will be the toughest test yet, but the Cubs will pass the test with flying autumn colors.
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