The Milwaukee Brewers will kick off their 2026 playoff run on Saturday against the San Diego Padres as the National League Division Series kicks off.
The first pitch between Milwaukee and San Diego will be thrown at 8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday night. It will be Jacob Misiorowski who throws the first pitch as the Brewers welcome the Padres to American Family Field. When it comes to the Brewers, there aren’t a lot of decisions that need to be made heading into the contest. The Brewers are healthy, for the most part, and should be very close to full strength. Joey Ortiz is still someone to watch, but Brewers manager Pat Murphy made it clear that the expectation is that the young infielder is going to be just fine for the series.
With Game 1 nearing, the one decision the Brewers will have to make is who plays right field? Do you roll with Sal Frelick or Luis Lara? Or, do you slot in Jake Bauers in right field and Andrew Vaughn at first base? The Padres are rolling with Robbie Ray on the hill in Game 1, who is a lefty.
Frelick is a lefty bat, Lara is a switch-hitter and Bauers is a lefty. It’s important to note that Bauers is the Brewers’ top power threat. He led the league with 26 home runs in 2026. While he struggled down the stretch, the Brewers need Bauers in the lineup. He slashed .215/.388/.400 in his final 21 games with three homers. He got on base at a high clip, but he slowed down from a power standpoint. But, still, this is a guy you need in the lineup. For Game 1, the best spot would be at first base.
Vaughn hasn’t played in a game since Sep. 19, due to illness. He should be good to go for the playoffs, but Milwaukee should ease him in. So, place Bauers at first base and then either Frelick or Lara in right field. Neither Frelick, nor Lara, was red-hot down the stretch.
Frelick batted .178 in his final 16 games of the season. Lara batted .188 in his final 17 games. Arguably, Lara should be in the lineup in Game 1 because he’s a switch-hitter. In the playoffs, matchups are even more important. Lara can give the Brewers another right-handed bat to slot in against Ray. Plus, of course, he’s elite defensively.
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