Steve Drumwright

Cooper Pratt was on the hook to wear the scapegoat horns from the first batter of the game. But if you have followed these Milwaukee Brewers this season, his 25 teammates wouldn’t allow that. It just isn’t what they do if they can help it. And the way the Brewers are going at the moment, they have been doing something about it. To use a word that manager Pat Murphy has used previously, these Brewers are uncommon. So they did an uncommon thing in Game 2 of the 2026 World Series. They took those horns off their rookie shortstop. Then, the 22-year-old paid them back. Because of both of those, the Brewers are halfway to the first World Series championship in the franchise’s 58 seasons. Pratt atoned for a very costly first-inning error by driving in the go-ahead run with a seventh-inning single in the Brewers’ 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday at American Family Field. The Brewers, MLB’s best team during the regular season, defended their home-field advantage by taking a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series, which now shifts to Tampa Bay for the next three games. Pratt has had a rough postseason defensively, which was his calling card as he climbed the ladder in the Brewers’ system to make his MLB debut in June after signing an eight-year, $50.75 million contract this spring before touching an MLB diamond. He committed errors in three consecutive games in the NL Division Series vs. the San Diego Padres and had a few other shaky plays. He had five errors total in 74 games defensively this year. So it was surprising when Pratt fielded a grounder from leadoff hitter Yandy Diaz and spiked his throw so much that first baseman Jake Bauers had little chance to scoop it before it went into the Brewers’ dugout. The Rays then did what the Brewers do to other teams. They pounced on the mistake. Right-hander Logan Henderson followed by allowing four runs, including a two-run homer by Liam Hicks. While Henderson was on the hook for the deficit, Pratt knew he was responsible for the situation. As Henderson did in mucking his way through the next two innings before turning the game over to a nails Brewers bullpen, Pratt steadied himself. There were still eight innings left and plenty of time for him to make some sort of contribution, any contribution to get the Brewers back into this game. The Brewers started the process of removing the horns from Pratt. They scored twice in the bottom of the first against Rays ace right-hander Drew Rasmussen, who had been dominant in three other postseason starts. Pratt had a chance to make it 4-3, but he struck out on three pitches to end the first. It started to turn in Pratt’s favor in the fourth. The Rays still led 4-2 when Pratt came up with one out. He got into an 0-2 hole against Rasmussen, who was starting to hit his limit. Pratt then took three pitches, two just off the bottom outside corner. He fouled off a 3-2 pitch, then took a 94.7 mph sinker, also low and outside, for a huge walk. Sal Frelick, another big part of this Game 2 win, singled Pratt to third. Pratt scored when David Hamilton’s grounder went through the legs of first baseman Jonathan Aranda. The Brewers trailed 4-3. After Pratt flew out to center to end the fifth, Frelick took the spotlight for the moment when he hit a tying homer leading off the sixth. Frelick had a disappointing regular season, much of it due to a shoulder injury, and had just four homers this year. He had only three career homers during the regular season against left-handed pitchers before that blast. Then came the seventh. After right-handed reliever Abner Uribe danced in and out of trouble in the top half, Brice Turang—Pratt’s middle-infield partner—had a leadoff double and went to third on Garrett Mitchell’s fly to the warning track in right. Right-hander Kevin Kelly came in to face Pratt in the biggest moment of his young career. Kelly got up on Pratt 1-2, then couldn’t get the rookie to chase a low changeup. Kelly tried a third sinker in the low-outside part of the zone. Pratt chiseled it to right and Turang trotted home with the go-ahead run. “There was a runner on third, so I was looking to get something up,” Pratt told Fox’s Tom Verducci. “Then got down 1-1 and chased a little. Heartrate was going and I got back in. Breathe, calm down and just looked for a pitch that I could handle. I stayed inside it and it went over first base, and I was pretty pumped up, man. It was pretty electric.” With the bullpen at an elite level, Pratt gave the Brewers the decisive hit and a seventh comeback win in nine postseason victories this year. Pratt was redeemed on this day. He had a moment—a World Series moment—that will stick with him for the rest of his life. Now, the Brewers are halfway to that elusive World Series championship that would make that moment even more indelible. Image courtesy of Matt Marton-Imagn Images View full article

