May 12, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; The 1995 World Series trophy on the field in honor of former Atlanta Braves owner Ted Turner and former manager Bobby Cox before a game against and Chicago Cubs at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The 2026 World Series creeps ever closer.
Both teams participated in World Series Media Day on Thursday before the action finally gets underway Friday night in Milwaukee.
Which team are you pulling for to win its first World Series? Personally, a good friend of mine is a diehard Rays fan so I’m throwing my weight behind Tampa Bay to beat Milwaukee.
For those who will be watching even with the Braves not involved for the fifth straight year, here’s an appetizer MLB posted on its YouTube account Thursday.
And for those who are only particularly interested in watching when the Braves are involved, the timestamp you’re looking for is 47:30.
James Hoye has been named the crew chief of the nine-umpire crew that will work this year's Fall Classic, Major League Baseball announced on Thursday, Oct. 22. There are seven MLB umpires assigned to the field with a rotation each game that will ensure a different person is behind home plate. There are also two MLB umpires assigned to manage the league's replay system throughout the series.
The Brewers and Rays are set to open the 2026 World Series with Game 1 in Milwaukee on Friday. Here's a look at the umpires selected to work the series and their assignments for each game:
MILWAUKEE, WI - OCTOBER 13: Hall of Famer Robin Yount embraces Ryan Braun after delivering the ceremonial first pitch prior to Game One of the National League Championship Series presented by loanDepot between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Monday, October 13, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Aaron Gash/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
After the Brewers clinched the pennant, the first person I reached out to was my dad.
My father was born and raised in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. He’s been a Brewers fan his entire life, no doubt a consequence of coming of age during the franchise’s glory years in the late ’70s and early ’80s. When I was a kid, he’d tell me about (and show me highlights of) players like Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, Sal Bando, and Rollie Fingers.
In 1982, he was 15, and the Brewers were the best team he’d ever seen. Yount was at short, Molitor at third, Gantner at second, and his cousin Tom was Bernie Brewer. If he had friends he wanted to impress, he’d have Tom wave at him from the top of the slide.
My dad had been going to games at Milwaukee County Stadium for years thanks to his uncle, who would take him whenever he didn’t have school. But that fall, his sister took him to see the Brewers play the Angels in the ALCS. The Brewers beat the Angels, but they went on to lose the World Series to the Cardinals in seven games. I asked him whether that loss took the air out of him.
“If anything, it made me more of a fan,” he said. The Brewers were still a great team, one of the best in baseball, and to him, it looked like they had what it took to win a World Series. They’d make it back soon enough.
But slowly, those late ’70s and early ’80s Brewers teams fell apart. While Yount and Molitor remained, Gorman Thomas and Don Money were gone by the end of the ’83 season, Don Sutton by the end of ’84, Fingers by ’86, and Ben Oglivie by ’87.
From 1988 to 2007, the Brewers won 90 games just once and finished under .500 more often than not. As my dad got older, his fandom faded a little, too. He went to college, moved away, and spent much of those 20 years working, preoccupied with more immediate concerns than the Brewers’ record. Baseball is magical, but it’s easier to see the magic when you’re a kid. He never stopped being a fan, but the love he’d had for those late ’70s and early ’80s teams didn’t quite return. Not until I came along.
He showed me the Brewers, and somewhere along the way, I fell in love with them on my own.
We visited family in Milwaukee in 2007, and my dad took me to a game at Miller Park, the first baseball game I ever saw in person. Rickie Weeks hit a walk-off single, and that was it: I was officially a Brewers fan, too. What my dad felt as a kid watching Yount and Molitor, I felt watching Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun, Yovani Gallardo, and Rickie Weeks.
And because I cared about the Brewers, he started caring about them again, too. When he’d pick me up from school or take me to practice, he’d already have the Brewers game on the radio. He’d given me the team. Without meaning to, I gave it back.
I was six years old in 2008, the year my dad really got back into the Brewers. He remembers the CC Sabathia trade fondly, as many fans do. CC only pitched half a season in Milwaukee, but that run was unforgettable. More than that, as my dad put it, it was the “first time in (his) memory that he ever saw the Brewers go after a big name midseason.” That team felt different from the teams that came before it.
As I fell in love with Fielder, Braun, Nyjer Morgan, and the 2011 squad, he did too. That team didn’t make it to the World Series, and neither did the 2018 team or the 2025 team, but our love for the Brewers never wavered. Whether or not the Brewers were doing well, we made a point of watching every game we could together.
Sometimes that meant complaining about the roster and praying for a .500 season, and sometimes it meant hoping the Brewers would finally make it back to the World Series. As every season ended in heartbreak, some more than others, the hope my dad had had for the 1982 team stayed with him, and with me. Someday, maybe next season, they’d be back in the World Series.
Now, for the first time since my dad was 15, the Brewers are back in the World Series. This year’s team is also different. My dad, who watched the ’82 team in person, says it’s the most fun Brewers team he’s ever seen. He loves Pat Murphy and thinks Murphy has them playing “as a team” more than any other version of the Brewers he’s seen. No one player is bigger than the team, and no one lets his ego change the dynamic. No matter who’s in the starting lineup, it’s all the Brewers. He loves the small ball, too: “four hits in an inning instead of waiting around for someone to hit a homer.”
I asked him what it would mean if they finally won it.
“Like many people have said: just one before I die.”
I’m in my hometown for the playoffs for the first time since 2019, so I’ve been watching almost every game with him at my parents’ house. As is often the case with parents, my dad and I don’t always know what to say to each other. When the Brewers are on, we never have to figure it out.
It turns out that works with strangers, too. During last year’s playoffs, I met a guy wearing a Brewers hat in an airport in Portugal, of all places. We were both jet-lagged and tired, but we immediately flashed each other a smile and struck up a conversation about the team. We didn’t have to explain anything. We both knew about 1982, 2011, 2018, the Cardinals, the Cubs, and the Dodgers, and we all know how rare this is.
