From 1982 to 2026: Taking A Look At the Rosters of the Brewers' Two World Series Teams

A 44-year drought will do a lot of things. Not appearing in the World Series in that time span has made the Milwaukee Brewers' 1982 team almost mythic. Sure, there are some good reasons for that, but it has been lonely at the top for that version of the Brew Crew.

Thanks to the 2026 Brewers, the 1982 team has some company at the top of franchise lore.

Due to the youth on the 2026 team, there is a lot unknown about how the careers of this year's team will turn out. There were four eventual Hall of Famers on the 1982 World Series roster, with another in Rollie Fingers, who was hurt.

Regardless, let's take a spin around the roster for each team and see how they compare. (For positions, I am using the Game 7 lineup for the 1982 World Series and Game 4 of the 2026 NL Championship Series.)

Catcher

Ted Simmons (1982) vs. William Contreras (2026)

Both are very strong defensively and pretty similar offensively, although Simmons didn't have a good year at the plate (.216/.262/.376) in his first year in Milwaukee and coming off his lone Silver Slugger season with the St. Louis Cardinals, the team that defeated the Brewers in the World Series. Contreras has had a couple of big hits and homers on this year's run.

First Base

Cecil Cooper (1982) vs. Jake Bauers (2026)

Cooper had the second-best offensive season of his career, putting up a slash line of .313/.342/.528 with 32 homers and 121 RBIs, the second-highest total in MLB. Like Bauers, the NL Championship Series MVP, Cooper had a big hand in getting the Crew to the World Series with his go-ahead two-run single and memorable stay fair hand gesture in the final game of the AL Championship Series. Cooper has had the more distinctive career, but Bauers is certainly having a season that Brewers fans will remember.

Second Base

Jim Gantner (1982) vs. Brice Turang (2026)

Both are left-handed hitters. Gantner was overshadowed on the team by his more famous teammates, but he was as productive as anyone. He had a .295/.335/.369 slash line with four homers and 43 RBIs, with his lack of power perhaps contributing to his lack of being in the spotlight. Brewers fans have always held Gumby in high regards and no one has worn his No. 17 since he retired following the 1992 season, although it hasn't been hung in the stadium rafters. Turang could win his second Gold Glove this season and had career highs in homers (21) and RBIs (100).

Third Base

Paul Molitor (1982) vs. David Hamilton (2026)

The Ignitor had the best season of his Hall of Fame career. In addition to a .302/.366/.450 slash line, Molitor led MLB with 166 runs scored, while also hitting 19 homers with 71 RBIs and stealing 41 bases, the second-most in his career. He was the heartbeat of the team. Hamilton is a platoon player, sharing time at third with Joey Ortiz. Hamilton brings a speed element that can help disrupt a defense.

Shortstop

Robin Yount (1982) vs. Cooper Pratt (2026)

It is probably fair to use Yount's nickname, The Kid, on Pratt as well, although the latter has a long way to go to achieve the former's status as a Hall of Famer. Yount is the most iconic player in Brewers history and 1982 was his best season as he won the first of his two AL MVP awards. Yount slashed .331/.379/.578, hitting 29 homers and driving in 114. He led the majors in hits (210), doubles (46) and total bases (367). Pratt came up in June and has played solid defense and been a bit surprising at the plate with a .281/.350/.368 slash line with three homers, 39 RBIs and 19 stolen bases.

Left Field

Ben Oglivie (1982) vs. Jackson Chourio (2026)

Benji was a masher in 1982, hitting 34 homers and driving in 102. He also hit an AL-high 41 in 1980, but then slumped to 14 in 1981. Chourio is growing into a superstar. In just his third season, the 22-year-old put up the best numbers of his young career with a .291/.351/.487 slash line, with 25 homers, his most, and 75 RBIs. He also has a penchant for stepping up in the postseason, as evidenced by his two leadoff homers and walk-off single this year alone.

Center Field

Gorman Thomas (1982) vs. Garrett Mitchell (2026)

On a team that was known as Harvey's Wallbangers, Stormin' Gorman was the biggest banger. Thomas bashed an MLB-high 39 homers while also driving in 112. Thomas finished third on the team in RBIs, but fifth in MLB. Remains a major fan favorite. Mitchell has overcome an injury history to stay healthy this year and put up a .262/.354/.416 slash line with 11 homers and 65 RBIs. He hit the go-ahead homer in the clinching Game 4 of the NLCS, the second game in a row he went deep.