Following a thrilling 3-2 victory in Game 1 of the 2026 World Series, the Milwaukee Brewers will be looking to protect their home-field advantage in a fascinating pitching matchup in Game 2. The Brewers will send rookie right-hander Logan Henderson to the mound to start Game 2 against the Tampa Bay Rays (7 p.m. CT, Fox) as they look to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Henderson has started Game 2 in each of the NL Division Series against the San Diego Padres and the NL Championship Series vs. the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Henderson was better in the NLDS, when he limited the Padres to two runs (one earned) on two hits and three walks while striking out four in five-plus innings. Against the Dodgers, Henderson made it two batters into the fifth inning, giving up four runs (two earned) on three hits and two walks with a pair of strikeouts. Henderson was hit own worst enemy in that game as he made not one, but two throwing errors, one on a pickoff attempt that allowed a run and another on a bunt that led to a run. Regardless, Henderson has had a tremendous rookie season. He had a 3.32 FIP (2.47 ERA) over 18 starts and 98⅓ innings and a walk rate of 5.1% and a strikeout rate of 29.6%. Henderson has not faced the Rays in his brief career, but has faced a pair of Rays hitters. Those are catcher Liam Hicks and backup center fielder Cedric Mullins. Henderson faced Hicks this year when the catcher was still with the Miami Marlins. That came July 17 at American Family Field with Hicks going 0-for-2 with a strikeout. The game against Mullins came last year when he was with the Baltimore Orioles. In that game, Mullins also went 0-for-2 with a strikeout. The Rays had seven hits in Game 1 of the World Series, with Jonathan Aranda going 3-for-3. He seemed at ease in facing the high heat from Jacob Misiorowski and is slashing .316/.395/.395 this postseason, so a hitter to focus on. Chandler Simpson had two hits and was on the back end of a double steal in the ninth inning as the Rays put the pressure on Brewers right-handed closer Trevor Megill. Simpson seemed to sustain a minor knee or hamstring injury during his ninth-inning plate appearance, but obviously remained in the game and stole a base. It didn't seem like anything that should impact his availability for Game 2 or beyond, but something to monitor. Logan Henderson vs. Tampa Bay Rays: Current Batters Table Rk Player B PA AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS SH SF IBB HBP GIDP 1 Liam Hicks L 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 2 Cedric Mullins L 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 Provided by Stathead: Found with Stathead. See Full Results. Generated 10/23/2026. After surprisingly not getting the Game 1 assignment to get an extra day of rest, ace right-hander Drew Rasmussen will start for the Rays. Rasmussen is a former highly touted Brewers prospect who was shipped to the Rays in the 2021 deal in which the Brewers landed shortstop Willy Adames. Wound up being a good horse trade, but now one that the Brewers will have to deal with the player they dealt away. Rasmussen has come into his own the last two seasons, but only after having three surgeries on his right elbow. Two of those were Tommy John surgeries that came before the trade while he was at Oregon State, the other was an internal brace procedure in the 2023 season, allowing him to return at the end of the 2024 campaign. Rasmussen has been an All-Star this year and last. While he received AL Cy Young votes last year, he was much better in 2026. Rasmussen went 16-5 with a 2.82 FIP (2.67 ERA) with a stellar 4.8% walk rate and solid 26% strikeout rate. He has faced the Brewers twice in his career, including April 1 this year at American Family Field. He went five innings, giving up two runs (one earned), striking out eight while allowing three hits and a walk. Brice Turang homered off him. Jake Bauers has seen Rasmussen the most, going 3-for-8 with a walk and three strikeouts. William Contreras is the only other Brewer on the World Series roster with two hits vs. Rasmussen, those coming in six plate appearances that include a solo homer and a walk. The Brewers showed excellent patience in Game 1 by drawing four walks against a team that doesn't walk many. Contreras and Jackson Chourio had a pair of hits in the Series opener. Drew Rasmussen vs. Milwaukee Brewers: Current Batters Table Rk Player B PA AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS SH SF IBB HBP GIDP 1 Jake Bauers L 9 8 3 0 0 0 0 1 3 .375 .444 .375 .819 0 0 0 0 0 2 William Contreras R 6 5 2 0 0 1 1 1 0 .400 .500 1.000 1.500 0 0 0 0 0 3 Sal Frelick L 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 4 Brice Turang L 5 4 1 0 0 1 2 1 0 .250 .400 1.000 1.400 0 0 0 0 0 5 Joey Ortiz R 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .250 .250 .250 .500 0 0 0 0 0 6 Gary Sánchez R 4 4 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 .250 .250 .500 .750 0 0 0 0 0 7 Christian Yelich L 4 4 1 0 0 1 1 0 2 .250 .250 1.000 1.250 0 0 0 0 0 8 Jackson Chourio R 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 9 David Hamilton L 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 10 Garrett Mitchell L 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .500 .500 .500 1.000 0 0 0 0 0 11 Bo Naylor L 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 Provided by Stathead: Found with Stathead. See Full Results. Generated 10/23/2026. Image courtesy of Benny Sieu-Imagn Images View full article

