A 2026 World Series preview for Royals fans

The World Series begins tonight with the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays each looking for their first championship. The Rays have gotten close with two pennants before – they fell to the Phillies in five games in 2008 and in six games to the Dodgers in 2020. Because of their roster churn, the only player from that pennant-winning club six year ago that is still on the team is Yandy Díaz.

The Brewers have only gotten this far once before, way back in 1982 when the mustachioed Rollie Fingers was closing games for ‘Harvey’s Wallbangers.” They were a group of boppers that smashed 216 home runs (a lot in the dead ball 80s!) and featured two future Hall of Famers in the lineup – Robin Yount and Paul Molitor.

The matchup of small market clubs may not be what TV executives are looking for, but no one should have any sympathy for TV executives! Besides, MLB and its TV partners will be fine. Although World Series TV ratings have been slipping for years as people have more options (including distractions on their phones), it is still one of the most-watched events on TV.

Here are four reasons why Royals fans should tune in to this year’s World Series.

Small market solidarity

The Rays play in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area, a mid-sized market, but their antiquated stadium in a poor location has depressed attendance. The Brewers play in Milwaukee, the smallest market in Major League Baseball. The two teams ranked among the bottom ten in player payroll, each spending less than what the Royals did on talent this season.

Their success story may undermine the argument put forth by owners that baseball needs a salary cap to increase competitiveness, although on the other hand *hand waves at all the Dodgers dominance the last few years*. But it is fun to root for the underdogs, the teams that don’t have the lavish resources the coastal clubs enjoy. The Rays and Brewers got here through smart player development, shrewd trades, good coaching, and players making the most of their opportunities. Royals fans can be forgiven for being a bit jealous.

Local connections and old friends

The Brewers feature two Kansas City kids on their pitching staff. Jacob Misiorowski graduated from Grain Valley High School, and later Crowder College in nearby Neosho, before the Brewers selected him in the second round of the 2022 draft. He now features the most electric fastball in baseball that allowed him to post a 1.80 ERA that was the lowest in baseball, and he is the odds-on favorite to win the Cy Young.

Aaron Ashby went to Park Hill High School in Kansas City before attending Crowder. His uncle Andy was also a Park Hill and Crowder grad that spent 14 years pitching in the big leagues. Aaron led the Brewers in games pitched with 75 and is one of the most valuable relievers in baseball as a groundball pitcher who gets a 50 percent whiff rate on his breaking balls.

The Rays have lefty reliever Garrett Cleavinger, who pitched for Lawrence High School as a “Chesty Lion” before going to Oregon. Cleavinger made 60+ relief appearances in the last two seasons before regressing this year with some injuries. Cleavinger did not make an appearance in the ALDS, and was left off the ALCS roster, but is back on the World Series roster.

Neither World Series roster includes any former Royals, but a few old friends made appearances with each team. The Brewers had pitcher Angel Zerpa, who missed most of the season with an injury, and outfielder Blake Perkins, who once played in the Royals’ farm system. The Rays had pitchers Jonathan Heasley and Aaron Brooks – who was on the Royals pennant-winning teams in 2014 and 2015. Royals reliever Craig Kimbrel also pitched briefly for the Rays this year.

Small ball is back, baby

The Brewers finished second in all of baseball in runs scored, while the Rays finished twelfth. But neither has taken the “grip it and rip it” approach that has dominated much of the game. Each team hit fewer home runs than the Royals. Instead, they tied for tops in baseball in batting average. They are both in the top five in on-base percentag. They are both top five in hitting the ball on the ground, and they are the top two teams in hitting the ball to the opposite field. Milwaukee is the best team in baseball at drawing walks. Tampa Bay is the best team in baseball at not striking out.

They also like to run on the bases – both teams are top five in baseball in stolen bases. A total of 12 players on both teams stole ten bases or more this year. They were also the top two teams in most sacrifice hit attempts and two of the most successful teams in productive outs. They find ways to score runs, which can be a huge plus when you’re facing dominant pitching staffs in the postseason.

This success has been interpreted by some as a refutation of analytics. However, these are actually two of the most analytical teams in the game!

They are also two teams that invest in scouting more than most teams in baseball. And that just shows smart teams use all information to make their decisions. And if the data says zig where other teams have zagged, that’s what these teams do, with great success.

A battle of the best teams

The World Series just hits differently when it is the actual top two teams that make it through the postseason gauntlet. The Brewers won 103 games, most in club history. The Rays won 98 games, five more than any other American League team. In the Wild Card era, this is just the sixth time the teams with the top record in each league have met in the World Series.

• 1995 Braves (90-54) over Indians (100-44)
• 1999 – Yankees (98-64) over Braves (103-59)
• 2013 – Red Sox (97-65) over Cardinals (97-65)
• 2020 – Dodgers (43-17) over Rays (40-20)
• 2024 – Dodgers (98-64) over Yankees (94-68)

And their records are no accident. These are balanced, deep teams built for a championship run.

The Brewers have been one of the biggest spenders in the Latin American free agent market, and it has paid off with star hitter Jackson Chourio. Chourio hit a walk-off single in the NLDS against the Padres and led off Game 3 against the Dodgers with a home run. He is a power/speed threat, becoming the first player in Major League history to achieve three 20-homer, 20-steal seasons before turning 23 years old. William Contreras, who was acquired in shrewd three-way trade from the Braves in 2022, has a patient eye and has been a steady presence at the plate. First baseman Jake Bauers has had a late career renaissance after trying to retire two years ago, smacking 26 home runs this year and helping the Brewers to lead the league in offensive production at first base.

Misiorowski paces the pitching staff, but the Brewers have relied heavily on their bullpen in the postseason. Brewers relievers had the second-lowest ERA in baseball at 3.51 with the highest strikeout rate in baseball. Milwaukee also gets some help for this series with the return of veteran pitcher Brandon Woodruff, who has been out since early July with a shoulder injury.

The Rays are led by MVP candidate Junior Caminero, who has one of the highest hard-hit rates in baseball. His 42 home runs were tied for the fourth-most in the game. The Rays also get pop from Yandy Diaz and Jonathan Aranda, each of whom hit 20 home runs this year. Chandler Simpson provides the speed, leading all of baseball in steals (46) and infield hits (42).

Rays pitcher Drew Rasmussen, a former Brewers pitcher, has been one of the top arms in the American League this year, leading the league in strikeout-to-walk ratio. Nick Martinez won 15 games and has the lowest walk rate among qualified pitchers. Closer Bryan Baker has been lights out with 41 saves, tied for the most in baseball.

All World Series games will air on FOX. Here is the schedule:

• Game 1 at Milwaukee: Friday, Oct. 23, 7 p.m. CT
• Game 2 at Milwaukee: Saturday, Oct. 24, 7 p.m. CT
• Game 3 at Tampa Bay: Monday, Oct. 26, 7 p.m. CT
• Game 4 at Tampa Bay: Tuesday, Oct. 27, 7 p.m. CT
• Game 5 at Tampa Bay (if necessary): Wednesday, Oct. 28, 7 p.m. CT
• Game 6 at Milwaukee (if necessary): Friday, Oct. 30, 7 p.m. CT
• Game 7 at Milwaukee (if necessary): Saturday, Oct. 31, 7 p.m. CT

Will you tune in? Who are you rooting for? Who do you think will win?