Right Field

Charlie Moore (1982) vs. Sal Frelick (2026)

Moore had started transitioning from a full-time catcher to a corner outfielder in 1981. He didn't provide much offensively (.254/.299/.360, six homers, 45 RBIs), but obviously had the arm to be a defensive presence in right. He led all outfielders with six double plays and had a .922 fielding percentage, best in the AL. Frelick has had his worst offensive season at .230/.295/.319 with four homers and 40 RBIs. He plays excellent defense and can be counted upon in a key situation to give you a quality at-bat. Frelick platoons with rookie Luis Lara.

Designated Hitter

Roy Howell (1982) vs. Christian Yelich (2026)

With the DH in the AL and not in the NL (not until 2022), the DH at this stage of MLB history alternated years so the entire series was played under the same rules. In 1982, the DH was used. Roy Howell was the left-handed hitter in the platoon with Don Money. Howell had a .260/.305/.350 slash line with four homers and 38 RBIs in 98 games, while Money was at .284/.360/.531 with 16 homers and 55 RBIs in 96 games. This would be Money's next-to-last season in MLB. Yelich's Brewers status is built on his NL MVP season of 2018, his first with the team, and his runner-up finish the next year. He is now the first captain in team history, but he has shown a bit of a resurgence in the postseason after a disappointing regular season (.235/.315/.378, 12 HRs, 59 RBIs).

Starting Pitching

RH Pete Vuckovich, RH Don Sutton, LH Mike Caldwell, RH Moose Haas (1982) vs. RH Jacob Misiorowski, RH Logan Henderson, LH Robert Gasser

The 1982 World Series rotation was a monster. Sutton would become a Hall of Famer and was the hired gun who came over from the Houston Astros at the trade deadline, while Vuckovich was a pure gamer and won 18 games. Caldwell was the staff horse with 258 innings and 12 complete games. Haas had the best FIP of any starter during the season at 3.30 and finished one strikeout behind Vuckovich's team-high 105. Those were all veterans who were well-established, while Misiorowski, Henderson and Gasser have a combined 96 career games in the regular season. Caldwell, Vuckovich and Haas just surpassed that in 1982 alone at 97. If Brandon Woodruff pitches in the World Series, it wouldn't be long, but it would be a nice sentimental move at the least.

Bullpen

RH Pete Ladd, LH Bob McClure, LH Jim Slaton, RH Dwight Bernard, RH Doc Medich (1982) vs. RH Trevor Megill, RH Abner Uribe, LH Aaron Ashby, LH JoJo Romero, LH DL Hall, RH Antonio Senzatela, LH Shane Drohan, RH Dustin May, RH Chad Patrick, LH Kyle Harrison (2026)

With Fingers unavailable, Ladd served as the closer in the ALCS and picked up two saves, while McClure had the two saves in the World Series. The bullpen, with only five relievers used, covered 18 innings in the World Series, which will be a far cry if this year's Fall Classic goes the distance. Heck, Ashby has 12⅓ in eight team games himself. McClure, normally a starter, appeared in five of the seven World Series games, while Slaton was the only other one to appear in more than one.

Bench

OF Marshall Edwards, 3B Don Money, C Ned Yost (1982) vs. C Gary Sanchez, IF Joey Ortiz, 1B Andrew Vaughn, OF Luis Lara

Other than the platoon at DH, the bench wasn't much of a factor in the World Series. Edwards, in his second MLB season, and Yost each appeared in just one game, both in the 13-1 Game 6 blowout loss. This year's bench will be used more as Ortiz platoons with Hamilton, who figures to get most of the playing time in the World Series due to a lack of left-handed starters for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Manager

Harvey Kuenn (1982) vs. Pat Murphy (2026)

Two of the bigger characters to be on the Brewers' bench. Kuenn famously took over for Buck Rodgers when the Brewers were 23-24 at the beginning of June. The Crew went 72-43 under Kuenn (.626 winning percentage), who would only stick around one more season. Murphy just guided the Brewers to the best regular-season record in franchise history at 103-59.

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