If the Milwaukee Brewers are going to do the thing they are trying to do, they are going to need every ounce of the Abner Uribe who showed up in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday. Uribe was a minor question mark entering the Brewers’ second World Series and first since 1982 due to his poor outing in Game 3 of the NL Championship Series. But after a week off between series, everyday Uribe was back in form in Game 1 against the Tampa Bay Rays. And he will need to maintain that level of performance with the Brewers seeking the first championship in franchise history. Uribe pitched a scoreless 1⅓ innings in the Brewers’ 3-2 nail-biting victory over the Rays to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. There wasn’t great concern over Uribe entering Game 1, but you also wanted to make sure he was back on his game following his bout of wildness in the NLCS. If you recall, Uribe came on to begin the sixth inning of Game 3 against the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, charged with holding a 1-0 lead while facing the heart of the order. He immediately walked Teoscar Hernandez and Kyle Tucker before rebounding to strike out pinch-hitter Max Muncy. But his control was still shaky as he issued his third walk of the inning, giving a five-pitch free pass to superstar Shohei Ohtani. That loaded the bases for Will Smith, one of the heroes of the Dodgers’ Game 7 victory in last year’s World Series with his decisive 11th-inning homer to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4. Smith didn’t homer, but he still did damage, hitting a two-run double to put the Dodgers up 2-1. Manager Pat Murphy had seen enough from one of his most trustworthy relievers, yanking Uribe in favor of left-hander DL Hall. Hall then picked up his teammate by striking out Enrique Hernandez and Tommy Edman, with the Brewers then putting up a three-spot in the top of the seventh and going on to a 6-2 victory. Game 3 was Uribe’s seventh straight in the postseason, which may have been just a bit too much of a workland for the excitable reliever. Uribe didn’t pitch in the clinching Game 4 sweep of the Dodgers, so really had eight days off since his last game. Again called in to begin the sixth inning of Game 1 vs. the Rays following ace right-hander Jacob Misiorowski’s five innings, Uribe showed he was back on his game. Facing the top of the Rays’ lineup with the Brewers up 2-1, he induced Yandy Diaz to ground out to second, then Jonathan Aranda singled. Thoughts had to be racing in Murphy’s head. With the pesky Chandler Simpson up next, Uribe battled the speedster for seven pitches before getting him to chase a 2-2 slider at 89.9 mph low and inside for a huge strikeout. Aranda was running on the play, with catcher William Contreras firing a strike to second to complete the strike-’em-out, throw-’em-out double play to end the inning. Image courtesy of Benny Sieu-Imagn Images View full article

When you are the ace, you get all the cool assignments. That includes starting Game 1 of the World Series. As the Milwaukee Brewers embark on the franchise's second World Series in their 58-year history, they will send their 24-year-old flamethrower to the mound in Jacob Misiorowski. The probable NL Cy Young Award winner who is at the end of his first full MLB season—very full when you consider the postseason—will face the AL champion Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 (7 p.m. CT, Fox). Misiorowski will join former Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels (2008) as the only players 24 or younger to start Game 1 of the Division Series, League Championship Series and World Series in the same season. The energetic right-hander has taken his game to a whole new level this season after bursting onto the scene just before last year's All-Star break. The Miz led MLB during the regular season with a 2.17 FIP, 1.80 ERA, 252 strikeouts, a 0.802 WHIP and an opponent batting average of .157, the lowest in MLB history. He became the first pitcher in MLB history to throw more than 1,000 pitches at 100 mph or better while his 37.9% strikeout rate was the second-best in MLB history for a qualified pitcher (Gerrit Cole, New York Yankees, 2019, 39.9%). Misiorowski also has 30 career pitches at 104 mph or better, trailing only 17-year veteran Aroldis Chapman (71, including postseason). While Misiorowski has been sharp throughout the season, his postseason has been less so. In those two starts, he has gone a total of 8⅓ innings, striking out 11 and walking four while allowing three runs and nine hits. While he uncorked a postseason-record 104.8 mph offering on his very first pitch of these playoffs, he has been slightly more hittable. That is in part due to his fastball not having as much induced vertical break (down from 15.3 inches to 14), which has helped the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers foul off a combined 50 pitches. What that has meant is more work for Misiorowski and those teams getting to his off-speed stuff more often. Misiorowski has faced the Rays just once in his young career. That came in his second start of this season, April 1 at American Family Field. On that day, the Miz struck out seven over six innings, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks over six innings. One of the four hits was a two-run homer in the third inning by Yandy Diaz, the most tenured player on the Rays' roster. Diaz has been the Rays' top hitter throughout this postseason, putting up a .308/.341/.564 slash line (12-for-39) with seven runs scored, two homers and four RBIs. He hit a huge two-run homer in the clinching Game 6 of the AL Championship Series vs. the Cleveland Guardians. Junior Caminero is another dangerous hitter. The 23-year-old