World Series predictions 2026: Sporting News projects Brewers vs. Rays championship series originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
A first-time World Series champion will be crowned in 2026.
The end of October is approaching, and after a grueling few weeks, only two clubs remain in the MLB playoff bracket: the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays. Both clubs earned the No. 1 seed in their respective leagues and proved why they were the best in baseball by reaching the final stage.
The Brewers enter the World Series coming off an emphatic beatdown of the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Milwaukee not only knocked off the heavy favorites to win the championship, but did so in a four-game sweep, not giving L.A. any breathing room for a comeback.
On the other side of the bracket, the Rays punched their ticket to the World Series with a Game 6 win over the Cleveland Guardians. After allowing seven runs in a Game 1 loss, the Tampa Bay pitching staff held the Guardians to just 10 runs in five games.
Between budding young talent like Jackson Chourio, Jacob Misiorowski and Junior Caminero, to elder statesmen such as Christian Yelich and Yandy Diaz, the 2026 World Series is sure to deliver theatrics. Will the Rays deliver what they could not in 2021 and bring a World Series title to Tampa Bay? Or will the Brewers prove they are the best team in baseball and cap off a franchise-altering season with rings?
The Sporting News hands out its expert predictions for the 2026 World Series.
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World Series predictions 2026
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Dan Treacy, Senior Content Producer
- World Series winner prediction: Brewers over Rays
- World Series MVP prediction: Jackson Chourio, Brewers
This is a fairly unprecedented matchup with two teams chasing their first championship. That makes predicting the series difficult, but it's hard to side against the team that has proven all season long to be the best in baseball in spite of their payroll.
The Brewers are facing a Rays team that excels at run prevention, but it speaks volumes that Milwaukee wasn't intimidated in the slightest by a Dodgers rotation of Tarik Skubal, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow. If Milwaukee can grind out at-bats against that group, the lineup can surely handle a deep Rays staff.
The difference between these two teams is the depth of the Brewers' offense. Both have excellent pitching staffs; the Rays have more starters, but the Brewers have the better bullpen. The top of Tampa Bay's lineup is intimidating - Junior Caminero heating up in the clinching game of the ALCS should grab the Brewers' attention - but the rest of the lineup is much weaker. The Rays haven't hit for much power in this postseason, and that doesn't bode well as they face an even better staff.
The Brewers, on the other hand, have a slew of options for just about every situation. Just about every position player at Pat Murphy's disposal is extremely useful in some way, and so many of Milwaukee's bats have proven they can come through in big spots. From Jackson Chourio to William Contreras, their best hitters simply seem built for these moments. Whether the Rays' offense will be able to answer those moments is a legitimate question.
One prediction that we know will come true: someone is going to win the World Series for the first time. The Brewers are better positioned to finish the job.
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Bryan Murphy, Deputy News Editor
- World Series winner: Rays over Brewers
- World Series MVP: Yandy Diaz, Rays
Before the playoffs, I said that it would be the Rays emerging victorious in 2026 — and that prediction hasn't been swayed. Tampa Bay plays about as clean of a game of baseball as you'll find. Offensively, they get guys on base, they put the ball in play and they don't run into outs. It's not pretty, but it's effective. Their starting pitching is stellar and backed by breakout closer Bryan Baker, the bullpen has been nails.
With that said, the Brewers play an almost identical style. Their offense provides a little more juice than the Rays, but Tampa Bay has the upper hand on starting pitching. Kevin Cash's team will rely once again on their pitching to shut down some dangerous Milwaukee bats in Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang and more.
For MVP, the flashy pick would be Junior Caminero, but I'm going to go with Yandy Diaz. He's been a consistent force in the leadoff spot for years for the Rays, and he's been their best hitter this October, batting .310 with two home runs and six RBIs these playoffs. Expect the 35-year-old to make some more noise in the World Series.
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Daniel Chavkin, Content Producer
- World Series winner: Brewers over Rays
- World Series MVP: Jackson Chourio, Brewers
I picked Brewers over Rays before the playoffs began, so I'm sticking with Milwaukee to take home its first World Series title. The Brewers will benefit from their NLCS sweep, as their bullpen should be fresh for the World Series and allow Pat Murphy to manage without worrying about overworking his group. Additionally, Milwaukee's offense will give the Rays more of a challenge than the Yankees or Guardians did, as the unit dispatched a star-studded Dodgers rotation in four games. Tampa Bay has more reliable starting pitchers, which could be crucial if the series goes long, but the Brewers' deeper bullpen and timely hitting will be too much for the Rays to overcome.
Daniel Mader, Content Producer
- World Series winner: Brewers over Rays
- World Series MVP: Brice Turang, Brewers
If you like small ball, this is your World Series. I expect we’re in for at least six games of Brewers vs. Rays — both teams have the pitching, depth, and relentless offensive approach to win the series. They’ll push each other to the limit. In the end, though, I think Milwaukee having the best pitcher in the series, Jacob Misiorowski, several trusted bullpen arms and a collection of bats with momentum from sweeping the Dodgers will put Pat Murphy’s team over the top.
I think we’re in for a reminder why Brice Turang has become one of the best second basemen in baseball. He’s homered off both Nick Martinez and Drew Rasmussen before, as have Christian Yelich and William Contreras. But I’ll take Turang to claim World Series MVP, powering the Brewers to their first championship.
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Andrew Gitto, Editorial Intern
- World Series winner: Brewers over Rays
- World Series MVP: Jake Bauers, Brewers
No need to rub your eyes, Milwaukee fans; the Brewers are an incredibly good side. Along with boasting the best batting average (.258) and second-most runs (832) during the regular season, their combination of batting, starting pitchers, and bullpen is just too good for any team to overcome. Not many teams in MLB history can say they’ve swept the LA Dodgers in the postseason and that’s an ode to Pat Murphy’s crew. Milwaukee has too many advantages, which is why I’m picking them to win their first-ever World Series.
Milwaukee’s first baseman Jake Bauers was an integral part of orchestrating their Game 4 comeback against the Dodgers, and he’s coming off an NLCS that saw him get a hit in every game. He’s playing phenomenal baseball coming into the World Series, and that good form should continue. He’s batting .269 (7-for-26) with six RBIs (5th among postseason batters), and his bat has been red-hot.
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