The World Series matchup between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays is projected to be a close one. The Brewers and Rays led their respective leagues in wins, at 103 and 98. It marks just the sixth time in the Wild Card era that the best team in each league will play each other in the Fall Classic.
MLB.com's Mike Petriello did a position-by-position breakdown between the two teams to see who had the edge in the series. Petriello concluded that the Brewers have the edge at six of the 11 spots, while the Rays have the other five. That adds to the credence that this should be a closely contested series.
Petriello's prediction is the series will go the full seven games, with the Brewers prevailing at the end. It would be the second consecutive World Series in which a winner was decided in Game 7.
Where the Brewers Hold the Edge
Bullpen
The Brewers' biggest advantage is their bullpen. They have three pitchers they could turn to with a late lead between Abner Uribe, Aaron Ashby, and Trevor Megill. Ashby has been Milwaukee's bullpen ace this postseason, as Pat Murphy isn't afraid to ride him while he's hot.
Abner Uribe projects to also be a big arm in the series. The Rays' top two hitters, Yandy Díaz and Junior Caminero, are right-handed. Uribe's 100 MPH sinker and hard slider match up well against right-handed bats. That matchup has the potential to swing the series.
The Brewers can also use left-handers JoJo Romero and DL Hall if they need middle-inning stoppers. Both lefties were critical in their NLCS triumph over the Dodgers.
Right Side of the Infield
The Brewers hold the edge on the right side of their infield. Jake Bauers is coming off a breakout campaign in which he slugged 26 home runs and produced a 143 wRC+. Brice Turang has sustained his 2025 breakout, with back-to-back seasons over a 120 wRC+. Both hitters had a strong series vs. Los Angeles, with Bauers winning the series MVP.
Turang is the spark plug at the top of the order, as he's a very dynamic hitter at the plate. He has power to all fields, is willing to take his walks, and can steal a bag. Bauers is a reliable run-producer who will benefit from hitting behind Turang, Jackson Chourio, and William Contreras.
Left Field and Center Field
Both teams play outstanding outfield defense. But the Brewers' outfield has stronger hitters. That's where Jackson Chourio and Garrett Mitchell come into play. Chourio is the engine of the Brewers lineup, while Mitchell has shown up in key moments in their first two postseason series.
Catcher
William Contreras is having a strong postseason. In eight games, he's slashing .367/.457/.700 with three home runs. He's another early candidate for World Series MVP, as he has the type of bat that can take over a postseason series.
The Dodgers got a front-row seat to that in NLCS Game 2. Contreras became the fourth player with three lead-changing hits, the last one proving to be that game's decisive blow.
If Contreras has a big World Series, it's going to be hard to envision the Brewers not winning it all.
Where the Rays Hold the Edge
Left Side of the Infield
The Rays have the best hitter between the two teams in Junior Caminero. The fastest bat in baseball, by measure of bat speed (79.4 MPH), the 23-year-old has slugged 87 home runs in the past two seasons.
Caminero has a hit in nine of the Rays' 11 postseason games. He came alive in the Rays' three consecutive wins to close out the ALCS, going 4-for-12 at the plate with a home run. If his hot bat continues into the World Series, he's an early favorite to be a World Series MVP.
Petriello interestingly gives the shortstop edge to Taylor Walls over Cooper Pratt. Pratt has the higher ceiling of the two, but the Brewers' shortstop is a rookie and has made some ugly errors this postseason. Walls is about as sure-handed a shortstop as you can get. This is the closest matchup that could go either way.
Designated Hitter
The elder statesman of the Rays, Yandy Díaz has been the professional hitter. Tampa Bay is famous for selling high on players like Díaz, but the 35-year-old has stuck around for eight seasons and doesn't seem to be leaving the organization any time soon.
He's been a consistent bat for the Rays, slashing .299/.374/.458 with 92 home runs since the start of the 2022 season. While not a typical fit for the leadoff spot, Díaz is the type of hitter who puts pressure on pitchers from the first pitch.
No. 2-4 Starters
The projected Game 1 (and Game 5) pitching matchup between Drew Rasmussen and Jacob Misiorowski is the headliner of the World Series. But beyond that is where the Rays have the edge. They match up well against the Brewers' No. 2-4 starters, which they'll need to leverage to win to take home a championship.
Tampa Bay will have Freddy Peralta, Nick Martinez, and Griffin Jax as their other starters for the World Series. Peralta's throwing harder than ever before and is coming off an ALCS MVP. He'll face his old club in the World Series.
The pairing of Martinez and Jax could swing the series Tampa Bay's way. Martinez is a soft contact specialist who can be a tough matchup when ahead in the count thanks to his signature changeup. Jax is the Rays' latest successful reliever-to-starter conversion with nasty stuff.
Right Field
Victor Mesa Jr. has the edge over the Sal Frelick and Luis Lara platoon in right field. Mesa has provided some big postseason moments already, both offensively and defensively. He provides a bit more thump and has shown to be a potential everyday player in the Rays lineup.
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