After several months of baseball, only two teams remain to battle it out for the 2026 World Series.
The Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers both enter the final best-of-seven series of the year hoping to claim their first championship in franchise history. The Brewers finished the regular season with the most wins in the entire league, while the Rays had the best record in the American League. That sets the stage for a World Series showdown between this year's two best teams and some of the game's brightest young stars.
Jackson Chourio, Jacob Misiorowski, and Junior Caminero will obviously be among the names most fans expect to see in the World Series MVP conversation. But here are a few other players who could be dark-horse candidates for the honor with some postseason heroics in the final games of 2026.
Richie Palacios
Offensively, Caminero, Yandy Diaz, and Jonathan Aranda have made plenty of noise at the top of Tampa Bay's lineup this postseason. But second baseman Richie Palacios actually has the highest batting average on the Rays in the playoffs so far, hitting .364 (8-for-22).
While Palacios hasn't hit a home run in the postseason yet, he's tied with Caminero for the second-most doubles on the Rays this fall. If the 29-year-old keeps on swinging a hot bat in the World Series, he could become a Tampa Bay legend.
Cooper Pratt
Milwaukee's offense this fall has been fueled by William Contreras, Christian Yelich, and National League Championship Series MVP Jake Bauers. But shortstop Cooper Pratt has been another key contributor for the Brewers so far in the playoffs.
Pratt, who's well known for his defense, is hitting .310 (9-for-29) this fall. The 22-year-old has the second-most hits on the Brewers in the playoffs so far, only behind Contreras. If he continues to produce at the plate, the rookie could play a major role in helping Milwaukee capture its first World Series title.
Bryan Baker
New York Yankees legend Mariano Rivera was the last reliever to win World Series MVP in 1999. Tampa Bay closer Bryan Baker could look to change that as he tries to put the finishing touches on his remarkable season.
Baker has thrown seven scoreless innings and recorded five saves so far in the playoffs, building on a 2026 campaign that saw him become a first-time All-Star and tie for the league lead in saves. The Rays will likely need the 31-year-old to keep locking down the late innings if they're going to hoist the trophy this fall.
Aaron Ashby
While plenty of eyes will be on Misiorowski in Milwaukee's rotation, left-hander Aaron Ashby has been a weapon for the Brewers out of the bullpen all year. The 28-year-old leads Milwaukee in innings pitched so far this postseason (12 1/3) and hasn't allowed a run. The southpaw even has two saves in six appearances during the 2026 MLB playoffs.
Ashby posted a 3.12 ERA in 75 regular-season games for the Brewers this year. Earning World Series MVP honors would be an impressive accomplishment for the middle reliever.
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