The Brewers are back on baseball’s biggest stage after 44 years without a pennant, and the World Series matchup with the Rays sets up as a collision between two teams still chasing their first championship. Milwaukee and Tampa Bay arrive with similar identities, and that should make for a series full of swings, odd turns and players forced into the spotlight.
One place to watch is Sal Frelick, who has quieted plenty of doubts this October. His regular season was uneven, but the bat has come alive in the postseason, where he’s collected three hits and four walks in five games.
He’s also swiped two bags this month. Add in the fact that Tampa’s starting rotation is all right-handed, and Frelick should get chances to make an impact.
Power isn’t his calling card, but he has already shown he can deliver in a big spot, going back-to-back with Jake Bauers in Game 3 of the 2024 NLWCS against the Mets. Another clutch homer from an unlikely source could swing the series.
Milwaukee’s bullpen could also produce a surprise finish. Pat Murphy has leaned hard on that group all October, with Logan Henderson and Robert Gasser providing the longest starts at just five innings.
The week off should help the relievers stay fresh, but Murphy has shown he’s willing to go to Trevor Megill, Aaron Ashby or Abner Uribe even when the lead isn’t there yet. That opens the door for someone outside that usual late-game circle to earn a save.
DL Hall, JoJo Romero or even Misiorowski could end up in that role if the right game script appears. Murphy has already seen Ashby collect two saves in the NLCS, so a new name surfacing wouldn’t be a shock.
At the plate, Yandy Díaz is the Rays bat Milwaukee has to navigate carefully. Junior Caminero may draw the loudest fear, but Díaz has been Tampa Bay’s most productive hitter this postseason.
He has 12 hits, second-most among all players, and half of them have gone for extra bases, including four doubles and two home runs. He’s seeing the ball well and forcing pitchers to work around him.
Still, the Brewers have given him trouble over the years. Díaz is batting .196 in 15 games against Milwaukee, the only team he has hit under .200 against in his career.
Even so, when he has struck Brewers pitching, he has done damage, with seven of his 11 hits going for extra bases. Holding him to singles would be a major win for Milwaukee.
And then there’s the biggest swing of all: Aaron Ashby as World Series MVP. It sounds aggressive only until you look at what he’s done.
He enters the series with 12.1 scoreless innings this postseason, and if Murphy keeps using him the way he has in the NLDS and NLCS, the lefty’s role could be impossible to ignore. Relievers don’t usually win this award; Mariano Rivera was the last one to do it in 1999.
Since then, 27 World Series have been played, and only seven pitchers have taken home MVP honors, all of them starters. Ashby doesn’t need to be the one finishing games to leave his stamp.
If he keeps stacking zeros against elite hitters, the case could build quickly.
In Other News...
Brewers Are Betting Big On Jacob Misiorowski Fix In Game 1
Jacob Misiorowskis postseason has come with as much adjustment as adrenaline, and the Brewers used the off time before World Series Game 1 to address it. Pitching coach Chris Hook and coordinator Jim Henderson spent Misiorowskis 11-day reset working through the delivery issues that had started to chip away at the impact of his fastball, a pitch Milwaukee needs to be right if it wants him to look like the force it believes he can be.
Now the 23-year-old is lined up to take the ball in Game 1, which gives the Brewers a chance to start the series with one of their most electric arms on the mound. It also adds another layer to an already unusual postseason for Misiorowski, who is set to become the youngest pitcher to start three Game 1s in the same run, with Milwaukee clearly betting that the fixes will show up when the spotlight is brightest. [Read more 🡒]
Brandon Woodruffs Brewers Return Suddenly Comes With One Big Catch
Brandon Woodruffs path back from an anterior shoulder capsule injury has started to look real again, with the right-hander back to throwing bullpens and recently getting through his first live outing. For a Brewers club that has spent the season waiting on his return, the progress is meaningful enough to keep his name in the conversation as the postseason picture sharpens, even as the final decisions around the roster draw closer.
Matt Arnold sounded encouraged by what he has seen from Woodruff, but there is still a complication hanging over the Brewers World Series roster plans. League rules can affect whether an injured player can be swapped in if the injury is viewed as recurring or pre-existing, and with Milwaukee expected to announce its 26-man roster soon, Woodruffs status remains one of the more intriguing questions left to settle. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers World Series Menu Is Pure Wisconsin And Fans Will Love It
American Family Field is rolling out a championship menu that leans hard into Wisconsin comfort and ballpark indulgence, with new items like the Walk-Off Burger, Prime Rib, Beef Wellington and Brat Rangoons set to greet fans for the World Series. The spread was built to give the ballpark a distinctly local feel while offering plenty of choices for a big October crowd.
The details make the menu even more intriguing because the planning started long before the Brewers had any idea theyd be hosting this stage. There is also a special Klsch on tap at the stadium, adding another local touch to a setup that feels tailor-made for a postseason run, even if the full story of how it all came together is still waiting to be told. [Read more 🡒]