For a decent projection of the 2026 World Series matchup, the natural first place to look is at how the Brewers and Rays matched up in the regular season. And thankfully for Milwaukee, the results point in their favor. The Brew Crew won two of their three regular-season games against the Rays, all in America's Dairyland, by a nine-run margin — Milwaukee scored 16 runs to Tampa Bay's seven.
Granted, this was so long ago that both teams look completely different by now. They haven't faced each other since early April, and the Rays have undergone a major transformation since that fateful World Series preview. Their bullpen has pulled itself together, and offensively, this team has found a rhythm that will be hard to stymie.
Nonetheless, there are still details to pull from that series that'll surely reflect on this year's World Series matchup and hopefully give us a sign of what's to come.
1. Brewers need to ride the hot hands of William Contreras and Jake Bauers to beat the Rays.
The NLCS MVP, Jake Bauers, began his emergence as Milwaukee's breakout offensive hero with an electric series against the Rays, hitting three balls and scoring three runs, including a home run, in 10 at-bats versus Tampa Bay. The same could be said for star catcher William Contreras, who rocked four hits, including a home run for two RBIs in 12 chances in that series.
It's only right for Bauers and Contreras to finish their season the same way they started it — cooking at the plate against the Rays, with all the confidence in the world and the support of Milwaukee behind them. It's almost certainly a recipe for offensive success.
2. Brice Turang can change the narrative of his playoffs facing Tampa Bay in the World Series.
It hasn't been an easy postseason run for one of the best second basemen in baseball, despite showing his chops defensively as an elite fielder in a vital position. But offensively, Turang has struggled in the postseason, batting just .222 for six hits in 27 plate appearances. But if he can channel some of what worked for him in the regular season against Tampa Bay, when he hit three balls in eight at-bats for four RBIs and three walks, he can wipe the slate clean and start anew.
3. If history repeats itself, Milwaukee's pitchers don't need to be perfect to win against the Rays.
These weren't the best games for the Brewers' bullpen, allowing multiple runs in every game and seven in the series. But Milwaukee's steadfast defense and consistent strikeout potential kept them in every game, every inning, limiting Tampa Bay's explosive innings that helped them get to this point in the postseason.
Starters Jacob Misiorowski and Logan Henderson allowed a combined eight hits in 11 innings, but only three earned runs in total. And frankly, they should both be far more confident and prepared for this outing than they were in their first go-around against the Rays. So if they can channel some of that same energy, the Brewers have a serious shot at winning their first World Series in franchise history.
Add us as a preferred source on Google