The Milwaukee Brewers are set to begin their first World Series in 44 years on Friday night when the Tampa Bay Rays come to town. What's special about this series is that regardless of the winner, it will a first-time winner.
Over the past several years, the Los Angeles Dodgers have been the model organization for the rest of Major League Baseball. They have been able to spend a lot of money on marquee players and have even won three titles in the last six years.
However, the Brewers made quick work of them in the NLCS. Because of that, teams may be looking at them as the model franchise soon.
Brewers charting new course for rest of MLB
Granted, spending on marquee players is a luxury that a lot of teams don't have to the degree of the Dodgers, New York Yankees and New York Mets. But the Brewers have proven that this is not the only way to build a championship contender.
The Brewers have mastered the art of drafting and developing their own talent, and we are now seeing organizations following suit. Chaim Bloom is attempting this approach with the St. Louis Cardinals. He pioneered a similar strategy while working with the Rays. But now, the Brewers are in the World Series after having the best record in all of Major League Baseball this season.
They have the right people in place to build a proper contender without spending so much money. Of course, the Dodgers are able to draft and develop as well, but the Brewers have been forced to get creative without the same financial resources.
They have mastered that strategy, and now teams are trying to emulate what they do. We are seeing similar situations with the Cleveland Guardians and Chicago White Sox, both of whom were playoff teams this year.
Spending can help, but if the Brewers win the World Series, more teams are going to want to follow in their footsteps to try to put together the best product on the field for the present and the future.
They have proven that spending isn't the only way to win. Having a homegrown talent base is what is keeping them competitive, and it's why the Guardians, White Sox and Rays have now found themselves back in the postseason.
So, it will be interesting to see what teams decide to do with two small-market teams in the World Series.
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