2026 World Series Thread: News/Notes/Predictions/Miscellaneous. What's on your mind?

[wOOgiE22]

Flights to Tampa area were running around $250 round trip this weekend, now they are around $1k+. I’m going to predict a big Brewers turnout in Tampa. 

[BrewerFan]

Oh... suddenly I've got some bubbling in my stomach! 

The worst thing about this matchup... is neither of those teams should beat the Brewers... but this is Baseball. 113 MPH can find the glove at 3B and 60MPH can fall right BEHIND the 3B and dribble for a double. 

Tampa plays clean, they have two really good hitters in Yandy and Junior... but their pitching is NOT the Dodgers or Padres... or the Brewers. 

Hopefully all the frustration of 5 inning Freddy will come out as we knock him out after 2-3 innings! 

We just... cannot go through THAT NL the year the NL was so much better than the AL and now come away with FOUR-MORE-WINS...

[brooks_quichenick]

Crew in 6!

[MrTPlush]

If the Brewers keep their same plate discipline and attitude offensively, I think we will win this series. That is probably my biggest concern. Can they really go up against Rasmussen/Peralta and keep making aces frustrated?

On the flip side Miz/Henderson have been major disappointments…I really like to think they will step up this weekend.

Its a coin flip, so give me a Game 7 coin flip…Brewers in 7.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

7 hours ago, brooks_quichenick said:

Crew in 6!

Would be great as it's the only game I have tickets to.

[kestrel79]

7 hours ago, brooks_quichenick said:

Crew in 6!

As someone who has tickets for game 6, I hope you are right. But my wallet does not.

[igor67]

Freddy is still Freddy, so a walk or 2 plus a first inning HR is a real possibility. And of anyone we should be able to make him throw a ton of pitches.

[Underachiever]

1 hour ago, OldSchoolSnapper said:

Would be great as it's the only game I have tickets to.

Game 6 is the only game I don't have a ticket for. I'd be ok with Brewers in 6, because I will be a basket case if it reaches game 7.

[Playing Catch]

It's going to be a wild turnaround from an electric Game 2 to a 50/50 fansplit in Tampa.

[yfinn6]

Brother and I are flying from Madison on Tuesday for Game 4. Tickets were around $850. 

I really don't want to witness the Brewers being swept in Tampa so please, Brewers, win a few games early at least. If I get to witness the Brewers sweep.. well, OK! 

[Brewcrew82]

Just realized that Joey Ortiz probably doesn't start a game in this series given the Rays don't have any probable lefty starters. Especially with the way Hamilton is going in the 9 spot. 

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

1 hour ago, Brewcrew82 said:

Just realized that Joey Ortiz probably doesn't start a game in this series given the Rays don't have any probable lefty starters. Especially with the way Hamilton is going in the 9 spot. 

Good point.

I'm sure Ortiz gets defensive sub points if we need them, or perhaps comes in to pinch-hit when the Rays turn to Seymour and Booser.

I know we've been very good against lefties, but I think facing righty starters mostly makes the lineup choices easy. Yelich, Bauers, and Frelick all play, and you can force the Rays to go through the gauntlet of consecutive lefties (all of whom have had big hits in the postseason) multiple times. They really need their starters to go 5 or 6 most games, so their handedness should make Murph's lineup choices easier in theory.

[tmwiese55]

Looks like they do have good lefty relivers though.  I know vs LAD we just let our lefty hitters stay in vs the lefty relievers, but that is a bit unconventional. But it worked with Bauers/Mitchell coming through.  But hopefully when there is a bunch of lefties in a row they don't hesitate to use Vaughn. 

[owbc]

39 minutes ago, tmwiese55 said:

Looks like they do have good lefty relivers though.  I know vs LAD we just let our lefty hitters stay in vs the lefty relievers, but that is a bit unconventional. But it worked with Bauers/Mitchell coming through.  But hopefully when there is a bunch of lefties in a row they don't hesitate to use Vaughn. 

I like the strategy of letting your lefties face the middle-innings lefties. You’re playing into the opponent’s hands when you PH too soon. I don’t want our platoon righties facing Kelly or Baker, ever. I feel much better about our lefties against Seymour or Booser. 

[BrewerFan]

5 hours ago, Playing Catch said:

It's going to be a wild turnaround from an electric Game 2 to a 50/50 fansplit in Tampa.

50/50 is a bit generous... I DO think the Rays will have...30-40% of the fans though...

 

[BrewerFan]

5 minutes ago, owbc said:

I like the strategy of letting your lefties face the middle-innings lefties. You’re playing into the opponent’s hands when you PH too soon. I don’t want our platoon righties facing Kelly or Baker, ever. I feel much better about our lefties against Seymour or Booser. 

Their lefties have deception and stuff, but... they aren't fireballers by any means. I don't think our guys will be even a little intimidated by them. 

I still wish we'd have traded for Freddy(not that I thought then or now that Stearns would have traded him back to US for an appropriate return at THAT time after trading Sproat/Williams for him)... because he should be pitching for the Brewers in the WS, not Tampa. 

But, I suppose we're going to to have to buck another trend. Normally we build up the values of the stars before they hit Free Agency. We're going to have to knock Freddy's value down a bit. A couple 3 inning outings and that's it!

Of course, one more guy I wish was around for JUST a little longer...

 

 

[Samurai Bucky]

My biggest fear are when the pitchers have walks to open the innings.  The Rays play small ball just like the Brewers.  They will bunt to get our pitchers off the mound.

We have a tendency to walk the leadoff batters...