I wasn’t home for the clincher. I was at the game in Los Angeles. After the final out, I was outside Dodger Stadium high-fiving people I’d never met and will never see again. I saw Yount jerseys, Braun jerseys, Morgan jerseys, Ben Sheets jerseys. Even a Norichika Aoki jersey. In Los Angeles. For a franchise that’s never won a World Series, fans find each other.
It was the first postseason game I’d ever been to; I was both elated to be there and sad I couldn’t watch it with him. So I texted him from the Dodger Stadium bleachers. He wrote back:
“So glad you got to see it. So sad I am not with you.”
“Here in spirit,” I responded.
I’m grateful to the Brewers for always giving me a reason to reach out to him. I’ll be watching every World Series game with him, hoping he gets to see one before he dies. This time, I’ll be there with him.
Because for us, and for so many Brewers fans, the Brewers are more than just a baseball team.
Will Venable has plenty to smile about after leading the White Sox to the postseason in his second year as manager. | (Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
The 2026 White Sox broke through the national recognition barrier that has haunted them as a team with a small-market reputation and the figurative youngest child in Chicago baseball. Sporting News named Will Venable AL Manager of the Year and tapped Chase Meidroth for the AL All-Star team, in voting by fellow managers and players, respectively.
Venable became the first manager in MLB history to lead a team to the postseason after the Sox posted back-to-back 100-plus-loss seasons. Although South Siders may scoff at their underwhelming September, no other team has won 84 games after losing 100-plus games in three consecutive years. Venable kept the Sox atop the AL Central for 96 days and became the third manager since 1901 to oversee a 19-plus-win improvement in consecutive seasons, excluding 2020 and strike seasons. Applause is especially warranted considering the Sox started 11-17 in the first month of the 2026 season.
Sporting News’ award makes Venable the sixth Sox manager to earn the title, alongside Ozzie Guillén (2005), Jerry Manuel (2000), Jeff Torborg (1990), Tony La Russa (1983) and Chuck Tanner (1972).
Though Meidroth made less history, everyone felt his impact on the field. The 25-year-old slashed .276/.350/.415 in 154 games and led AL second basemen in hits, walks, runs scored, doubles, total bases (235) and slugging percentage while ranking second in average, on-base percentage and OPS (.765). His 4.5 WAR this year was the highest among all Sox second basemen in the 21st century and the best performance at the keystone since Nellie Fox in 1959 (6.1 WAR).
Meidroth is a Gold Glove Award finalist and the second Sox second baseman named a Sporting News All-Star, and the first Chicago infielder since José Abreu in 2020 to earn the honor.
The Sox will keep basking in the glow of their pleasantly unexpected season while the World Series plays out. Even as chatter shifts to next year, Venable and Meidroth will remain cornerstones of Chicago’s near-term future.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal throws against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. AP Photo/Jeff Chiu
During an end-of-season press conference on Wednesday, less than a week removed from the team’s sweep at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman carefully sidestepped a question about Skubal, saying a lot of words that offered no substantive indication of the club’s urgency level to potentially re-sign him.
“It’s not easy for a guy to get traded in the middle of a season to come to a new city, new clubhouse,” Friedman said. “You have set routines, and you have to make those adjustments.”
“The way he was able to seamlessly transition, not just in terms of on the field, but in the clubhouse, I can’t say enough good things about the impact that he made in such a short period of time,” Friedman said. “We have a tremendous amount of respect for him on and off the field.”
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026, in Los Angeles. Wally Skalij for CA Post
What Friedman didn’t do, however, was say that the Dodgers would be all-in on Skubal this winter, or that they would do whatever it takes to lock him up in a free agency process that is expected to end with the soon-to-be 30-year-old breaking Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s record guarantee of $325 million for a pitcher.
Still, by playing it coy Wednesday, Friedman allowed a vacuum of speculation to develop about exactly where the Dodgers will stand in the Skubal sweepstakes.
“He’s put himself in this position to go out and be a free agent,” Friedman said, acknowledging only that the club will have conversations with Skubal’s agent, Scott Boras, going into the winter. “He and his family have to make a choice over where they want to spend the next X number of years, and obviously we wish him nothing but the best.”
Granted, it’s still extremely early in the offseason. And as the Dodgers have shown the last couple winters, they can never be counted out for a top free-agent target (remember when they were supposedly not going to break the bank for Kyle Tucker?).
At this point, however, there have been questions from some corners of the industry about the Dodgers’ willingness to give Skubal the lengthy, lucrative contract he will be seeking.
Los Angeles Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten, left, chats with president of baseball operations Andrew Freeman before a game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026, in Los Angeles. Wally Skalij for CA Post
The team already has ample future financial commitments tied up to Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and others. Even without Skubal, they will have one of the majors’ best rotations next year, assuming Justin Wrobleski and Roki Sasaki continue to develop, and Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow can avoid the injury problems that have plagued them the past few years.
Much could depend on the league’s looming CBA negotiations, which might result in a salary cap –– or some other drastic changes to the sport’s economic structure –– following a lockout all but certain to commence on Dec. 1.
It’s unclear if Skubal will try to sign a new contract before then; with the Mets, Cubs, Angels and Yankees all seen as potential suitors, among others.
It’s also unclear how the Dodgers’ approach to long-term payroll might change depending on what the new CBA entails.
That’s why, for now, the club will remain the ultimate wild card in his free-agency process.
They have the resources to swing a record-breaking deal if they want. They have a track record of getting aggressive for players they feel swing their World Series chances. But if they are planning an all-out press to re-sign Skubal, they aren’t tipping their hand yet.
“We’re still wrapping our arms around our off-season plan and strategy and timing of things,” Friedman said.
His cards, once again, were staying glued to his chest.
MILWAUKEE — The Tampa Bay Rays had ace Drew Rasmussen available on regular rest to start Game 1 of the World Series.
