Here we are again, Milwaukee Brewers fans. It’s magic number season.
The Brewers are in an enviable position with August right around the corner, owning a 5½-game lead in the National League Central and a 72-43 record that’s the best in Major League Baseball. Last year, the Brewers won a franchise-record 97 games.
Here’s what’s left to accomplish in 2026 (through games of Aug. 6):
What’s the Milwaukee Brewers’ magic number to secure a playoff spot?
It’s 42 to win the NL Central and 35 to clinch a playoff spot of any kind.
The latter is the number it would take for the Brewers to finish with a better record than the San Diego Padres, the first team currently outside the playoff field. The former number is what it would take to clinch a better record than the current top threat in the Central, the Cubs.
How is the ‘magic number’ calculated and what does it mean?
The magic number is the total number of outcomes that have to go right for a team to secure a playoff spot. That means any combination of Brewers wins or losses by the second-place team (the Cubs, for now) adding up to the magic number will do the trick.
It’s a pretty easy calculation. Take the overall number of games in a season (162 in this case), add one (we’ll tell you why in a second) for 163, subtract the wins of the first-place team (the Brewers have 72) and the losses of the nearest chasing competitor (the Cubs, in this case, have 49). Boom – you have the number 42 to win the Central.
You have to add one because the goal is to win outright and not simply finish with a tied record, so the extra digit means the calculation tells you the number to win the division or playoff spot outright, not merely finish in a tie. The Brewers can further strengthen their position by securing a season tiebreaker, too, so the tie would be just as good as the outright lead.
How close are the Milwaukee Brewers to a first-round bye?
The top two division winners by record earn first-round byes in the National League playoffs. At the moment, those teams are the Brewers (72-43, two games ahead of the Braves and three games ahead of the Dodgers) and Braves (70-45, one game ahead of the Dodgers).
The Brewers trail the season series against the Dodgers, 2-1, with four games to play, and trail the Braves, 2-1, with three games to play.
If the season ended today, would the Milwaukee Brewers have a playoff spot?
Heavens, yes. They have a 5½-game lead in the division and would win the Central, securing the No. 1 seed in the NL playoff field. That would give the Brewers a first-round bye and a meeting with the No. 4 seed or No. 5 seed, both wild card teams. That would be the Chicago Cubs or Philadelphia Phillies today.
The Brewers have never led by this many games this late in the season and not won the division. The 2014 team that famously collapsed only had a three-game lead July 26. The 2022 team reached a four-game lead July 30 before things went south.
Would the Milwaukee Brewers’ record be good enough for a wild-card spot if they weren’t winning the Central?
Obviously. If we imagine a team passed the Brewers in the Central standings, they’d still have the top wild-card record.
The top wild card finisher (No. 4 seed) will essentially have the same postseason plight as the lowest division winner (the No. 3 seed), hosting a best-of-three playoff series in the first round against another playoff team.
Are the Milwaukee Brewers on track to set a franchise record for wins?
The Brewers (72-43) are on pace to win 101 games, which would surpass the franchise record for wins (97) set in 2025.
The Brewers need to finish 26-21 to get the record (98 wins). If they finish .500 the rest of the way (24-23), they’ll end up 96-68.
Who’s in the MLB playoffs if the season ended today?The Brewers (72-43) and Braves (70-45) and would have a first-round bye.The Brewers would play the winner of a wild-card series between the fourth-seeded Cubs (67-49) and the fifth-seeded Philadelphia Phillies (62-54)The Braves would play the winner of the third-seeded Los Angeles Dodgers (69-46) and the sixth-seeded Arizona Diamondbacks (61-55)The San Diego Padres (60-56) are one game back.In the American League, the playoff teams would be the Tampa Bay Rays (68-46), Chicago White Sox (59-55), Houston Astros (59-57), New York Yankees (64-51), Boston Red Sox (63-51) and Texas Rangers (57-58). The Cleveland Guardians (57-59) and Minnesota Twins (57-59) are ½ game back. The Baltimore Orioles (56-59) and Detroit Tigers (56-59) are one game back.How are the Milwaukee Brewers’ top contenders faring?
The Brewers have the fourth-hardest remaining strength of schedule (according to opponent winning percentage). Milwaukee is 6-4 in its last 10 games and 13-7 in its last 20. The Brewers’ next opponents are the Minnesota Twins at home and San Diego Padres on the road, and both teams are clawing for a playoff spot.
Atlanta Braves
Record: 70-45 (No. 2 seed)Last 10: 8-2Last 20: 15-5Remaining strength of schedule: third-hardestWho’s next on the schedule? at New York Yankees, vs. New York MetsHeadline of note: The hottest team in baseball outside of Boston has won eight straight games, with Matt Olson putting up an MVP caliber season.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Record: 69-46 (No. 3 seed)Last 10: 2-8Last 20: 8-12Remaining strength of schedule: 22nd-hardestWho’s next on the schedule? at Arizona, vs. Kansas CityHeadline of note: Two Shohei Ohtani homers and comeback effort falls short in Wrigley sweep Aug. 5, and the Dodgers have lost six straight games.
Chicago Cubs
Record: 67-49 (No. 4 seed)Last 10: 7-3Last 20: 13-7Remaining strength of schedule: second-hardestWho’s next on the schedule? at Kansas City, at WashingtonHeadline of note: Alex Bregman’s home run down to the team’s last strike ignited an extra-innings victory Aug. 6, as the Cubs have won four straight and continue to play great baseball.
Philadelphia Phillies
Record: 62-54 (No. 5 seed)Last 10: 5-5Last 20: 9-11Remaining strength of schedule: sixth-hardestWho’s next on the schedule? vs. Toronto, at St. LouisHeadline of note: Philadelphia churns out eight doubles in 16 hits Aug. 6 and deliver a blow to Washington’s playoff aspirations.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Record: 61-55 (No. 6 seed)Last 10: 6-4Last 20: 12-8Remaining strength of schedule: 12th-hardestWho’s next on the schedule? vs. Los Angeles Dodgers, vs. ColoradoHeadline of note: After a 10-run outburst the night before, bats go quiet against San Diego on Aug. 6 in a battle against direct playoff competition.
San Diego Padres
Record: 60-56 (one game out of playoff spot)Last 10: 7-3Last 20: 12-8Remaining strength of schedule: 11th-hardestWho’s next on the schedule? vs. Houston, vs. MilwaukeeHeadline of note: Rehab for starter Nick Pivetta has a hiccup, but Padres split series with Diamondbacks and continue to hover in playoff chase.
This story has been updated to add new information.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What’s the Brewers’ magic number to make the playoffs? Where they sit
Reporting by JR Radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
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