For the first time in 46 years, two teams who are looking for their franchise’s first World Series win are set to meet in the World Series. The Milwaukee Brewers vs Tampa Bay Rays matchup will mark the 8th occurrence like this in MLB postseason history.

The full list is:

2026 Milwaukee vs Tampa Bay,

1980 Kansas City vs Philadelphia

1920 Cleveland vs Brooklyn (Dodgers)

1909 Detroit vs Pittsburgh

1907 Chicago Cubs vs Detroit*

1906 Chicago Cubs vs Chicago White Sox*

1905 Philadelphia (Athletics) vs New York (Giants)*

1903 Boston vs Pittsburgh*

*First 4 World Series ever

But it is the first World Series of its kind where both teams have been waiting over 25 years for their first World Series win. This World Series is also the 6th between teams with the best record in their leagues in the Wild Card era, joining:

2024: Yankees/Dodgers

2020: Rays/Dodgers

2013: Red Sox/Cardinals

1999: Yankees/Braves

1995: Cleveland/Braves

This could also be the first MLB postseason after the addition of the Wild Card series where every series was won by the team with a higher win percentage. For that to happen the Brewers would have to win the World Series as they finished with a .636 win percentage and the Rays finished with a .605 win percentage. Both the Brewers and the Rays finished atop of their respective leagues making this the 15th World Series matchup to feature the American League leader and the National League leader in the divisional era.

For the Brewers, this ends a 44-year World Series drought since they got swept by St. Louis in 1982. Then for the Rays, they last appeared in the World Series during the shortened 2020 season where they lost in six games vs the Dodgers. However, across both Milwaukee and Tampa’s roster only three players have appeared in a World Series game. For the Rays, DH/1B Yandy Díaz took 12 ABs in the Rays 2020 WS appearance (4-12 / .333 AVG / 1 3B / 1 RBI / 2 BB) and RHP Steven Matz appeared in the 2015 WS with the Mets, posting a 3.60 era in 5 innings pitched (back when he was a starter). Then for the Dodgers Dustin May has appeared in 2 WS games, in the same series as Díaz, posting a 9.00 ERA in 3 IP. That’s the fewest combined games of WS experience for any World Series starting with the fourth edition (1907). So, there’s no team with an “experience advantage.”

Now that the traditional way too much information in the form of stats and fun facts that baseball has to offer out of the way, here are the two teams.

Milwaukee Brewers (103-59 – 1st in NL)

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For the first time in their franchise’s 56 years of existence, this was their first 100-win season. Their record of 103-59 was also not just the best record in the National League but the best in the league. Their second-best record was set last year at 97-65, and in that postseason, they got swept by the Dodgers in the NLCS. However, this year they would become the first team in MLB postseason history to get swept by a team in one postseason and then sweep that same team in the following postseason. The Dodgers came into this season, and this postseason, as the favorite to win the World Series for the third season in the row, but the Brewers instead handed them their first 7-game postseason series sweep since the 1966 World Series. Prior to that series, they clinched in 4 games vs the San Diego Padres in the NLDS.

Throughout the regular season, the Brewers ranked in the top ten of the main offense and defense categories except for the long ball. They ranked 28th in the league for total home runs at 154 home runs. However, they actually lead the playoffs with 10 home runs through 8 games. Their catcher William Contreras is tied for the second-most home runs this postseason with three and has the fifth best batting average this postseason batting .367. As a team, they also lead in batting average, batting .250 with 65 hits (tied for 3rd this playoffs). They also have the second most walks this postseason with 34, and they’ve been taking some great at-bats this postseason. Specifically Jake Bauers who worked a 12 pitch at-bat and turned it into a walk in game 2 of the NLCS (12th walk of its kind in postseason history) and then in game 3 turned an 11-pitch at-bat into a lead-taking home run becoming the second player with an 11+ pitch PA in consecutive games within a postseason.

On the pitching side of things, their bullpen has been lights out this postseason. Through 40 2/3 postseason innings, their bullpen has a 1.33 ERA allowing just 22 hits and 14 walks, with 38 strikeouts. Aaron Ashby is having one of the best postseason performances ever, with 12⅓ scoreless innings. This has been crucial for them as their starters haven’t been able to make it deep into games.