third baseman has a postseason slash line of .273/.351/.455 (9-for-33) and hit his only homer of the playoffs also in Game 6 of the ALCS, a two-run shot that accounted for half of his RBI total. He has struck out 13 times. This after a regular season in which Caminero slashed .276/.360/.524, hitting 42 homers and driving in 101. Jacob Misiorowski vs. Tampa Bay Rays: Current Batters Table Rk Player B PA AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS SH SF IBB HBP GIDP 1 Jonathan Aranda L 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 2 Junior Caminero R 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 3 Yandy Díaz R 3 3 1 0 0 1 2 0 1 .333 .333 1.333 1.667 0 0 0 0 0 4 Nick Fortes R 3 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .333 .333 .333 .667 0 0 0 0 0 5 Cedric Mullins L 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 6 Chandler Simpson L 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .500 .667 .500 1.167 0 0 0 0 0 7 Ben Williamson R 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 8 Liam Hicks L 2 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 .500 .500 .500 1.000 0 0 0 0 0 9 Jorge Mateo R 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .500 .500 .500 1.000 0 0 0 0 0 10 Richie Palacios L 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .000 1.000 .000 .000 0 0 0 1 0 Provided by Stathead: Found with Stathead. See Full Results. Generated 10/22/2026. Starting for the Rays will be right-hander Nick Martinez, a bit of a surprising choice over ace right-hander Drew Rasmussen. Martinez, a 36-year-old journeyman who spent 2018-2021 in Japan, has been a full-time starter for the first time in his career and experienced a great deal of success. In 31 starts during his first season with the Rays, he won 15 games and logged 180 innings, all career highs that also led the Rays' staff. In a theme you will hear throughout the World Series, he doesn't walk very many. Martinez led MLB with a 3.6% walk rate. His two starts this postseason were the first of his career, while also having eight relief appearances. In those two starts, he lasted just 3⅔ innings, allowing two runs on five hits and a walk with three strikeouts in the Game 3 clincher against the New York Yankees in the AL Division Series. He bounced back with a stronger showing in the AL Championship Series. In Game 4, Martinez went 5⅓ innings, giving up just two hits and a run, while walking two and striking out three. During the regular season, he had a 3.96 FIP (3.10 ERA) with a strikeout rate of just 15.1%. That poor strikeout rate could be a reason behind the success the Brewers have had against Martinez, who spent the last two years with the NL Central's Cincinnati Reds. William Contreras is 5-for-18 vs. Martinez with a pair of homers, while Christian Yelich is 5-for-19 with a homer. It goes deeper, though, as Garrett Mitchell is 4-for-12 with a pair of doubles and Sal Frelick 4-for-13 with a double and four RBIs, matching Contreras' team-best total. Brice Turang and Gary Sanchez have also homered off Martinez. Martinez faced the Brewers in their early-season series. He made his Rays debut in the March 30 game in which he went six innings, allowing two runs on six hits with no walks and three strikeouts. Turang went deep off Martinez in that game, the Rays' only victory of the three-game series. Martinez has been very good on the road this year, posting a 2.36 ERA in 16 starts and 94⅔ innings. Nick Martinez vs. Milwaukee Brewers: Current Batters Table Rk Player B PA AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS SH SF IBB HBP GIDP 1 Christian Yelich L 20 19 5 1 0 1 2 1 5 .263 .300 .474 .774 0 0 0 0 0 2 William Contreras R 18 18 5 1 0 2 4 0 2 .278 .278 .667 .944 0 0 0 0 1 3 Brice Turang L 17 16 4 2 0 1 3 1 4 .250 .294 .563 .857 0 0 0 0 0 4 Sal Frelick L 13 13 4 1 0 0 4 0 0 .308 .308 .385 .692 0 0 0 0 1 5 Jackson Chourio R 12 12 2 1 0 0 0 0 2 .167 .167 .250 .417 0 0 0 0 0 6 Garrett Mitchell L 12 12 4 2 0 0 1 0 4 .333 .333 .500 .833 0 0 0 0 0 7 Joey Ortiz R 10 9 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 .111 .200 .111 .311 0 0 0 0 1 8 Gary Sánchez R 9 7 3 1 0 1 3 1 1 .429 .556 1.000 1.556 0 0 0 1 0 9 Jake Bauers L 5 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .200 .200 .200 .400 0 0 0 0 0 10 David Hamilton L 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 11 Brandon Lockridge R 3 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 .667 .667 .667 1.333 0 0 0 0 0 12 Bo Naylor L 3 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 .333 .333 .667 1.000 0 0 0 0 0 Provided by Stathead: Found with Stathead. See Full Results. Generated 10/22/2026. Image courtesy of Michael McLoone-Imagn Images View full article

