The 2026 World Series may not feature a team from a huge media market, but Chandler Simpson thinks baseball fans are in for a treat anyway.
The Rays outfielder made the case through MLBPA, saying this matchup between Tampa Bay and Milwaukee has a little bit of everything for people who appreciate the sport at every level. His point was simple: this series should appeal to anyone who loves the full range of baseball.
“If you want to see all facets of the game of baseball, and you really, truly love the game and everything that comes with it, and not just one dimension of the game, then I mean this would be a great series to watch,” Simpson said. “It's going to be a long ball, it's going to be the short ball.
It's going to be defense and pitching as well. You're going to see crafty pitchers that don't have the velo and you're going to see people that throw hard as well.
“So I mean, if you truly love every facet and every tool of baseball, then you're going to love this series.”
That’s the pitch, and it fits these two clubs. The Brewers got here by winning 103 games, the best record in MLB, before knocking off the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers in the postseason. The Rays weren’t far behind, finishing with 98 wins to take the top spot in the American League and then beating the New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians on the way to the Fall Classic.
What makes this matchup stand out is the way both teams win. They do the smaller things well.
They move runners, make smart plays on defense and take the extra base when it’s there. It’s not a one-note series.
That’s why Simpson’s view rings true. For fans who care about every part of the game, the 2026 World Series should deliver plenty to watch.
In Other News...
Rays Let World Series Opener Slip After Ninth-Inning Rally
Milwaukee set the tone early and never quite let Tampa Bay fully settle into the opener, cashing in for two runs in the first inning before adding another in the seventh. Jacob Misiorowski was at the center of it all, working five innings and allowing just one run in a 78-pitch outing that gave the Brewers a sturdy start in their 3-2 win. The Rays answered with a run in the fourth and then mounted a push late, but the early hole left them having to chase the game all night.
Tampa Bay finally made things interesting in the ninth with a rally that brought the pressure right to the doorstep of the series opener. Trevor Megill was the one who closed the door for Milwaukee, and the Rays are left to sort through a missed chance after getting within striking distance in the final inning. Misiorowski, meanwhile, also delivered the kind of headline pitch that can linger in a World Series opener, even before the final frame settled the result. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Rotation Reset Could Depend On One Costly October-Proven Arm
San Diegos rotation issues have already pushed the Padres toward a winter of hard decisions, with the bullpen carrying too much of the load and a chunk of their potential free agents coming from the starting staff. Seven of their 17 possible free agents are starters, which makes the search for innings an obvious part of the conversation as they try to rebuild a group that can hold up over a full season.
One name that has surfaced in that orbit is Freddy Peralta, the Tampa Bay Rays right-hander whose October work only added to his appeal. He was excellent in the postseason, covering 16.2 innings with a 1.08 ERA and taking home ALCS MVP honors, but any run at a pitcher with that kind of rsum would come with a steep price tag, and for now it remains more of a speculative fit than a concrete move. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Got One Last World Series Lifeline Before It Slipped Away
For a brief moment in Game 1 at American Family Field, the Rays found the door cracked open in a game that already felt like it was slipping away. Milwaukee had a potential game-ending double play in hand late, only for Tampa Bay to challenge the call and get a reprieve when replay showed Brewers shortstop Cooper Pratt had not quite stayed on the bag.
The extra breath did not turn into a turnaround. Tampa Bay still needed to make the most of one final lifeline, and Milwaukees closer made sure it never became a full-blown rally, finishing the night with a strikeout of Jonny DeLuca to close it out. For the Rays, it was the kind of instant replay swing that can briefly change the mood without changing the result. [Read more 🡒]