But Rasmussen on extra rest is even more dominant. And that made it a relatively easy decision for Rays manager Kevin Cash to skip Rasmussen and name right-hander Nick Martinez his World Series Game 1 starter.
Martinez, 36, will oppose Milwaukee Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski in the Friday, Oct. 23 opener at American Family Field. Martinez is coming off a strong 5 ⅓-inning, two-hit, one-run start against the Cleveland Guardians in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series, tying it 2-2.
Rasmussen followed with a dominant seven-inning, four-hit effort to win Game 5 and send Tampa Bay home with just one win necessary to reach the World Series. No. 2 starter Freddy Peralta followed suit with a Game 6 gem to send them to Milwaukee.
Rasmussen pitched Sunday, putting him on regular rest Friday. But Cash is not going to burn that bullet just yet.
“We prioritized Drew getting an extra day. We’re trying to get the full pitch allotment out of him,” says Cash before the Rays worked out in Milwaukee on Thursday. "He's had a pretty thick workload here. We've relied on him heavily.
"When Nick pitches, we win."
Rasmussen is putting together a fantastic body of work: Over three starts this postseason, he’s pitched 21 innings and given up just three runs, a 1.29 ERA. He’s struck out 23 and walked just three and the Rays have won all his starts.
In Martinez, Tampa Bay does not get the raw power Rasmussen can provide. But he creates excellent deception with his changeup playing off his low-90s fastball, benefiting from working under Kyle Snyder in his first year with Tampa Bay.
Martinez had strong seasons recently with both San Diego and Cincinnati after a mid-career return from Japan, but has never been better than his All-Star campaign of 2026, leading to one of the game’s ultimate honors – a World Series Game 1 start, against the likely National League Cy Young Award winner.
"It fell on me, and my job is just to rack up as many outs as I can," says Martinez.
His contributions to the club have been both tangible and otherwise: Martinez has taken it upon himself to organize team dinners in every city, including before this World Series: He reports that there was a fantastic turnout for the squad's dinner at Carnevore, one of Milwaukee's finest steakhouses.
"I’ve been around guys who know how to control a clubhouse. Getting the guys together was a blessing," says Martinez. "That chemistry transfers to the field."
CLEVELAND, OHIO - OCTOBER 17: Nick Martinez #28 of the Tampa Bay Rays throws a pitch during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians in game four of the American League Championship Series at Progressive Field on October 17, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Last offseason, Nick Martinez was seeking an opportunity with a team that would allow him be a starting pitcher. Now, he is starting the first game of the World Series for the Tampa Bay Rays as they take on the Milwaukee Brewers.
Tampa Bay signed Martinez just prior to Spring Training, Martinez was excited by the prospect of getting the chance to showcase himself as a full-time starting pitcher, “I’ve always believed that I can be a starter from beginning to end.”
Over the course of the regular season, the now 36-year old Martinez more than proved himself as he delivered an All-Star season for Tampa Bay. Over the course of 31 starts, Martinez compiled a 3.10 ERA | 3.96 FIP with a 15.1 K% and league leading 3.6 BB% over a career high 180 innings pitched. Thus far in the postseason, Martinez has only appeared in two games, allowing three runs on seven hits over 9 IP.
First pitch is slated a little after 8:00pm Friday night
After a year of being bombarded with information about the lack of competitive balance in baseball, the 2026 World Series will feature the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers. It’s quite the twist from a sport that has made a relentless case that only big market teams can win in the Postseason, but baseball will always baseball and this year’s curveball is the first World Series since 1980 where a team who has never won before is guaranteed to hoist the Commissioner’s Trophy at the end of the day.
It does seem worth clarifying the terms of what we mean by a “small market.” After all, according to the Sports Business Journal the Tampa-St. Petersburg media market is the 11th largest media market in the country despite the Rays fielding a team with the 28th largest payroll in baseball according to Spotrac. Meanwhile, Milwaukee boasts the 19th ranked payroll in MLB in the smallest media market in MLB. It’s all rather complicated as you can see here:
Team
Payroll
Payroll Rk
Media Market Rk
Postseason 2026?
# of Postseason Appearances since 2017
World Series Wins since 2017
New York Mets
$346,736,805
1
1
N
2
0
Los Angeles Dodgers
$339,319,244
2
2
Y
10
3
New York Yankees
$308,336,780
3
1
Y
9
0
4th Tier Luxury Tax
$304,000,000
n/a
Philadelphia Phillies
$291,951,676
4
5
Y
5
0
3rd Tier Luxury Tax
$284,000,000
n/a
Toronto Blue Jays
$276,130,679
5
N
4
0
2nd Tier Luxury Tax
$264,000,000
n/a
Atlanta Braves
$262,962,842
6
7
Y
8
1
Chicago Cubs
$249,319,956
7
3
Y
5
0
1st Tier Luxury Tax
$244,000,000
n/a
Houston Astros
$239,763,783
8
6
Y
9
2
San Diego Padres
$218,252,715
9
30
Y
5
0
Boston Red Sox
$207,988,016
10
10
Y
5
1
Detroit Tigers
$202,081,991
11
14
N
2
0
Arizona Diamondbacks
$192,670,027
12
12
N
2
0
Texas Rangers
$191,262,798
13
4
N
1
1
San Francisco Giants
$190,174,131
14
9
N
1
1
Los Angeles Angels
$182,509,023
15
2
N
0
0
Seattle Mariners
$169,556,014
16
13
N
2
0
Baltimore Orioles
$167,039,211
17
29
N
2
0
Kansas City Royals
$150,429,892
18
35
N
1
0
Milwaukee Brewers
$146,206,320
19
39
Y
8
0
Cincinnati Reds
$128,223,748
20
38
N
2
0
Colorado Rockies
$121,526,751
21
17
N
2
0
Minnesota Twins
$115,748,036
22
16
N
4
0
Pittsburgh Pirates
$106,728,501
23
28
N
0
0
Chicago White Sox
$103,330,141
24
3
Y
3
0
Washington Nationals
$101,639,888
25
8
N
2
1
Athletics
$98,948,812
26
20
N
3
0
St. Louis Cardinals
$96,396,498
27
24
N
4
0
Tampa Bay Rays
$95,615,469
28
11
Y
6
0
Miami Marlins
$83,298,123
29
18
N
2
0
Cleveland Guardians
$74,459,014
30
19
Y
7
0
Or maybe it isn’t all that complicated. There has been Postseason success at the top of this table (the Dodgers) in the middle of this table (the Astros, Red Sox, Rangers and, begrudgingly, the Brewers) and towards the bottom of this table (the Nationals, Rays, Guardians and, as much as it pains me, the Cardinals). There are small market teams spending a lot of money relative to their actual, literal, media market size and teams spending a fraction of what you’d expect relative to their market. Some of those teams are winning. Some of those teams are losing.