All of the work he did to even potentially just pitch one inning in the World Series paid off. Brandon Woodruff is on the Milwaukee Brewers' roster for the World Series. Woodruff, whose career nearly ended unceremoniously when he walked off the mound with a bum right shoulder July 4, was an emotional addition to the Brewers' 26-man roster that was announced Friday. The Brewers open the 2026 World Series against the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday (7 p.m. CT, Fox). Woodruff's addition to the roster comes at the expense of right-hander Chad Patrick being left off. Patrick has not pitched in a postseason game this year despite being on the roster for both previous rounds. No other changes were made to the Brewers' roster from the previous two rounds. The 33-year-old right-hander, a stalwart of the Brewers' rotation until a shoulder injury sidelined him just before the 2024 postseason, has only faced hitters in live batting practice Tuesday since that devastating July 4 day, the third setback of 2026 during Woodruff's comeback from surgery three years ago. The start to his season was also slightly delayed and he then went on the injured list following an April 30 game from which he was also removed. Both games he left happened to be against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Woodruff is the Brewers' longest-tenured player and was one of the team's top starting pitchers until his shoulder issue popped up on the eve of the 2023 postseason, preventing him from pitching. Surgery took him out of all of 2024 and he was on the comeback trail in 2025 when a couple non-shoulder injuries set him back again. He did, however, return to the mound to make 11 starts last year, posting a 3.17 FIP (3.20 ERA) with a stellar 5.4% walk rate and 32.3% strikeout rate. But he broke down again late in the season and wasn't available for the postseason as the Brewers were short on starting pitching. One of the concerns with Woodruff potentially getting hurt again if he pitches in the World Series was the Brewers' ability to replace him on the roster. Players who get hurt during the postseason are typically eligible to be replaced, but there is a clause about preexisting injuries and a player being removed from a roster. Replacements must be approved by MLB and preexisting injuries have not always been approved when a player gets reinjured and MLB had indicated to the Brewers that it would not allow a substitute should Woodruff get hurt. View full rumor

Image courtesy of Benny Sieu-Imagn Images The Milwaukee Brewers adopted the slogan “Win Our Way” as they approached clinching a spot in the postseason. That has a lot to do with the players they run out there on a daily basis. But now that strategy comes under bigger scrutiny as the Brewers face the Tampa Bay Rays on MLB’s greatest stage, the World Series. Specific matchups are going to be key in a seven-game series that is expected to be decided by the slimmest of advantages. Down the stretch, the Brewers settled into a pretty routine lineup vs. right-handers and changes against left-handers, which manager Pat Murphy has continued through the first two rounds of the postseason. The Tampa Bay Rays are very similar, which shouldn’t be a surprise considering the similarities between the teams. But the Rays have been a little more on-the-fly with how manager Kevin Cash fills out his lineup card. With Game 1 set for Friday, let’s take a look at each of the lineups and what we might see as games progress. Brewers Lineup Expected Rays rotation: RHP Nick Martinez, RHP Drew Rasmussen, RHP Freddy Peralta, RHP Griffin Jax Jackson Chourio, LF (RH) Brice Turang, 2B (LH) William Contreras, C (RH) Jake Bauers, 1B (LH) Christian Yelich, DH (LH) Garrett Mitchell, CF (LH) Cooper Pratt, SS (RH) Sal Frelick, RF (LH) David Hamilton, 3B (LH) This is the typical lineup against a right-handed starter and the way the Crew will roll for pretty much every game with no left-handers likely to be a true starter. Don’t expect that lineup to last to the end of the game. The platoons against left-handers happen at designated hitter, where Andrew Vaughn could supplant Yelich, while switch-hitter Luis Lara would get the start over Frelick in right field and Joey Ortiz gets the nod over Hamilton at third. Ian Seymour is the only potential true left-handed starter for the Rays, but he has come out of the bullpen all season. Rays Lineup Expected Brewers rotation: RHP Jacob Misiorowski, RHP Logan Henderson, LHP Robert Gasser, bullpen game Jonathan Aranda, 1B (RH) Yandy Diaz, DH (RH) Liam Hicks, C (LH) Junior Caminero, 3B (RH) Chandler Simpson, LF (RH) Victor Mesa Jr., RF (LH) Jonny DeLuca, CF (RH) Richie Palacios, 2B (LH) Taylor Walls, SS (S) The Rays platoon at second with Ben Williamson and Jorge Mateo as the right-handed options, with Williamson getting more of the time even with Mateo coming over in mid-August after being released by Atlanta. All three played second in one of the AL Championship Series games. Mesa might be swapped out when Brewers left-hander Robert Gasser starts in favor of Ryan Vilade. Hicks, a left-handed hitter, is likely to get most of the starts at catcher, although Nic Fortes, a right-handed hitter, will pop in on occasion. Hicks has also bounced around in the lineup, hitting everywhere from third through eighth when starting in the postseason. Cedric Mullins will sometimes come in for defensive purposes to play center, with DeLuca moving to right and sending Mesa to the bench. What Are The Key Matchups? As you might expect with the Brewers having a rotation filled with rookies or others with minimal MLB experience, there is not much of a track record between Rays hitters and Brewers starters. In fact, between Misiorowski, Henderson and Gasser, there have been a grand total of 28 at-bats between that trio and the players expected to be on the Rays’ World Series roster. Of those, 22 came in the April 1 game—the second series of the season—in Misiorowski’s second start of the season. Ten Rays who are on the roster got to see the Miz either two or three times. Simpson