Marlo Aberdein
Crimson Chronicle Reporter
We’re all familiar with the Dodgers. Formerly known as the Brooklyn Dodgers, L.A’s baseball team won the 2024 World Series, and as the Series approaches again this year, four teams are battling for the two spots in the competition. Currently playing for the National League spot are the Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers.
The first MLB baseball game I ever went to was during the summer of this year, and the Brewers were versing the Dodgers. I went to two games of this face-off, and both times the Brewers won. In fact, according to StatMuse, between July 7 and July 20, the Brewers beat the Dodgers every time.
The main reason for this is because of their great defense. The Dodgers are a team primarily known for their offense, and their most famous player, Shohei Ohtani. What the Brewers don’t have in the batting area, they make up for in the field. It was always a let down whenever the Dodgers got a hit, but the Brewers would either immediately catch it, or quickly run and pass it down to the base the player was running to. As per Sports Info Solutions, in 2024, “they were the most skilled defensive team in the NL,” and looking at StatMuse again, they were also number one in the 2025 season.
Justin Nichols, a former citizen of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, brought up another good point when considering the team’s other strengths.
“The fun answer is the ‘Power of Friendship’,” Nichols said.
This was a reference to an earlier interview with the Brewers in USA Today, when Brewers closer Trevor Megill first dropped the phrase to explain why the team fights so hard for each other.
“They see value in players and that other teams don’t,” Nichols said, “Sign them and then train them to be the best version of themselves.”
The team works together, and tries their hardest for each other, which is rarer among the better funded teams, that put all their money on offensive players like Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.
This brings up a third point. The team is easier to like when they don’t have buckets of money. I personally don’t know any other people outside of L.A who root for the Dodgers. I also don’t know anyone outside of New York City who root for the Yankees. The Dodgers and Yankees are the most funded teams, which is why they have all of the best players, people who, for the most part, were already good at playing when they were recruited. The Brewers certainly aren’t ‘underdogs’— they’re number one in the Central National League, according to the MLB website —but in a sense, they are still the little guys. Needless to say, everyone roots for the little guys.
On a more personal note, my family on my mom’s side grew up rooting for the Brewers. My mom lived in Milwaukee for a lot of her youth and so did my uncles: Justin Nichols is one of them. I’d argue another reason why the Brewers are a good team is because they’re more family friendly. Although ticket prices can vary based on things like player appearances, opponents and events, the average cost of a Dodgers game ticket is $181, says Vivid Seats “Inaugural 2025 MLB Fan Loyalty Report” which includes data from as long ago as February this year. The average ticket price for a Brewers game is $76, according to Yahoo Sports. From this data, we can understand that the Brewers aren’t only a good team, but are more family friendly and accessible than the Dodgers, as well as a lot of other teams.
In conclusion, the Brewers strong defense, teamwork, underdog status and their friendlier ticket prices make them hard not to root for. When looking at this, it makes them a lot easier to like, even for the biggest Dodger fans! Consider this next time you watch a game, and remember the power of friendship!