Perhaps it’s more about how effectively teams use the resources they have than a total amount of spending by any individual team. To that end, a number of front office watchers have been compiling data about the size of R&D departments and/or scouting departments across the league that have led to a number of interesting conversations on social media:
Took a stab at this. See thread for sourcing & explanation of discrepancies.
I think only the tails matter: ATH, ARI, ATL, COL are low (not good!). TBR, NYY, NYM, DET, CLE are high (good!).
As Lance Brozdowski notes in the above thread, it’s a little complicated to just pull these results. Some teams have better visibility into the size and roles in their departments than others, including the Cubs, who were one of the big movers as people honed in on this particular metric.
But again, this doesn’t overlay with MLB Postseason success or failure either. Yes, the perennially successful (although still zero rings to show for it) Rays are at or near the top of both lists, but the Braves and Astros are near the bottom.
It’s enough to make you wonder if success in the October is just a crapshoot in baseball. Admittedly, a crapshoot you have a much better chance of being a part of if you’re deploying resources wisely, but a crapshoot nonetheless.
One thing that hasn’t changed this Postseason: ticket prices to the Fall Classic are outrageous, especially in Milwaukee where they’ve been waiting 44 years for a chance to play in the World Series. Getting into a World Series game in Tampa Bay or Milwaukee is going to set you back some cash, regardless of the spending habits of the team you’re cheering for:
Has there ever been a greater disparity between regular-season and World Series ticket prices?
The Brewers' World Series get-in price is now 125x their typical regular-season get-in.
When the MLB season began in February, few predicted the final two teams standing in October would be the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers. While many will frame this as an old-school Fall Classic matchup, these clubs are both powered by two of the largest scouting and analytics departments in baseball. Though they emphasize contact and speed on the field, the Rays and Brewers have long been at the forefront of pitch design, tech integration and data-driven strategies.
Follow along with all our team’s bets in the Bet Tracker.
World Series Betting Preview
For only the sixth time in the Wild Card era, the top team from each league will clash in the World Series. Even more remarkable, this marks the first time since 1980 that two franchises both chasing their very first World Series title will face off, guaranteeing a milestone moment no matter who emerges victorious in this strength versus strength matchup. It all sets up a truly historic Fall Classic.
Bookmakers opened the Brewers around a -160 favorite, which implies a 61.54% win probability. While I expected Milwaukee to be favored, I figured we’d see an opener closer to -125 (55.56% implied win probability). Not only did bookmakers disagree with me, but the market has as well – we’ve seen the Brewers get bet all the way up to -175/-185. As of now, I haven’t bet a side in this series, and I’m not sure I will. While I’ve fired on a couple of series props that I’ll share, I’ve had much more success betting props game by game this regular season and postseason.
Offensively, these clubs have similar approaches and results. Neither team’s philosophy is to continuously sell out at the dish; instead, they rely on putting the ball in play and utilizing speed on the basepaths. They’re both in the bottom 10 in home runs – Tampa cranked 169 (22nd) and the Brewers launched 152 (29th) – but both rank top five in stolen bases and wRC+. One of the bigger differences in their offense is their strikeout rate: Milwaukee ranked 14th at 22%, while the Rays posted the lowest punchout rate in the majors at 18.8%. Overall, the Brewers averaged the second-most runs per game (5.09) and led the league in scoring at home at 5.49 runs per game, while Tampa averaged 4.51 runs per game, ranking 12th in MLB.
On the pitching side, we’re expecting a lower-scoring series as game one opens with a full-game total of six.
Milwaukee is led by 24-year-old runaway Cy Young favorite Jacob Misiorowski. Misiorowski led the majors in punchouts with 252 and posted a 1.80 ERA while going 16-5 in regular-season starts (where the Brewers went 22-8 overall). Milwaukee is 24-8 in his games if you include the postseason, despite the fact that he hasn’t been asked to pitch deep into outings. While the Rays’ bats boast the lowest strikeout rate in the majors, they’ll be facing a Brewers staff that posted the best K-rate in baseball at 25.8%.
Rosters and rotations haven’t been announced yet, but I’m expecting the Brewers to roll out the following rotation:
1. Jacob Misiorowski
2. Logan Henderson
3. Robert Gasser
4. Some combination of: Dustin May/Shane Drohan/Bullpen
Drew Rasmussen has been the Rays’ ace, posting the seventh-best FIP in the majors at 2.71. Rasmussen went 16-5 for Tampa, and the Rays went 21-9 overall in his starts. Unlike Misiorowski, the Rays have gotten real length out of Rasmussen this postseason. He’s thrown 21.0 innings across three starts with a 1.29 ERA, leading Tampa to two wins in those three outings. One of the biggest surprises of this playoff run has been Kevin Cash’s willingness to push his starters deeper into games. Cash will always be remembered for pulling Blake Snell in the sixth inning of Game 6 during the 2020 World Series while he was shoving, but the Rays manager has largely ignored the third-time-through-the-order penalty so far this October.