reached twice vs. Misiorowski, on a bunt single and a walk. Caminero is 5-for-18 vs. current Brewers pitchers, including 2-for-3 against right-handed reliever Antonio Senzatela. Diaz, the Rays’ other big bat, is 9-for-24 with homers off Misiorowski and Kyle Harrison. A good chunk of that was done against right-hander Dustin May (3-for-3) and Harrison (3-for-5), but Diaz is also 2-for-4 vs. left-hander JoJo Romero. Aranda is 2-for-2 against Senzatela, both doubles, so that might not be a matchup you see at all. Simpson has gone 6-for-18, including 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles when paired with right-hander Chad Patrick. Hicks faced the Brewers the most this season due to his tenure with the Miami Marlins. He went 7-for-23, including 5-for-24 vs. NLCS Crew pitchers (subtract Brandon Woodruff, add Senzatela). Brewers closer Trevor Megill has given up four hits in 11 at-bats to this group of Rays hitters with Mullins going 2-for-2 with a double. Left-handed reliever Aaron Ashby has kept the Rays at 4-for-16, with Caminero and DeLuca going 1-for-2. Right-hander Abner Uribe has pretty much shut down the Rays, who have gone 1-for-14. Romero, the other big lefty out of the Brewers' bullpen, has held those not named Diaz (2-for-4) to 2-for-12. After Caminero and Aranda, as mentioned above, Senzatela has kept the other Rays to 2-for-16. Meanwhile, there is a slightly bigger history of Brewers hitters facing these Rays pitchers. That could also make Game 1 more interesting. There are a handful of Brewers who have had success vs. Martinez, who got the Game 1 nod when Rasmussen needed an extra day of rest. Mitchell (4-for-12, two doubles), Frelick (4-for-13, double, four RBIs), Contreras (4-for-18, double, two homers, four RBIs), Yelich (5-for-19, double, homer) and Turang (4-for-16, two doubles, homer) will provide a stiff opening challenge. Rasmussen, the former Brewers prospect dealt away for shortstop Willy Adames, has seen Bauers go 3-for-8 with a walk, while Contreras is 2-for-5 with a homer and a walk. Yelich and Turang have homers as their lone hit in four plate appearances vs. Rasmussen. Peralta was knocked around pretty good by the Brewers when he returned to American Family Field for his lone game against the Brewers, but the Rays have been notable changes to get him more on the level he was at with the Crew. Pratt went 3-for-3 with a homer to highlight the seven runs in 5⅓ innings on July 20. It will also be interesting to see if Vaughn starts against Peralta as he is 5-for-11 in his career against him. Jax has faced the Brewers most often of the four starters, but all seven of those appearances came out of the Minnesota Twins’ bullpen. Those short outings have resulted in a pretty balanced 10-for-24 show by the Brewers, with Yelich having the most time against Jax, going 2-for-6. Contreras is 2-for-4, while six other Brewers on the roster have one hit in a maximum of four plate appearances. Against Rays relievers, right-handed closer Bryan Baker, who tied for the MLB lead with 41 saves, has limited the Brewers to 1-for-6, all before this season and during his time with the Baltimore Orioles, with Chourio getting that knock. Right-hander Kevin Kelly has kept the Crew at 2-for-8, with backup catcher Gary Sanchez going 1-for-2, the same as Bauers. Against right-hander Tyler Wells, the Brewers are just 3-for-17, with Sanchez homering in five at-bats. Cam Booser, one of likely three left-handers in the Rays’ bullpen, has yielded four hits in eight at-bats, with lefty-hitting Bauers going 2-for-2 with a double. Another Rays lefty, Seymour, has kept the Crew in check at 1-for-7, with Yelich getting the lone hit. View full article

Image courtesy of John Biever-USA TODAY NETWORK 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. View full article

With the success the Milwaukee Brewers have had in recent seasons, it is only natural for other teams to come calling when they have vacancies, whether it is in the front office or the coaching staff. Matt Kleine, the Brewers' assistant general manager, has been a popular name the last two years. Kleine is "a serious candidate" to take over the Houston Astros' baseball operations, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale. The Astros terminated the contract of general manager Dana Brown on Aug. 24. Brown's deal was scheduled to expire following the season. Kleine has been the top assistant to president of baseball operations Matt Arnold. He joined the Brewers as a scout in 2007, following a brief internship with the Astros. Kleine climbed his way up the ladder and has been a member of the baseball ops staff since 2014. He became the assistant GM after the 2023 season. Kleine will have to figure out whether he wants the top job while working for an owner, Jim Crane, who has been heavy-handed in personnel moves. View full rumor

