Major League Baseball has not had a World Series showcase featuring two teams without a championship since 1920, when the Cleveland Indians (now Guardians) defeated the Brooklyn Robyns (now the Los Angeles Dodgers) 5-2 in a best-of-9 game series.
That is, until this year.
While the franchises of the two 1920 World Series teams made it back to their respective American and National League Championships, it was their opponents that clinched their spot in the Fall Classic.
In the National League, the Milwaukee Brewers swept the Dodgers in four games, the clinching game on Thursday, October 15 in LA. The Brewers had baseball’s best record this regular season (103-59) and own home field advantage throughout the postseason. Milwaukee won 3 of 4 against San Diego in the NLDS, while the Dodgers took care of business by the same mark against Atlanta.
The American League’s top record belonged to the Tampa Bay Rays (98-64). In the ALDS, the Rays swept divisional rival New York Yankees in three games, while ousting No. 2 seed Cleveland 4-2 in six games, a series that ended October 19.
This is the second trip to the World Series for the Brewers franchise. In 1982, “Harvey’s Wallbangers” clinched a spot in the ALCS on the final day of the season in a win over the Baltimore Orioles. Milwaukee then defeated the California Angels in the ALCS four-games-to-one. In the World Series, the Brewers lost in the seventh and final game to the St. Louis Cardinals. Milwaukee led 3-1 going into the bottom of the sixth inning, but the Cardinals plated three runs in the bottom half of the inning and added two more in the eighth for insurance.
The 1982 team, managed down the stretch by Harvey Kuenn, has long been revered by Brewers faithful. Hall of Famers Robin Yount, Paul Molitor and Ted Simmons were in the everyday lineup, along with infielders Cecil Cooper and Jim Gantner, and outfielders Ben Oglivie, Charlie Moore and “Stormin’” Gorman Thomas. On the mound, Cy Young winner Pete Vuckovich led a starting staff that included Mike Caldwell, Moose Haas, Bob McClure, Randy Lerch, and, for seven games, Hall of Famer Don Sutton. Hall of Famer reliever Rollie Fingers locked down 29 games over the course of the season with a .260 ERA, though he missed the postseason with an injury.
This year’s Brewers features likely Cy Young winner Jacob Misiorowski, who had a miniscule 1.80 ERA this season to go with 252 strikeouts, a 0.80 WHIP and .157 BAA — all of which led the Major Leagues. He also threw 1,115 pitches 100 mph or higher (about 1/5 of MLB’s total in 2026), topping out at 105 mph. Other starting pitchers include rookie sensations Logan Henderson and Robert Gasser, veteran Brandon Woodruff (who has been hurt most of the year), and star relievers Aaron Ashby, Abner Uribe and closer Trevor Megill, who was tied for the NL lead in saves.
In the batting lineup, DH Christian Yelich is a former MVP and was named the franchise’s first team captain just before the end of the regular season. Catcher William Contreras controls much of the energy both on the field and at the plate. Jackson Chourio, the 22-year-old left fielder, has been breaking franchise playoff records this fall. He’s joined in the outfield by Garrett Mitchell, Sal Frelick and rookie Luis Lara. The infield is anchored by Platinum Glove winner Brice Turang at 2B, rookie SS Cooper Pratt, Joey Ortiz at 3B and breakout slugger Jake Bauers at 1B. On the bench in reserve are sluggers Andrew Vaughn and Gary Sanchez, as well as utility INF and speedster David Hamilton.
The Brewers are managed by back-to-back NL Manager of the Year Pat Murphy.
Legendary Milwaukee native, former player with the Milwaukee Braves and radio announcer for more than 50 years, Bob Uecker, died in January 2025. The team has “received” a letter from Uecker through each milestone win, which is read by Murphy. The beloved Hall of Fame baseball figure has a mural in downtown Milwaukee.
Tampa Bay’s offense is led by DH Yandy Diaz, a right hander that hits for both power and average. Behind him is budding 23-year-old star Junior Caminero. On the mound, Drew Rassmussen — a former Brewer — is the ace, with another former Brewer and All-Star Freddy Peralta along side of him. Close Bryan Baker was co-leader in all of baseball in saves this season. The Rays are managed by former MLB catcher Kevin Cash.
As a franchise, this is Tampa’s third trip to the Fall Classic, coming up short in 2008 against Philadelphia, and again in 2020 to the Dodgers.
This year’s World Series will air on FOX, with games in Milwaukee on October 23 and 24, as well as October 30 and 31 if necessary. As of October 19, tickets are extremely limited and much more expensive than a normal regular season game, which often could be found between $30-100. For Games 1 and 2, standing room only passes are reselling for a minimum of $2,800 per ticket.
It was announced that Yount and former owner and MLB Commissioner Bud Selig, who brought the Brewers to Milwaukee in 1970, a little more than a decade after the Braves left town, would be throwing out the ceremonial first pitch prior to Game 1.
