The best team in the National League and the best team in the American League have advanced to the World Series, which nonetheless qualifies as a stunner considering those teams’ identities.
Welcome to the Brewers-Rays World Series, in which, regardless of the result, an organization that scrimps on roster payroll and prides itself on outthinking its opponents will win its first championship.
Milwaukee has only played in one other Fall Classic — way back in 1982, 44 years ago — and Tampa Bay lost in 2020 and 2008.
Finally the brains, more so than the brawn, of one of the clubs will pay off in a matchup that begins Friday in Wisconsin. If this battle of technically sound and remarkably athletic players supported by brilliant baseball minds does not excite masses who wanted Goliaths such as the Yankees and Dodgers, maybe savor the game at its best while it is being played.
Which brings us to another storyline of the 122nd World Series …
This is poorly timed for the owners ahead of an expected lockout
The league’s billionaires soon will shutter the sport to argue that significant steps — namely, a salary cap — must be taken to achieve better competitive balance. Because how could a team like the Rays — with the 28th-highest payroll, according to Spotrac — and the Brewers — No. 19 — compete with the Yankees and Dodgers?
So yes, the owners’ case would have more greatly resonated if the annual winter winners became the October winners, perhaps with the Dodgers three-peating.
But to get this far, the Rays and Brewers acted differently than the bigger-market behemoths who more freely throw money at free agents. Each market and each owner operates distinctly in a system with a soft salary cap and no salary floor, and money spent is an inarguable advantage.
It is not just that they act differently, but …
Both teams play differently
They score differently than most. The Rays led the majors in singles, and the Brewers were second.
The Rays swing differently. They excel in putting bat on ball, best in the majors in strikeout rate and tops in bunts — for hits and sacrifices — laid down.
The Brewers swing differently. They are not as contact-driven but delight traditionalists in other ways, notably by using the opposite field more than anyone. They find gaps, take their walks, advance runners and figured out ways to score the second-most runs in baseball while hitting the second-fewest home runs in baseball.
Both teams run differently, the Rays with the slight edge in steals (second best vs. fifth best) but the Brewers overall faster (the fastest team in MLB, according to Statcast’s Sprint Speed).
They defend differently, both largely excellent with the gloves. The Rays outfield is particularly strong, and the Brewers’ all-around defense has vacuumed up ball after ball, helping their pitchers with a .229 Batting Average on Balls in Play in the postseason.
They pitch differently, the Brewers’ high-powered bullpen the best in October while the Rays rotation has led the way.
Both are cohesive, well-meshed teams that nonetheless feature …
Standouts whose stardoms are about to grow
It is not an exaggeration to say Jacob Misiorowski is the hardest-throwing starting pitcher in baseball history. At a time when velocity is king, the crown belongs to a wiry, 6-foot-7, 24-year-old with a boyish face, a love of Pokémon and a Cy Young Award in his future. The Mets staff threw nine regular-season pitches of at least 100 mph this season; “The Miz” threw 1,115.
Behind him, 22-year-old Jackson Chourio, having a quiet postseason, has the ability to instantly become a household name. As does Brice Turang, who is no longer among baseball’s most underrated stars.
On the Rays side, Junior Caminero — who, growing up in the Dominican Republic, successfully lobbied to name his little brother “Girardi” after the then-Yankees manager — announced himself in the ALCS-clinching victory with a shot off the left field foul pole, some chest-beating and a detour-filled slow trot around the bases. A 23-year-old MVP candidate for this year and a threat for years to come, Caminero has the talent to become one of the faces of the game.
And one the ALCS-losing Guardians will forever regret trading. Speaking of which …
Trade payback
In all likelihood, the Rays will turn to Drew Rasmussen and Freddy Peralta in Games 1 and 2 on normal rest. If they get shut down, the Brewers would have only themselves to blame.
Rasmussen, an oft-injured but promising prospect, debuted for the Brewers in 2020 and was traded to the Rays the next year in the Willy Adames swap that looked lopsided until it wasn’t. Finally healthy, Rasmussen has a combined 2.71 ERA in 61 starts the past two years.
The Peralta saga is more familiar locally, another walk-year Brewers player dealt before free agency, this time to the Mets. Peralta struggled, could not be fixed in Queens and was sent to the pitching-fixers in St. Petersburg, who have unlocked the ALCS MVP.
Speaking of recognizable faces, there are plenty of …
Local connections
For the Brewers, Gary Sánchez and Jake Bauers will be familiar to Yankees fans, and Trevor Megill is the brother of the Mets’ Tylor.
For the Rays, there is Peralta plus Steven Matz, short-time Mets Cedric Mullins and Cole Sulser and former top Yankees prospect Jorge Mateo.