It’s safe to expect Tampa to deploy the following starters:
1. Drew Rasmussen
2. Freddy Peralta
3. Nick Martinez
4. Griffin Jax
I’m unsure what order the Rays will use Martinez and Jax, but both will be crucial in a seven-game series. The Rays chose to use Ian Seymour out of the bullpen against the Yankees and Guardians despite him being a rotation staple this season. He could featured in either role, having already logged 7.1 postseason innings – only one fewer than Misiorowski.
Things get a little trickier when looking at the bullpens.
Kevin Cash seems to have a tight circle of trust in the relief corps, relying heavily on four arms: Ian Seymour, Bryan Baker, Tyler Wells and Cam Booser, who have combined for 22.1 innings. I do wonder if we’ll see starting pitchers get game action on their throw days. We saw the Nationals do this during their 2019 title run with a thin bullpen, and Freddy Peralta has already made a relief appearance, throwing nine pitches over two-thirds of an inning in Game 4 of the ALCS against the Guardians.
On the other side, Pat Murphy has leaned heavily on his high-leverage arms because his starters haven’t provided length. He’s already extracted 35 innings from Aaron Ashby, Abner Uribe, Trevor Megill, JoJo Romero and DL Hall. Ashby, in particular, has been unhittable, posting a 0.00 ERA while striking out 11 batters over 12.1 postseason innings.
Given variance in sports, it’s not often that we see the clear two best teams throughout the year get to battle it out for a championship. I don’t really have a strong opinion on who will win the series, I’m mostly rooting for maximum baseball with a seven-game series.
Pick: Rays in Six
I mentioned above a couple series props I looked at. I’ll mostly be betting some batters under props and pitching outs props but I did fire on one prop already.
Series Prop
Chandler Simpson 2+ Steals in the World Series (+125, DraftKings)
While the Brewers’ pitching staff and catcher William Contreras excel at controlling the run game, Simpson ranked second in the majors with 46 stolen bases. He should start every game for Tampa, even against a lefty.
"I said the two things I didn't want to hear was, 'We're too small' or 'We can't do this," Attanasio said Thursday, Oct. 22, a day before the club opens World Series Game 1 against the even lower-revenue Tampa Bay Rays.
"I actually kept trying to say we were a mid-market team even though clearly we weren't."
Yet Attanasio's side hustle these days is his ranking on the owners' labor relations committee, as the league prepares to lock out the players in December during collective-bargaining agreements centering on the leagues' desire for a salary cap.
And so even though one of the Rays or Brewers will win a World Series championship without benefit of a salary cap that pervades every other major sports league in the USA, Attanasio does have a party line to toe.
"I think the system that's being proposed, which is similar to other leagues in terms of revenue-sharing system, not only will help us compete but more importantly all of the other teams with lower payrolls too," he said.
"Which is something also I think the fans want."
While nearly two-thirds of the league – 19 of 30 teams – have reached a World Series since 2008, including the three-time AL champion Rays, Attanasio believes the Brewers and others like them need more help.
"I used to use the words punch above our weight, and the payroll and whatnot affects that," says Attanasio. "Still, with some of the metrics you point out, I think we still have among the smallest media revenues, including this year, but we're able to get to a No. 19 or 20 type out of 30-team payroll because of that (fan and community) support that we get.
"We put all of our resources back into the team."
In a sense, Attanasio was giving a how-to for other, smaller markets to follow. The Rays and Brewers are both consistently lauded for getting the most out of players and positive workplace cultures. It seemingly is something almost any team can do.
The Brewers and Rays got here without any help. Come December, and into February when CBA negotiations get even more contentious, Attanasio, at least publicly, seems poised to offer that helping hand to larger-market teams like Pittsburgh who have come nowhere near the Brewers' track record of eight playoff berths in nine seasons.
"I think the fact hat two teams like the Brewers and Rays - we hear all the time we play baseball the right way - I think that's good for baseball," he says.
"So whatever that means relative to revenue systems or otherwise, I think if you have a more competitive set, you can have more exciting baseball."
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 01: The Washington Nationals formally introduce their new Washington Nationals President of Baseball Operations, Paul Toboni at Nationals Park in Washington, DC on October 01, 2025. (Photo by Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The looming lockout hangs over baseball like a dark cloud at the moment. All indications point to no CBA agreement being reached by the December 2nd deadline. Once the sport is locked out, no moves can be made. That means there could be a flurry of activity before December 2nd.
According to industry insiders, that seems to be a likely outcome. There is precedent for this as well. Back in the winter of 2021, both Corey Seager and Marcus Semien signed with the Rangers right at the lockout buzzer. Super agent Scott Boras also hinted at this taking place.
From @ByMcCullough: MLB’s lockout is coming. Before it arrives, baseball insiders expect a free-agent frenzy. Unlocked and free to read. https://t.co/MJdFIEQii9
With this in mind, could the Nationals make an early strike on the market. It is certainly possible. If this is the year that the Nats want to spend, getting it done early would be a wise move. You do not want to get beaten to the bunch in a fast moving market. The lockout creates a soft deadline of sorts.
The Nats can take advantage of that soft deadline in a number of ways. This market could create a sense of desperation on the trade block as well. As we all know, CJ Abrams’ name has been on the trade block for about a year now. If the Nats want to move Abrams, getting it done before the lockout would be smart business. Insider Robert Murray listed Abrams as a player who could get moved before the lockout.
The best MLB trade candidates before the lockout, per @ByRobertMurray
– William Contreras – Jeremy Pena – Steven Kwan – CJ Abrams – Zach Neto – Reid Detmers
Paul Toboni has proven to be an aggressive deal maker early in his tenure with the Nats. This market place could be frenzied, and I think Toboni will be involved. I am not sure what moves he will make, but I would bet that the Nats do something big before December 2nd.
