In a league where deep pockets often dominate the headlines, Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio hates being called “We’re too small” or “We can’t do this.” After a 103-win season and a sweep of the $339 million Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS, Milwaukee has defied the odds to take a 1-0 World Series lead. Per Attanasio, being MLB’s smallest market by population and media reach has never been an excuse to fall behind.

Yet, as the Brewers continue to challenge baseball’s financial hierarchy, Attanasio believes the sport could benefit from a different economic system. One that gives smaller-revenue teams a fairer shot at winning it all, especially with another labor battle looming on the horizon.

“This has been our goal for 22 years: to compete. That said, I think the system that is being proposed, which is similar to other (sports) leagues in terms of a revenue-sharing system, not only will help us compete. But more importantly, all the teams with lower payrolls too, which is something I also think the fans want,” Front Office Sports quoted Attanasio.

Despite being a $154.7M payroll team in 2026, the Brewers managed to succeed, riding on their homegrown talents. However, as the team ended the 44-year drought to enter a World Series, Attanasio believes it might take another 44 years to repeat the same feat for a small-market team.

“It’s been 44 years. And I think there’s a sense in the community that it might be another 44 years,” the Brewers owner added. So, the small-market teams need more help from the league to create a sense of equality in terms of winning seasons. This is despite the fact that 19 of the 30 MLB teams have reached the World Series since 2008.

The opponents of the proposed salary cap and floor hoped that two low-payroll teams competing in the 2026 World Series would change the narrative. But the owners are still asking for an NFL-or NBA-like salary cap.

Well, an NFL-style hard salary cap and floor system would completely revolutionize MLB’s economics by forcing high-spending teams to slash their payrolls and low-spending teams to dramatically increase their investments.

For instance, MLB pitched a hard cap of $245.3 million starting in 2027. This means the big-market teams would be forced to immediately dump massive amounts of player salary through trades or releases. MLB owners also paired their cap proposal with a mandatory $171.2 million payroll floor.

So, for teams that have historically run payrolls below $100 million, a floor would mandate adding roughly $70 million to $90 million in player salaries annually. They would be forced to aggressively pursue mid-tier free agents, raising the financial baseline for the entire sport.

Moreover, an NFL-like cap means no single player can completely monopolize a team’s cap space. Another example of Juan Soto fetching a $62 million AAV from the New York Mets’ $347 million payroll could be avoided.

Per former MLB commissioner Bud Selig, the 2026 World Series may feature two low-payroll teams. But the need for a salary cap is real.

The Brewers’ heroic campaign can’t avoid MLB’s financial reality

“The challenges of a small market don’t just disappear because of this. But what’s happening is such a powerful statement about what this team has done. You have to make adjustments. The changes that [owners] are proposing are not only rational, but they’re essential.” Former MLB commissioner and Brewers owner Bud Selig batted for a salary cap.

The Brewers’ 2026 campaign may have proved that even a small-market team can dominate with proper planning. They still can’t sustain without a salary cap.

Most mid-and small-market teams regulate their budgets by signing average veterans to $10M–$15M per year contracts. Forced by their financial reality, the Brewers completely avoided this. Only seven players on the entire 2026 roster made $5 million or more. Instead of buying talent, they filled out the remaining spots with players earning at or near the league minimum.

Thus, the Brewers’ World Series qualification may have offered a breath of fresh air. But as per their owner, it doesn’t change the reality.