For game 1, the probable NL Cy Young winner Jacob Misiorowski will take the bump for the Brewers and most likely will set some velocity records.

Fastest World Series pitches under tracking (2008):

By anyone: 103.2 mph, 2016 Aroldis Chapman (only one 103.0+ mph)

By a starter: 101.1 mph, 2015 Noah Syndergaard (only one 101.0+ mph)

His first and second pitches to start this postseason were 104.8 mph and 104.6 mph. So, there is a chance he breaks both these records on the first pitch of the game.

However, velocity isn’t everything. Misiorowski has yet to go five innings or more in either of his two postseason starts. His fastball is not nearly as dangerous as it was in the regular season. Throughout the regular season he had a 40.2 WHIFF% on it with a .174 BAA. So far this postseason that has dropped to a 16.1 WHIFF% and a .364 BAA. But, during the regular season Tampa Bay had the 29th-ranked OPS against 98-mph-plus fastballs. "They're going to see a lot of fastballs, and they know it," one scout said. "Which is going to make the off-speed even more dangerous. They will chase."

Tampa Bay Rays (98-64 – 1^st in AL)

After being counted out by many news outlets and sports analysts, instead of being 5th in the AL East as predicted they finished 1st in not just the AL East but the entire American League. The Rays embarrassed the New York Yankees sweeping them in the ALDS and then won in six vs the Guardians in the ALCS.

Both the Brewers and the Rays had the same batting average in the regular season which led the league, but both teams were in the bottom half of the league for the long ball. However, the Rays ranked higher sitting at 22nd in the league, hitting a total of 169 home runs (Junior Caminero, Yandy Díaz, and Jonathan Aranda accounted for 86 of them). And, when they outhomered their opponent in both the regular season and the postseason, they had a 51-2 record. That’s the best record when doing so in a season since at least 1900, including postseason (min 20 games). This postseason they have the 3rd best batting average at .232 and are tied for the 3rd most home runs with seven.

The Rays are one of the best teams in the league at putting the ball in play. They led the majors in contact rate and posted the lowest strikeout rate during the regular season. They bunt more than everyone else, and they swipe bags whenever possible. They lead the postseason with 11 stolen bases, and the Brewers are right behind them with 10.

The Rays have the best four starter rotation in the postseason with their staters combining for a 1.98 era. Drew Rasmussen has logged at least six innings in each of his three starts. Freddy Peralta has allowed two runs in his four outings, which includes a two-out relief appearance in Game 4 of the ALCS. Nick Martinez allowed one run over 5⅓ innings in Game 4 before Peralta relieved him. They need their starters to go deep into outings as their bullpen is not nearly as strong as the Brewers. Subtracting closer Bryan Baker's seven scoreless innings becoming the second postseason pitcher to only allow one hit across seven scoreless innings, the rest of Tampa's bullpen has a 4.70 ERA this postseason.

The Game 1 starter for the Rays is Nick Martinez, who, at 36 years & 79 days old, will be the oldest pitcher to make his World Series debut by starting Game 1 since 2004, when Tim Wakefield (38y 82d) and Woody Williams (38y 65d) did so opposite each other. Game 1 that year was also October 23 which is a fun coincidence.

This pitching choice for Game 1 is strategic as instead of having their ace in Drew Rasmussen lined up for Game 1, they have him set for Game 2. With their ALCS MVP, Freddy Peralta, lined up for Game 3. This puts their top two pitchers in line for games 6 + 7 if necessary.

Back to Martinez, he is coming off an all-star season with a 3.10 ERA (3.96 FIP), a 15.1 K% and league leading 3.6 BB% over a career high 180 innings pitched. So far this postseason he has only appeared in two games, allowing three runs on seven hits over 9 IP.

Many baseball fans have been complaining about this matchup as there is no real “villain” due to neither of these teams ever winning a World Series. However, if you love the game of baseball this is going to be one fun series. Both teams have similar styles of play and level of talent. Between the pitching matchups, the small ball and long ball aspects of both team’s style of play and the sense of energy that will surround each game, it is going to make this series cinematic. Even if it is two “small market” teams in it. Just a reminder, people complained when it was Dodgers vs Yankees because it was two “big market” teams. Now it may be tough to top last year's World Series, especially with the drama that surrounded it, but this one has the chance to be just as entertaining.

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