MILWAUKEE -- The Brewers and Padres share several similarities as they collide in the National League Division Series, beginning with Game 1 on Saturday at American Family Field.
Both franchises were founded in 1969. And although each team has become nearly perennial playoff entries during the current decade, both are still searching for their elusive first World Series championship.
Of course, only one club can advance to the NL Championship Series. Here are four keys to the series that could lead to one team getting a step closer to its ultimate objective -- winning it all.
Which great bullpen prevails?
The Brewers bullpen's 3.40 ERA was tops in the NL (third best in MLB), while the Padres' bullpen ranked third in the NL (fifth in MLB) with a 3.53 ERA.
The back of Milwaukee's 'pen has closer Trevor Megill, who was 30 of 33 in save chances, while top setup man Abner Uribe (1.97 ERA) has allowed four runs over his last 43 innings since May 15, which was the game after he blew a lead to San Diego by giving up a ninth-inning, three-run homer to Gavin Sheets in a loss.
"Those two guys have been wonderful back there," said Brewers manager Pat Murphy, who has a deep stable of multi-inning arms to bridge from starter to back-end relievers.
San Diego boasts the dominant triple-digit gas of closer Mason Miller with 38 saves in 41 chances in the regular season, plus one more in the NL Wild Card Series vs. the Cubs. Leading to Miller is one of the best lefty relievers in the game, Adrian Morejon. With filthy stuff, including a sinker that averages 99.5 mph, Morejon posted a 1.85 ERA over his last 34 innings since July 21, plus two scoreless innings in the Wild Card round.
"I think both teams are probably trying to play the same game -- get out to an early lead and let the bullpen handle it the rest of the way," Padres manager Craig Stammen said. "They have a great one from the last guy to the first guy. That's how we feel about our bullpen, too. It will be a tough series. There will probably be a lot of close games because of that."
Star-studded offense vs. best offense
The Brewers lack marquee superstars compared to the Padres but, led by Jackson Chourio, Jake Bauers and Brice Turang among others, they had the highest batting average (.258) in baseball during the regular season and scored the second-most runs despite being dead last in the NL in home runs.
"Home runs are thrown, in my opinion," Murphy said. "And you have to be ready when they are thrown. Maybe we weren't quite as ready as some other teams to hit them, or maybe we have a little less ability to hit them than other teams. But we've compensated in other areas."
Led by Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr., the Padres were 11th in average (.244) and eighth in homers in the NL. Their offense didn't truly come alive until after the All-Star break, which helped them have a 43-23 record in the second half that was bested only by the Brewers' 44-22 mark.
If the games are close, it could come down to which team executes best with runners in scoring position. During the regular season, Milwaukee had the best batting average in baseball for that split while San Diego was third.
"We're both deep, especially on the pitching end," Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts said. "Probably the one that executes more will be the winner of the series."
When the Padres swept the Brewers in a three-game mid-August series at Petco Park, Milwaukee was 3-for-28 with runners in scoring position. Bauers famously said then: "We need to chill the [bleep] out." The team did just that and often dominated opponents the rest of the season.
"If you're trying to force things in this game, it's not probably going to go your way,” Bauers said. "So I think I can speak for the lineup when I say a lot of the individual success has come from having confidence in the guys in front of you and behind you to either set the table or to come through if you don't. So I think as long as we lean on each other and we keep that faith in each other, we'll be just fine."
Younger guys vs. older guys
According to Baseball Reference, the Padres lineup's average age (29.4) is the fourth oldest in baseball this season, while Brewers pitchers (27.0) are the youngest.
If struggling Dustin May doesn't wind up starting in this series, the Brewers wouldn't have a starter that has started a game in the postseason. Game 1 starter Jacob Misiorowski (24) was in the bullpen for the playoffs last year and Game 2 starter Logan Henderson (24) was injured and not on the roster.
In the Padres’ lineup, Machado (34), Bogaerts (34), Tatis (27) and Ty France (32) have all been around the block more than a few times. Even 23-year-old Jackson Merrill has been playoff tested for each of the last three years.
"Hopefully experience matters to us," Stammen said. "They've got a great team. They've won a lot more games than we did this year. … [The Brewers'] talent speaks for itself and their ability to win games speaks for itself."
Although Milwaukee's lineup (27.4) is 12th youngest, the Brewers saw Cooper Pratt and Luis Lara debut as 21-year-olds midseason. Padres pitchers (29.5) are 16th youngest and one of their oldest pitchers, Robbie Ray (turned 35 on Thursday), is their Game 1 starter against Misiorowski.
"I don't think youth hurts us. I think youth helps us because these guys are forging their mindsets and creating their approach to the game," Murphy said. "I think youth, in a lot of ways, helps us."
Managerial experience
Murphy, 67, won NL Manager of the Year honors his first two years with Milwaukee and is a leading contender for a third in 2026. Stammen, 42, is a first-time manager at any level this year for San Diego.
"But there's a lot of guys in our organization that have poured into me this year that have been former managers, that have managed in the playoffs and can give me a lot of advice," Stammen said.
As is often the case in high-stakes playoff matchups, one astute decision or one wrong button pushed could seal either manager's postseason reputation.