Fall Classic preview

The 2026 World Series will start very soon. This year, the matchup is very new to baseball fans and the world of baseball. The Brewers will make their second World Series appearance in franchise history. Meanwhile, the Rays take the AL pennant. The last time they clinched the AL pennant was in 2020.

Before the Fall Classic starts, let’s see how they reach the World Series.

Firstly, let’s start with the Brewers. The Milwaukee Brewers won 103 games in 2026 and they got a bye in the first round of the playoffs. In the National League Division Series, the Brewers defeated the Padres in 4 games. In the National League Championship Series, they played very well, sweeping the Dodgers, which won back-to-back World Series titles.

So far in 8 postseason games, the Brewers hit .250/.343/.396 with 10 home runs and 32 RBI. Moreover, they have stolen 10 bases. And looking at their pitching performance, the Brewers pitching staff combined a 2.03 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP over 71 innings thus far. A 2.03 ERA in the postseason looks quite amazing. Opponents only hit .183 against the Brewers pitchers so far in the playoffs. In particular, the Brewers bullpen has done a great job so far, posting a 1.33 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP over 40.2 innings.

In addition, the Rays won 98 games in 2026 and they got a bye in the first round as well. In the ALDS, the Rays swept the Yankees. In the ALCS, the Guardians and the Rays played 6 games. The Rays came back from the 2-1 deficit by winning 3 straight games.

Looking at the stats, the Rays hit .232/.293/.356 with 7 home runs and 32 RBI in 9 games. They didn’t hit very well. However, their speed is a weapon with 11 steals. In the meantime, their pitching staff did a good job, posting a 2.59 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP over 80 innings. Opponents only hit .201 against them. In particular, the Rays starters have pitched very well thus far in the playoffs, posting a 1.98 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP in 50 innings.

When we look at these 2 teams’ performances in the postseason, the Brewers pitchers have done a good job so far this postseason. Additionally, their bullpen has been outstanding. In the World Series, it will be surely interesting to see if their relievers can still get the job done. Furthermore, the Brewers’ hitting performance is actually ok. They have an on-base percentage over .340. And very interestingly, their speed is a weapon. It will be worthwhile to see whether the Brewers will still run a lot in the Fall Classic. At the same time, the Rays run a lot as well. And their pitching staff is great. But the difference is that the Rays have relied more on their starters this postseason. This Fall Classic is going to be an interesting one. Are we going to see a lot of steals in the World Series? And for the pitching side, the Brewers rely on their bullpen and the Rays starters have done a great job. Let’s see if they can both do the same in the World Series. The most important thing, one of these 2 teams will win the first title in franchise history.