Everyone knows a lockout is coming, so front offices will be well prepared for this. Based on what I know about Toboni, he probably has a model for about 50 different scenarios. The Nats have been preparing for the time between the end of the World Series and the start of the lockout for months now.
Making the team better before there could be totally different rules to the game is something I think Toboni will aggressively pursue. So buckle up, because I think the Nats could be active in these next six weeks.
This lockout truly could be a game changer. Jeff Passan has been saying that there is a real possibility that games are missed. If I had to make a prediction, I think we will have a 100 game season next year. Once games are lost, the two sides will need each other in the end.
Jeff Passan on the upcoming CBA negotiations, via @FOS:
"It’s what makes this so scary, I think, for baseball long-term. It’s a possibility that they are going to remain in their corners and no one’s going to want to come meet in the middle. And when that happens, the… pic.twitter.com/LsA7dR7JTz
The looming lockout sets the stage for a drama filled start to the offseason. Some fans complain about the slow pace of MLB free agency, but I think names could be flying off the board quickly this offseason. We will see how active the Nats end up being, but I would be surprised if they did not make at least one major move before the lockout freezes the sport.
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 02: Matt Olson #28 of the Atlanta Braves tosses the ball to first base against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on September 02, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Atlanta Braves, who won the NL East and defeated the Phillies in the Wild Card Round this season, had one of the their players honored today.
Matt Olson won Fielding Bible award today. Olson, who is a National League Gold Glove finalist with two others at first base, is number one in both leagues for this award. The Fielding Bible is voted on by a panel of experts and presented by Sports Info Solutions.
First base: Matt Olson, Braves In a very tight race with the Padres’ Ty France, Olson wins his sixth Fielding Bible Award at first base, surpassing Albert Pujols for the most won at the position. He’s now tied for second most all-time (Yadier Molina, Andrelton Simmons), trailing only Mookie Betts’ seven.
Matt Olson has been saving the Braves from poor throws since he started. But where he has really excelled this season are plays away from the first base bag. Matt Olson ranks number one by Fangraphs’ defensive adjustments to WAR. He’s also number one at first base with 12 outs above average.
In addition to the sixth Fielding Bibles, he owns three Gold Gloves. He looks to be the overwhelming favorite for a fourth one. Congratulations, Matt.
OAKLAND, CA - 1990: Todd Benzinger of the Cincinnati Reds during the 1990 World Series against the Oakland Athletics at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California. (Photo by Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images) | Sporting News via Getty Images
Sad news in the world of the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday as former 1B and 1990 World Series hero Todd Benzinger has died at age 63. The Reds helped relay the sad news earlier in the day, and tributes to him and his contributions for one of the greatest seasons in team history began pouring in.
The Cincinnati Reds are saddened by the passing of former first baseman and 1990 World Series champion Todd Benzinger.
Todd will be remembered with great affection and gratitude for his place in one of the most memorable chapters in Reds history. Our deepest condolences go out… pic.twitter.com/h3P6UWTNn1
Benzinger was Reds Country through and through, a native of nearby Dayton, Kentucky and a product of New Richmond (OH) High School eighteen years down the line. Originally drafted by the Boston Red Sox, he was shipped back to Cincinnati during the offseason before the 1989 season in a deal that sent Nick Esasky and Rob Murphy, among others, the other way. He popped 17 homers in his first year with the Reds as their primary 1B, though by the end of the 1990 season rookie standout Hal Morris had cut into his regular playing time.
That moved Benzinger into the role of pinch-hitter and defensive replacement at 1B, as he was considered by Lou Piniella to have the superior glove to that of Morris at the time. Given that Games 3 and 4 of the 1990 World Series were hosted by Oakland of the American League – at the time the only way an NL club could have usage of the DH spot – that put Morris at DH and Benzinger at 1B for one of the most memorable moments in Reds history.
October 20, 1990: The Reds secure a 4-0 World Series sweep over the favored A's to become the 4th MLB team to ever win a wire-to-wire title! #RedsVaultpic.twitter.com/LJSBBhdu4O
With 2-out in the Bottom of the 9th, Nasty Boy Randy Myers got A’s 3B Carney Lansford to pop a ball into the extensive foul ground at the old Oakland Coliseum, and Benzinger drifted deep into the grass to track a ball that those of us alive at the time would swear stayed in the air for a generation. Yet when it finally returned from the stratosphere, there was no hesitation – no nervousness displayed, no foible – as Benzinger made the generation-altering catch look as routine as if it’d been in spring training down in Plant City.
1990 has felt like a lifetime ago to so many of us who were lucky enough to grow into our Reds fandom with that team, and that weighs even heavier with the news of Benzinger’s passing today. After his playing days ended, he stuck around southern Ohio and even managed the Dayton Dragons for a time in the late aughts. He was known to be a frequent contributor to coaching at the youth level and – when Redsfest was a more regular thing – was almost always around to participate and catch up with fans.
We here at Red Reporter offer our condolences to Todd’s family and all those he touched over his 63 years, including former teammate Rob Dibble.
So sorry to hear of the passing of my teammate and friend Todd Benzinger. We were lucky enough to catch up with him recently. He was a great teammate who tolerated all of our bullshit. RIP Benzo. @Redspic.twitter.com/hohCpwqSTB
TORONTO, CANADA - SEPTEMBER 26: Matt McLain #9 of the Cincinnati Reds takes an at bat in his batting stance against the Toronto Blue Jays during the third inning in their MLB game at Rogers Centre on September 26, 2026 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cincinnati Reds have really backed themselves into a hole when it comes to the roster construction on their infield.
You may recall they’ve steadfastly stuck to the idea of continuing to throw millions at a right-handed, glove-first infielder who a) can’t really hit left-handed pitching all that well and b) can’t hit right-handed pitching at all. While you almost assuredly mumbled under your breath ‘yeah, Ke’Bryan Hayes,’ that’s not even who we’re talking about today.
