2026 WORLD SERIES PREVIEW

THANK YOU BREWERS

Sorry Dodgers fans, but your team will have to wait until the offseason to ruin baseball for everyone else. The only bad part about the Dodgers getting swept is that we now have a counter argument for the salary cap. I still expect some sort of a salary cap to be put in place, but it’s going to be annoying as heck to hear the Dodgers fans arguments the next couple of months. The Milwaukee Brewers did what they have been doing all season, and swept the star-studded Dodgers out of the postseason, making it the first time the Dodgers had been swept out of the NLCS round. As a Mariners fan, a championship series sweep doesn’t sound so bad. I don’t think Dodgers fans feel the same. So, why were they swept? Because Milwaukee is a GOOD TEAM. Sure, the Dodgers have more individual talent, but the Brewers are an actual TEAM. They do the right things. They don’t strike out with runners on and no outs. They play small ball. They sacrifice bunt. They battle at the plate and the pitching staff follows and executes the game plan perfectly. Props to Pat Murphy for bringing back old school baseball. The Brewers play the game it’s supposed to be played.

Speaking of teams who play the right way, the Tampa Bay Rays are nearly identical and approach the game the same way as the Brewers. Ever since April, the Rays looked different. I remember watching some of their games and immediately recognized this team was going to be a problem. Whether it’s Junior Caminero dropping bombs or Chandler Simpson beating out ground balls with his speed, the Rays are worth the price of admission. Whoever wins this world series, it’s safe to say the two best teams are represented.

Starting Pitchers:

It’s hard to go against Jacob Misiorowski and the rest of the Brewers, but the Rays pitching staff has been nothing short of elite all year. However, he has struggled with his accuracy in the postseason and if he is missing, it will not bode well for the Brewers. Drew Rasmussen and Nick Martinez have been solid all year and I expect them to keep the ball on the ground. While the Brewers definitely have the most talented pitcher, the Rays have the best starting pitchers as a whole.

Lineup:

Both teams have speed all over their lineups but the Brewers have a little more consistent contact compared to the Rays. Both of these teams have great players at the top of the order, but Milwaukee just has a little bit more juice in the 7, 8, and 9 holes. If Caminero or Diaz slump at all in this world series, it might be over quickly for Tampa Bay. The edge goes to the Brewers here.

Defense:

Junior Caminero might not be 100% health wise after his game one scare in the ALCS and is more of a power hitter at third base anyway. The Brewers boast one of the best defenses in baseball all around and Willson Contreras calls a mean game behind the plate. Give me the Brewers here.

Bullpen:

Both of these squads feature a plethora of right handed and left handed arms. This is a toss up. It’s going to be tough rallying versus either one of these bullpens.

Coaching:

Kevin Cash’s questionable decision to pull Blake Snell in the 2020 World Series vs the Dodgers haunts Rays fans to this day. Pat Murphy meanwhile seems to be pulling all the strings correctly and hasn’t really faced any scrutiny regarding his decisions since his team has been dominant all postseason. Cash has the experience but Murphy has the aura. Hopefully neither of these coaches go outside the norm and cost their team a world series opportunity. This is a toss up.

One thing to watch:

The Rays in the 8th inning. I placed a lot of bets on the Rays this year and noticed that they tended to rally in the 8th inning of most of their games. I looked up what teams scored the most runs in the 8th inning and was shocked to find the Rays were actually ranked 20th… Maybe they only rally when I bet on them? Either way… it’s happened multiple times this year and don’t be surprised if it happens in multiple games.

Prediction:

Everyone and their momma is gonna bet on Mis and the Brewers game one. Mis hasn’t been his dominant self this postseason and has been fairly wild at times. If Nick Martinez is able to keep the ball in the park game one, then the Rays might be able to steal one. I predict the following:

Game One: Rays

Game Two: Brewers

Game Three: Rays

Game Four: Brewers

Game Five: Rays

Game Six: Brewers

Game Seven: Brewers

Brewers in Seven