[titanrick]

3 hours ago, Brewcrew82 said:

Just realized that Joey Ortiz probably doesn't start a game in this series given the Rays don't have any probable lefty starters. Especially with the way Hamilton is going in the 9 spot. 

Ughh... you're exactly right.  I just hope this doesn't hurt us defensively in a game.  Bunty is nowhere close to Joey with the glove.  He's been playing better defense lately, but I hold my breath every time a ball is hit his way.

[thebruce44]

Coin flip? 50/50? I guess I'm just not seeing the same things as other posters or we are all trying to be conservative to not set ourselves up for disappointment. On paper, I expect to win this in 4 or 5 games.

And now I'm knocking on all the wood around me.

[BrewerFan]

Just now, titanrick said:

Ughh... you're exactly right.  I just hope this doesn't hurt us defensively in a game.  Bunty is nowhere close to Joey with the glove.  He's been playing better defense lately, but I hold my breath every time a ball is hit his way.

Definitely not at 3B. They showed a list of best defenders the last... probably 4 years in DRS at 2B and Hamilton was +16 and was #4 I think(maybe #5). Turang was the point of the graphic, he was... almost double #2, but very good 2B and pretty solid at 3B, but you need Ortiz in there with a lead after the 6th I'd say. 

The Rays are 92-0 this year when leading after 8 innings... that doesn't scare me. I think we're going to make that 92-1 at some point in this series. 

[BrewerFan]

2 minutes ago, thebruce44 said:

Coin flip? 50/50? I guess I'm just not seeing the same things as other posters or we are all trying to be conservative to not set ourselves up for disappointment. On paper, I expect to win this in 4 or 5 games.

And now I'm knocking on all the wood around me.

It's solely because it's baseball. 

I don't think people are really looking at Tampa and thinking that team is better, but... they don't need to be more talented, they just have to get to 4 wins first. On PAPER, I agree... but on the field... fluky stuff happens. 

[Brewcrew82]

ZiPS series projection is out and it has Brewers 55% to Rays 45%, with Brewers in 6 the single most likely outcome. 

By comparison, the Brewers were 60/40 favorites and 58/42 underdogs vs. the Padres and Dodgers respectively. 

https://www.fangraphs.com/standings/playoff-odds/postseason-zips

[titanrick]

45 minutes ago, BrewerFan said:

Definitely not at 3B. They showed a list of best defenders the last... probably 4 years in DRS at 2B and Hamilton was +16 and was #4 I think(maybe #5). Turang was the point of the graphic, he was... almost double #2, but very good 2B and pretty solid at 3B, but you need Ortiz in there with a lead after the 6th I'd say. 

Generally speaking, most of the analytics I read reinforce what I'm seeing with my own eyes, watching almost every game.  But not with Hamilton.  He seems to rate as average or slightly above and I just have so many replays swimming in my brain of him booting balls and making horrible throws on plays where he had time to set himself.

I realize it's just one play, but the Suzuki tag play at third late in the year, where GMitch threw him out trying to advance, was horrific.  If you watch the replay, Mitchell's throw is right on the money, and Bunty inexplicably comes 4-5 steps off the base - toward the throw, and then catches it with no chance at all to the make the tag because he's now too far away from Suzuki.  We lucked out there because Suzuki overslid, and he was able to apply the tag when he came off the base.  But what on Earth is he doing positioning himself like that?!?!  The throw is traveling way faster than you'll be able to swipe a tag on someone - let it travel!  That's a baseball instinct you should have picked up by high school!

[Samurai Bucky]

16 minutes ago, titanrick said:

Generally speaking, most of the analytics I read reinforce what I'm seeing with my own eyes, watching almost every game.  But not with Hamilton.  He seems to rate as average or slightly above and I just have so many replays swimming in my brain of him booting balls and making horrible throws on plays where he had time to set himself.

I realize it's just one play, but the Suzuki tag play at third late in the year, where GMitch threw him out trying to advance, was horrific.  If you watch the replay, Mitchell's throw is right on the money, and Bunty inexplicably comes 4-5 steps off the base - toward the throw, and then catches it with no chance at all to the make the tag because he's now too far away from Suzuki.  We lucked out there because Suzuki overslid, and he was able to apply the tag when he came off the base.  But what on Earth is he doing positioning himself like that?!?!  The throw is traveling way faster than you'll be able to swipe a tag on someone - let it travel!  That's a baseball instinct you should have picked up by high school!

 

All you have to do is see him throw a ball across to 1B.  Every time, I am thinking it is going to skip or be wide.

Then I remember, Bauers isn't a good defensive first baseman.

[BrewerFan]

2 hours ago, Samurai Bucky said:

My biggest fear are when the pitchers have walks to open the innings.  The Rays play small ball just like the Brewers.  They will bunt to get our pitchers off the mound.

We have a tendency to walk the leadoff batters...

I think that's the result of just watching this team and it sticks in your head more. We're actually pretty good at NOT walking the leadoff hitter. Not as good as the Rays, they're... decidedly better, but we walk the leadoff hitter ~7.3% of the time, league average is 8.3%, TB is REALLY good at not walking the leadoff batter at just 6.01%.

But the Brewers are also well above league average at drawing walks at 10.3%

That said, the Rays allow a MUCH higher SLG against to the leadoff hitters, .403 while the Brewers are just .330 and the Rays have allowed a lot more leadoff HRs. 

But yeah, leadoff runners are always an issue. It's a cliche for every reason, you don't walk the leadoff batter... and you damn sure can't do it vs those guys who run like Chandler Simpson. He has one of the funnier Baseball Savant pages, just 1% of 100%! Very little in-between!