This World Series is shaping up to be fast, furious and constantly in motion.
The Brewers and Rays don’t just like to run - they’ve made it a core part of how they play. Milwaukee finished the regular season as MLB’s fastest team, leading the sport in average Sprint Speed and in total “bolts,” the elite 30 ft/sec-or-faster runs.
Tampa Bay wasn’t far behind, posting the second-most bolts in the league. That profile has shown up on the bases all year, and it’s carried straight into October.
The Rays tied for second in the Majors with 164 steals during the regular season. The Brewers were right behind them with 162. In the playoffs, both clubs have kept pressing the issue: Tampa Bay has stolen 11 bases without being caught over nine games, while Milwaukee has swiped 10 bases in 12 attempts across eight games.
With the Fall Classic set to begin Friday, this matchup comes with some unusual historical company. Only one pennant winner in the Wild Card Era has stolen more bases in the regular season than these two teams.
The 2023 D-backs topped the list with 166, while the 2026 Rays and 2026 Brewers sit second and third, respectively, with 164 and 162. The 2001 Yankees are next at 161, followed by a tie between the 2014 Royals and 1998 Yankees at 153.
A World Series built around two elite base-stealing teams is even rarer. This is only the fourth time in the Divisional Era that two of the top five stolen-base teams have met in the same World Series.
The last time it happened was in 2008, when the Rays - who led the Majors with 142 steals - faced the Phillies, who were fourth at 136. That series lasted five games, but the teams combined for 14 steals, the most in a World Series this century.
The Brewers and Rays could push that number.
For Tampa Bay, the running game runs through Chandler Simpson. His offensive line is unlike just about anyone else’s in the sport right now: he has never homered, rarely walks, and still batted .306 while leading MLB with 42 infield hits and topping the American League with 46 steals in 2026.
He has added three more steals in the playoffs. Taylor Walls and Cedric Mullins each stole 21 bases during the regular season, Richie Palacios and Jonny DeLuca had 17 apiece, and Victor Mesa Jr. added nine steals in 79 games.
That group has combined for eight steals this October.
Milwaukee doesn’t have one singular threat like Simpson, but the Brewers bring more depth to the table. Their lineup includes slower runners such as Junior Caminero and Yandy Díaz on the Rays side of the matchup, but Milwaukee spread the steals around: seven Brewers finished with at least 11.
David Hamilton led the team with 30 steals in 121 games, and he’s been perfect on the bases in October, going 3-for-3 despite starting only three of Milwaukee’s eight games. Jackson Chourio hasn’t had many chances to run in the playoffs because he has reached base at just a .211 clip, but his track record is clear after three straight seasons with 20 or more steals.
Rookie shortstop Cooper Pratt is another name to know after stealing 19 bases in 74 games following his MLB debut in June.
The other side of this equation is prevention, and Milwaukee had the better regular-season numbers by a wide margin. The Brewers allowed just 71 steals, second fewest in the Majors, while Tampa Bay gave up 131, sixth most.
On paper, Milwaukee also appears to have the edge behind the plate, with William Contreras posting a 34% caught-stealing rate compared with 15.9% for Liam Hicks. But catcher numbers only tell part of the story, and Statcast’s catcher throwing metric rated them similarly based on the chances they had.
The bigger difference came from the mound. Milwaukee’s pitching staff has been among the best in baseball at stopping the running game, while Tampa Bay’s pitchers have been among the worst.
That sets up an interesting Game 1 matchup between Jacob Misiorowski and Drew Rasmussen. Misiorowski has been very tough to run against, while Rasmussen has been one of the easiest pitchers in baseball to steal on.
Only three pitchers allowed more steals against them than Rasmussen’s 23. Still, Rasmussen has handled this October well, giving up only 13 hits and three walks while putting up a 1.29 ERA across 21 innings.
In Other News...
Rays Payroll Debate Just Got Harder To Ignore
The payroll conversation around the Rays has only gotten louder because the gap between Tampa Bay and the leagues heavy spenders keeps showing up in the standings and in October. The Brewers sit in the middle of the pack by comparison, but both clubs are still built around value, with most of the roster coming through on bargain contracts rather than the kind of high-priced core that has defined recent World Series winners.
For Tampa Bay, that model is still the defining feature of the roster, and it is easy to see why the debate keeps coming back whenever the playoff field gets smaller and the richest clubs remain in it. The Rays have been able to stay competitive by squeezing production from young, inexpensive talent and maximizing every dollar, but the broader question is whether that approach can keep matching up against teams that can simply absorb mistakes and add more impact talent when they need it. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Fans Heading To The World Series Face A Brutal Parking Problem
With the World Series landing at Tropicana Field, the biggest headache for fans may not be inside the ballpark but outside it. Parking and transportation are expected to be a problem with large crowds converging on St. Petersburg, and local transportation companies say demand is already rising as they get ready for the event.
St. Pete Police are urging attendees to plan ahead and look at alternative ways to get there rather than counting on a simple drive-and-park routine. The advice is straightforward: give yourself extra time, consider rideshare or other transit options, and think about a drop-off plan before heading out, because getting in and out of the area is likely to be the part of the trip no one remembers fondly. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Are Turning The Trop Into A World Series Gathering Place
The Rays are turning Tropicana Field into a World Series gathering spot, opening the ballpark for watch parties as the Fall Classic gets underway. Fans can buy in for $10, with parking set at $5, and the club will also offer upgraded ticket options that include access to food and beverage areas, giving supporters a way to take in the championship atmosphere together even though the games themselves are being played elsewhere.
Those gatherings are slated to coincide with the opening games in Milwaukee and St. Petersburg, giving Tampa Bay fans a place to rally around October baseball while the series unfolds. The setup also keeps the door open for more nights at the Trop later in the matchup, a reminder that even without the Rays on the field, the ballpark can still become part of the postseason scene. [Read more 🡒]