Image courtesy of Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images When the Milwaukee Brewers look over the scouting report of the Tampa Bay Rays before the World Series begins Friday, they will see a mirror image of themself. Both teams had the best record in their respective league. Both teams feature an offense that likes to pressure the other team’s defense. Both teams have an excellent No. 1 starting pitcher with solid options after. Both teams have tremendous bullpens. Both teams play defense at a high level. The two carbon copies, considered among the most intelligent front offices in MLB, should be in store to put together an entertaining World Series, where—you know what is coming next—both teams are seeking their first championship. The Rays, who came into existence in 1998, are in their third World Series, having lost in 2008 to the Philadelphia Phillies in five games and in 2020 to the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games. The Brewers, as we all know, are in just their second World Series since joining MLB as the Seattle Pilots in 1969. Their only other trip came in 1982, when the Crew lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. On Monday, the Rays punched their ticket by beating the Cleveland Guardians 7-3 to take the AL Championship Series in six games. That was four days following the Brewers’ four-game sweep of the two-time reigning World Series champion Dodgers. The franchises are tied together in several ways. Matt Arnold, currently the Crew’s president of baseball operations, came to the Brewers under David Stearns’ new regime after the 2015 season from the Rays, where he was part of a front office with Erik Neander, Tampa Bay’s current POBO. Both worked under Andrew Friedman, who led the Rays’ front office until leaving for the Dodgers in October 2014. Arnold took over the Brewers’ operation after the 2022 season, while Neander was elevated to the top job with the Rays in September 2021. No wonder the two teams have so many similarities. Develop pitching, make shrewd trades, look for the advantages on the edges and wherever else they can find them. There are player connections, too. Most prominently, right-handed starter Freddy Peralta was developed into a top-level pitcher by the Brewers after being acquired from the Seattle Mariners. The Brewers spun Peralta off before this season to the New York Mets in exchange for infielder-center fielder Jett Williams and right-handed starter Brandon Sproat. But Peralta struggled with the Mets to the tune of a 4.99 ERA in 22 starts. The Mets, in the midst of a bad season, shipped Peralta to the Rays at the trade deadline. All the Rays did was fix what ailed Peralta, who then put up a 3.25 ERA in 10 regular season starts. This postseason, he has allowed just two runs over 16⅔ innings. He won twice in the ALCS, including Monday’s clincher, to be named series MVP. Peralta could pitch Saturday's Game 2 of the World Series at American Family Field or Game 3 back at Tropicana Field. There is another former Brewer who plays a prominent role for the Rays. That is right-hander Drew Rasmussen. Remember him? He was part of the return the Rays received when the Brewers acquired shortstop Willy Adames during the 2021 season. The Brewers have a former Ray in first baseman Jake Bauers, the NLCS MVP. Bauers, drafted by the San Diego Padres in 2013, was shipped to the Rays in a massive three-time trade in December 2014 headlined by Trea Turner eventually going to the Washington Nationals. As far as this year’s Rays team, there is one noteworthy difference between them and the Brewers. It is the ability to hit home runs. It isn’t a pronounced difference as the Rays hit 169 in the regular season, ranking 22nd, to the Brewers’ 154, which tied for next-to-last with the Los Angeles Angels. The difference comes in the form of superstar third baseman Junior Caminero, who tied for the fourth-most homers in MLB this season with 42 (also: Yordan Alvarez of the Houston Astros). First baseman Jonathan Aranda and designated hitter Yandy Diaz each had 22. The Brewers also had three players with 20 homers in Bauers (26), Jackson Chourio (25) and Brice Turang (21). While neither team truly relies on the homer, they use speed and contact to manufacture offense. The Rays had a team slash line of .258/.326/.402 for the eighth-best OPS of .728 and the 12th-most runs, while the Brewers had a .258/.341/.403 slash line and the No. 3 OPS of .744 and the second-most runs. Diaz (.293/.359/.446) and Aranda (.274/.358/.434) hold down the top of the batting order while Caminero (.276/.360/.524) anchors the middle. The rest of the Rays’ hitters juggle lineup positions. The biggest wild card of the Rays’ offense is Chandler Simpson. The left fielder is probably the fastest player in MLB and has put together a .306/.333/.356 slash line with no homers. He had 118 bolts (times where his sprint speed was 30 feet per second) in 359 competitive runs and holds the fastest home-to-first average speed of 3.97 seconds, the only one under 4 seconds. The Brewers’ David Hamilton is tied for second in home-to-first speed at 4.04 seconds and has 66 bolts in 132 competitive runs. Rasmussen has blossomed into an ace, going 16-5 with a 2.67 ERA, with a 26.8% strikeout rate to go along with a career-best 4.8% walk rate. The two other starters the Rays feature are right-handers Nick Martinez and Griffin Jax. Martinez is a proven veteran who went 15-6 with a 3.10 ERA and an excellent 3.6% walk rate and 15.1% strikeout rate. Jax, acquired from the Minnesota Twins at last year’s deadline, had been a reliever all his career until converting to a starter during the season. He had a 3.53 ERA with 7.6% walk rate and 25.3% strikeout rate. The bullpen is led by All-Star right-handed closer Bryan Baker, who tied for the MLB lead with 41 saves and hasn’t blown one since May. He had saves in the first six Rays wins of this offseason