Dodgers fans actually have an argument to make in payroll debate with Brewers

As the Los Angeles Dodgers have gone up 2-0 over the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS, the big-spending behemoth versus resourceful underdog narrative just won't die.

The media has tried every angle to spin this against the Dodgers, hoping for it to serve as a distraction. Case in point, Blake Snell's average annual salary of $36.4 million is more expensive than the entire Brewers' pitching staff.

As the discourse grows louder, Dodgers fans have done everything in their power to deflect and reframe the conversation. Milwaukee, after all, posted the best record in the sport in 2025 at 97-65. They've had their own forays into spending, like the seven-year, $188.5 million contract they doled out to Christian Yelich ahead of the 2020 season.

Simply put, any team can spend like the Dodgers if they invest the same way Los Angeles's ownership does, but with regard to the Brewers in particular, a deeper dive into the numbers shows that they could likely be spending a whole lot more.

Dodgers fans can end the payroll debate with the Brewers by using two simple numbers

Yes, Los Angeles is a big media market, but with that comes competition. While the Los Angeles Angels don't play in the city proper, Orange County isn't that far away, and the market is split between the two teams.

Furthermore, in LA, there's no shortage of things to do. This is the home of Hollywood, with entertainment and attractions on every corner. Despite this, the Dodgers have built up a brand and become the draw in the City of Angels, regularly leading the MLB in home attendance.

But when you look at attendance figures, you'll see that the Milwaukee Brewers aren't that far down the list, coming in 12th at the gate during the 2025 season. That's not unique to this season, either. The small market club typically comes in between 10th and 15th place in annual attendance numbers.

With average to above-average ticket sales, one would expect an average to above-average payroll, right?

Wrong. Milwaukee's 2025 payroll of $115,136,227 came in 23rd in baseball. Quite the discrepancy, isn't it?

On a dollar-for-dollar basis, no one tops what the Dodgers do in terms of re-investing their revenue into the product on the field. While some may point to global stars like Shohei Ohtani, it was the infrastructure that was already built that lured Ohtani to the Dodgers, not the other way around.

That means any team could recreate this if they worked at it and had the heart to risk profits to win championships. The first step is what you do with the ticket sales revenue. In the case of the Brewers, it looks like a nice chunk of change goes back into ownership's pockets while the rest of the league is ready to rally around them to cry poor. As the numbers show, that just isn't the case.