Today, we dive into what’s become of Matt McLain.
The Reds doled out over $4.6 million to sign him after selecting him 17th overall in the 2021 MLB Draft, and he’d accrued enough service time by 2026 – a huge chunk of it while rehabbing various injuries – to earn over $2.3 million in his first trip through the arbitration process. The Reds have given zero indication that they’re going to cut ties with him despite his struggles, so it sure looks like he’ll go through arbitration again this winter and earn a modest raise on that $2.3 million salary for 2027, too.
All that despite – you guessed it – being a guy who’s become a glove-first infielder who hits from the right-handed side but can’t hit righties (and barely hits lefties).
There have been 267 big leaguers who have logged at least 600 PA since the start of the 2025 season, and McLain is one of them. Hayes, as you’d predict, owns the single worst wRC+ of the bunch at just 49, but McLain’s lackluster performance with the bat checks in at 15th worst at just 74. The thing is, though, that McLain has actually accrued 1073 PA since the start of 2025, and that’s hundreds of PA more than every single one of the 14 players who rank below him on this list – that’s because those players hit so poorly that their managers saw fit to keep them out of the lineup more often.
In fact, among the entire first page of that leaderboard (30 names), McLain is one of only two players with more than 1000 PA, the other being one of the best defensive catchers of his generation in JT Realmuto. Up the threshold then to 1000 PA and you’ll see McLain’s 74 wRC+ rank dead last among the 118 MLB players who you’d conceivably be able to call ‘regulars’ over the last two seasons, and Realmuto at 81 is the one ‘closest’ at 7 points clear.
If you aren’t yet a believer in wRC+, rest assured that McLain ranks last among those 118 in batting average (.204) and slugging percentage (.339), his .288 OBP ranking 2nd worst. Just about every way you look at the last two years, he’s been tangibly awful offensively.
To his credit is his work against LHP, which was at least within the realm of being serviceable in 2026. He hit .243/.347/.430 (.777 OPS) against them in 107 PA during the 2026 season, though that’s on the heels of hitting just .228/.328/.351 (.679 OPS) against them in 131 PA the season before. But if you look at his work against RHP over that same time, it begins to get a little ghastly.
154 MLB players logged at least 300 PA against RHP in 2026 alone, and McLain was one of them. He hit just .167/.249/.303 against them in 370 PA, and at this point you’ll be shockingly unsurprised to hear that he ranked dead last among the entire group in average, OBP, and wRC+ (52), his mark in slugging (3rd worst) within earshot of dead last.
His one potential saving grace: his .216 BABIP against RHP last year was far and away the lowest among his peers. That’s despite his soft-hit rate (15.2%) ranking 60th out of those 154 players, his 31.4% hard-hit rate a ‘reasonable’ 122nd (ahead of the likes of Kyle Tucker, Alec Bohm, Nolan Arenado, and even Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez last season). So, there’s at least a chance there was some simply awful bad luck involved here, even if the extremely mediocre .217/.291/.341 (.632) OPS he posted against RHP in 2025 came on a more feasible .284 BABIP.
Not even Statcast offers a potentially hidden solution for McLain’s woes. Everything continues to point towards the obvious, which is that the shoulder and oblique problems that derailed his 2023 and cost him all of 2024 simply handed back a completely different hitter, and that completely different hitter looks woefully overmatched at the plate against big league velocity.
His glovework is good. His baserunning is good. He’s the type of player that – at a certain cost – can still provide enough service to a Major League Baseball team even at this level of production. It’s just that the way the Reds have put together their infield, they haven’t baked in a way to maximize that skillset at all.
At 3B, they have a player in Hayes who should never set foot in a batter’s box and only plays 3B. At 1B, in Sal Stewart, they have the guy that should be their 3B. At SS, they have the best hitting player on their team at the position that, typically, you can get away with a glove-only guy since shortstop is the place where plus defense gets to be played more often, but there’s no way in hell you’re moving Elly De La Cruz off short just to maximize McLain’s glove. So, McLain gets shoved over to 2B where he doesn’t hit nearly enough to warrant playing there each and every inning.
Two infielders who should pretty much only be LIDRs and/or pinch-runners, neither of whom has enough experience to warrant being labeled as ‘potential outfielder in a pinch,’ either. Two players on the 26-man roster who you really don’t ever want to hit in any scenario. Two guys to whom the Reds will owe a combined $10 million to in 2027 who Cincinnati’s front office simply just can’t quit.
I wish I could make it make sense. Barring a miraculous turnaround in 2027, I think a third trip through the arbitration process might finally make it stop making sense for the frugal Reds, but that’s still one full year away.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - APRIL 01: Garrett Mitchell #5 of the Milwaukee Brewers steals second base as Ben Williamson #15 of the Tampa Bay Rays takes the throw at American Family Field on April 01, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Forget the TV ratings, we’re about to be treated to a World Series between two of the most well-rounded, fundamentally sound teams from the 2026 season. For as much as the Brewers’ and Rays’ small TV markets and low payrolls will dominate narratives during the Fall Classic with the CBA expiration looming, this year’s World Series will feature the team with the best record in the NL taking on the team with the best record in the AL. What that says about the health of the sport overall and the owners’ push to ostensibly and artificially improve competitive balance I will leave for you to draw your own conclusions.
Over the next two days, we will preview the offenses and pitching staffs stacked up against one another. The Brewers and Rays met once in the regular season, way back in the second series of the year in the opening days of April. The Brewers won that three-game series at Miller Park handily, dropping the first game, 3-2, before recording back-to-back victories with score lines of 6-2 and 8-2. If that series is any indication of what we’re in store for, their could be fireworks in the coming days as the two teams combined to hit nine home runs across those three games.
Today, we’ll preview the offenses and tomorrow, we’ll cover the pitch side of things.