and finished off Game 6 of the ALCS, a non-save situation in a 7-3 victory. He is as lockdown as they come this season. Other arms to know are right-hander Kevin Kelly (2.44 ERA, 3.9% BB rate, 22.6% K rate), left-hander Cam Booser (1.98 ERA, 3.9%, 29.6%) and right-hander Ian Seymour (3.88 ERA, 6.5%, 28.7%). You might get confused by the names of two Rays. Those would be Taylor Walls and Tyler Wells. Walls is the standout shortstop who hasn’t hit much (.222/.309/.298), while Wells will be an arm you should see a few times in the series. One final important showdown will be between the team mascots. While the Brewers have Bernie Brewer perched in his chalet out in left field, the Rays have DJ Kitty—not even a ray—who started as a viral scoreboard feature and now has a costumed cousin. There are two other Rays mascots. One is Raymond, who has been with the team since its inception. It looks more like a manatee-walrus combo than a manta ray. The other is Stinger, who acts as a guide to the touch tanks for the real rays at Tropicana Field. View full article

That type of discipline doesn't always work at the MLB level. But it does with the Brewers because of the players who are leaders in the clubhouse. Christian Yelich is at the forefront of that movement as the team's highest-paid player and with the second-longest tenure behind Brandon Woodruff, who has also been a big presence even with injuries diminishing his time on the field. Sal Frelick and William Contreras are others in a leadership role. It has been that core that has helped Murphy deliver his message to the newcomers to the team, whether they be prospects coming up or trade acquisition new to how the Brewers do things. The 67-year-old Murphy has overseen the two best seasons on the field in Brewers history, winning 98 games in 2025 and topping that with a very consistent 103-win performance in 2026. He became the first manager in Brewers history to be named Manager of the Year in 2024, his first season, repeated the NL honor again last year with talk of a three-peat this year. Since Murphy arrived as bench coach in 2016, the Brewers have had 90 or more wins five times after doing it in eight of 47 seasons previously. With the franchise's first trip to the World Series in 44 years, Murphy has the Brewers at their zenith. He has guided the Brewers to three of their four consecutive NL Central titles. The Brewers have won six division titles since his arrival, including five in the last six seasons, and eight trips to the postseason in nine years. Only Counsell's first full season of 2016 and the shortened 2020 season have the Brewers not finished first or second in the Central. He has been able to relate to the players on a personal level while keeping an edge. Perhaps that is because he has a son at the Double-A level in the Padres' organization. Murphy can grit his teeth when something goes awry on the field, but then have his younger kids by his side during the postgame press conference as he name checks all the reporters in the room and hands out one-liners. He is a terrific communicator in addition to being able to execute a game plan with what many would consider a bunch of misfit players in MLB's smallest media market. Much like Bob Uecker, Murphy's quips get a lot of attention. But when you sit and listen closely as he gets into strategy and why things may have went the way they did, you can hear the depth of Murphy's baseball knowledge and just how detail-oriented he is and what he commands from his players. It is why the Brewers have already made a lot of history this season and now sit four wins away from doing something no other team in the franchise's previous 57 seasons has done: Win a World Series. View full article

Clear your calendars, Wisconsin. Game times have been set for all seven games of the World Series. MLB on Friday set the start times for 7 p.m. CT for all seven games of the World Series, which for the first time since 1982 will feature the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers swept the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Championship Series and now await the winner of the AL Championship Series between the top-seeded Tampa Bay Rays and the second-seeded Cleveland Guardians. While MLB says 7 p.m., there are often ceremonies that lead into World Series games that could push actual start times back about 10 to 20 minutes. The Brewers will host the first two World Series games at American Family Field on Friday, Oct. 23 and Saturday, Oct. 24. After taking a day off, Games 3-5 will be at the AL site the following Monday-Wednesday, with Games 6 and 7 back in Milwaukee that Friday and Saturday (Oct. 30-31). Yes, the World Series could finish on Halloween. Fox will carry all seven games, with pregame shows beginning at 6 p.m. CT. Joe Davis and John Smoltz, the same crew that called the NLCS, will call the games for the World Series. View full rumor

And for a little nostalgia, here is what Dwayne Mosley (sorry, not the legendary Bob Uecker, who was on the field at that moment) sounded like back in 1982 as Pete Ladd delivered the final pitch of the AL Championship Series as the Brewers beat the California Angels. Rod Carew hit a grounder to shortstop Robin Yount, who threw to first baseman Cecil Cooper for the final out. Now, will Levering have one more memorable call at the end of this year's World Series? View full article