The Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays are the two teams still standing on baseball’s biggest stage, and both clubs have a chance to win the first World Series title in franchise history. For the Dodgers, though, the fall classic has a different kind of hook this year: a long list of former Los Angeles players could still end up with a ring in 2026.
That overlap showed up earlier in the week when Tyler Glasnow was in the building for Monday night’s American League Championship Series clincher over the Cleveland Guardians at Tropicana Field. The Dodgers aren’t in the World Series for the first time in three years, but their fingerprints are still all over the bracket.
If the Brewers finish the job, one former Dodger in particular will have a chance to get a ring. Dustin May started the 2026 season with the St.
Louis Cardinals before Milwaukee acquired him at the deadline in a rare intradivision deal. He did not dominate for the Brewers, but he earned a place on the postseason roster in every round.
Against the Dodgers in the National League Championship Series, he made two appearances and gave up three runs on four hits over four innings.
If Tampa Bay wins it all, the list gets much longer.
Garrett Cleavinger spent parts of two seasons with the Dodgers from 2021-22 before being traded to the Rays for German Tapia at the 2022 deadline. The left-hander finished the regular season on the injured list, then was added to Tampa Bay’s roster for the AL Division Series, removed for the Championship Series and now is back on the World Series roster.
Jonny DeLuca is another one. The Dodgers drafted him in 2019, and he reached the majors with the club four years later. He appeared in only 24 games for Los Angeles in 2023 before being shipped to the Rays that offseason, where he has taken on a much bigger role in two of the past three years.
Michael Grove’s path has been even more winding. He pitched in three games for Tampa Bay before the Braves claimed him off waivers in September.
Grove was a Dodgers draft pick in 2018, but his time with the organization ended last November when he was outrighted off the 40-man roster. He chose free agency and later signed with the Rays after missing all of the 2025 season following right shoulder surgery.
Hunter Feduccia is in a strange spot, but it could still pay off. Even though the Dodgers fell short, he remains eligible for a ring if Tampa Bay wins. Feduccia opened the 2026 season with the Rays, played in 60 games, then was traded back to Los Angeles before the August deadline.
Craig Kimbrel also spent time with Tampa Bay this season, making 19 appearances before being designated for assignment in August. He became a free agent and later joined the Kansas City Royals. Kimbrel pitched for the Dodgers in 2022 and struggled badly.
Gavin Lux, a first-round Dodgers pick in 2016, is another former Los Angeles player with a shot at a ring if the Rays go all the way. He debuted for the Dodgers in 2019 and stayed with the team until a January 2025 trade to the Reds for Mike Sirota and a competitive balance pick.
Lux then landed with Tampa Bay in a three-team deal involving the Reds and Angels, but he has not played for the Rays. Injuries limited him to 28 games with Triple-A Durham because of issues with his right and left shoulder, ankle and leg.
Ryan Pepiot is in the same boat. He did not appear in a game for Tampa Bay this year after season-ending right hip surgery in May. Pepiot was part of the December 2023 trade that sent Tyler Glasnow to the Dodgers, along with DeLuca, and now he too is part of this strange Dodgers-Rays overlap that could still end with a championship ring.
In Other News...
Former GM Floats Drastic Dodgers Trade Idea For Another October Run
A former general manager is already thinking ahead to the Dodgers next October push, and his fix would be a bold one. Jim Bowden, now writing for The Athletic, argued that Los Angeles should consider moving several young players to Washington in a deal aimed at making the roster younger and more athletic for future postseason runs, a reminder that even a team with championship expectations can still be viewed as having room to retool.
Bowden laid out one specific eight-player proposal that would send Dodgers prospects to the Nationals in exchange for James Wood and CJ Abrams, though he also acknowledged the move is unlikely to come together. He floated a few smaller trade concepts, too, underscoring the same larger point: if the Dodgers want to keep maximizing October chances, the conversation may be less about standing pat and more about finding another gear. [Read more 🡒]
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There was a little more stability on the organizational side, at least, after Andrew Friedman said the Dodgers coaching staff is expected to remain unchanged for the 2027 season. The club also absorbed some health news, with Dalton Rushing and Will Klein undergoing elbow surgeries, though Klein is expected back by spring training. For a team used to constant movement, keeping the staff intact while navigating rehab timelines offers a steadier backdrop than the one Rojas left behind. [Read more 🡒]
Blake Snell Just Raised A Bigger Dodgers Question Than Ever
Blake Snells postseason struggles came into sharper focus after the Dodgers were swept by the Brewers in the 2026 National League Championship Series, and the left-hander didnt try to hide from the frustration. He said he knows he has to be better in October, but his comments also made clear how much he still loves the grind of the game and how seriously he views the long arc of his career.
Snell talked about wanting to keep pitching until he is 45 and ultimately get into the Hall of Fame, which gives his future with the Dodgers an even bigger backdrop than one rough October. He has dealt with multiple injuries during his time in Los Angeles, and the next step is as much about staying healthy as it is about getting sharper on the biggest stage. [Read more 🡒]