Milwaukee Brewers
103-59, 1st NL Central Defeated Padres in NLDS, 3-1 Swept Dodgers in NLCS, 4-0
The Brewers finished the regular season with the third-most position player fWAR in MLB at 26.1. They had a clear identity over the 162, working deep counts, drawing walks, and putting the ball in play. Their .258 team batting average and 10.6-percent walk rate were both tops in the majors while their collective 107 wRC+ placed them third. However, they also finished second-worst in the league with 154 home runs.
Interestingly, they have flipped the script on that narrative in the postseason. Their .250 postseason batting average is still tops among the 12 entrants, but their ten home runs lead all playoff teams as they are the only team to post a wRC+ above 100 in the postseason. Many of those home runs have come in high leverage moments, none bigger than Jake Bauers’ go-ahead two-run homer at Dodger Stadium late in Game 3 of the NLCS. Others have set the tone early, like Jackson Chourio’s homer to lead off that game against Blake Snell to become the franchise leader in postseason leadoff home runs at just 22 years old.
They have difference makers throughout the lineup, with five of their nine regulars hitting above a 100 wRC+ in the playoffs. Chourio leads the way with his seven RBI, but to my surprise has not done much else otherwise as his 48 wRC+ in 38 plate appearances would suggest — you just wonder how much more explosive the offense would be if he could really get it going. Instead, the burden has fallen on William Contreras and Jake Bauers to consistently shoulder the load. Contreras has the highest postseason wRC+ (212) of any player in the World Series and is the engine of their offense batting .367 with three home runs and five RBI. Bauers has been their most clutch hitter and a threat from the cleanup spot with one home run, six RBI, and a 151 wRC+.
Brice Turang finally got some hits to fall against the Dodgers after an anonymous NLDS against San Diego, but you still expect a lot more out of the player who led the Brewers offense with 5.9 fWAR. Christian Yelich and rookie Cooper Pratt have benefitted from some serious BABIP luck, while Sal Frelick, Luis Lara, and Joey Ortiz have been automatic outs at the bottom of the lineup. However, David Hamilton could be an X-factor, the former Boston speedster getting red hot against LA.
They will likely face the buzzsaw of Drew Rasmussen and ALCS MVP Freddy Peralta in the first two games, but are able to counter by packing their lineup with as many as six lefties against that pair of righties. However, the Rays starters could pose a unique problem to the Brewers lineup. Milwaukee usually grinds pitchers down by drawing walks thanks to the second-lowest chase rate in baseball. However, they tend to struggle against higher velocity fastballs. Rasmussen doesn’t issue walks while the Rays unlocked Peralta by convincing him to throw his fastball harder in the zone — both pitchers thrive pounding the zone with heat and that’s not a pitch the Brewers are best at handling.
Tampa Bay Rays
98-64, 1st AL East Swept Yankees in ALDS, 3-0 Defeated Guardians in ALCS, 4-2
The Rays’ offensive identity is similar in many ways to the Brewers. They tied the Brewers for the major league lead in average (.258), and finished right behind their soon-to-be opponents in fourth with 23.8 position player fWAR and tied for fifth with a team 104 wRC+. They hit 15 more home runs during the regular season but still finished in the bottom-third of the league. The biggest difference saw Tampa favor more of a bat-to-ball approach than a patient one. Whereas the Brewers led the league in walk rate while carrying a league-average strikeout rate, the Rays were bottom-third in walk rate but struck out the least of any team at just 18.8-percent.
As with any Kevin Cash team, this Rays team did their winning on the margins. They squeeze every last drop out of their roster through executing the fundamentals — moving the runner over, taking the extra base, getting the run home from third with less than one out, etc. It is how they were by far the largest over-performers of their Pythagorean expected win-loss of any team in baseball, winning eight more games than their +86 run differential would have suggested.
They faced more determined opposition than the Brewers did in the LCS, the Guardians pushing them to six games. It was a bit feast or famine in that series, the Rays scoring seven runs in two games but three or fewer in the other four. Like every other offense other than the Brewers, they have largely struggled against top-tier postseason pitching, with an 82 wRC+ across their nine games.
Tampa’s offense appears way more top heavy than the Brewers. During the regular season, they were powered by the three-headed monster of Yandy Díaz, Jonathan Aranda, and Junior Caminero, and two of the three have certainly brought it this postseason. Díaz is the unequivocal driving force batting leadoff, slashing .308/.341/.564 with two home runs, four RBI, and a 151 wRC+, his Game 6 home run putting the final nail in the Guardians’ coffin. Caminero hasn’t quite hit the heights of his regular season, when he became the first player since Eddie Matthews to post consecutive seasons of at least 40 home runs before turning 24, but his two-run homer in Game 6 was a dagger to raise his wRC+ to 127 in nine games.
Aranda’s 96 wRC+ might fall well short of his regular season mark of 123, but the Rays have discovered a new hero to take his place as an impact contributor. Richie Palacios has been a league-average role player in his five regular seasons but has exploded these playoffs with a .364 average and 141 wRC+ despite remaining the only Rays starter not to draw a walk yet in the postseason.
Otherwise, at first glance, it appears there are a whole lot more black holes in the Rays lineup than their opponents. Chandler Simpson, Liam Hicks, Jonny DeLuca, Victor Mesa Jr., and Taylor Walls all sit below a 65 wRC+ this postseason, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. While perhaps not productive in the main, the lineup has shown a remarkable knack for getting hits with runners in scoring position — Díaz, Caminero, Palacios, Aranda, Simpson, and Hicks have all driven in at least four runs across the two series they’ve won.
Unlike the Brewers, the Rays absolutely punish the fastball, particularly Díaz and Caminero. That should make for a blockbuster matchup against Jacob Misiorowski in Game 1, the presumptive NL Cy Young’s triple-digits fastball already getting knocked around by the Padres and Dodgers. It should also give them a distinct advantage against Milwaukee’s high octane bullpen, who were able to blow away LA’s aged, slowing bats with sustained gas.
