The Tampa Bay Rays’ season ended in the harshest possible way: a Game 5 World Series loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, who captured the first title in franchise history. Now the attention shifts to what comes next for Tampa Bay, and the conversation around the club starts with how close this team came to turning a remarkable year into a championship.
On this week’s Rays Roundtable, the focus fell on Milwaukee’s superiority in the series, Chandler Simpson’s breakout performance on the sport’s biggest stage, and the roster move Tampa Bay needs most if it wants another shot at the Fall Classic in 2027.
Asked whether the Rays lost the World Series or whether the Brewers were simply the better team, Michael Brauner came down firmly on Milwaukee’s side. “The Brewers were simply the better team.
There's no shame in it, it just wasn't close between Milwaukee and the rest of baseball this year. They certainly deserved it.”
Christian Rauh agreed that Tampa Bay had earned its way there, but said the final result was decided by the quality of the opponent. “Tampa Bay worked really hard and silenced a ton of doubters to make their way to the World Series, but at the end of the day, Milwaukee was truly the better team out there.”
If there was one Ray who stood out in the World Series, both panelists landed on Chandler Simpson. Brauner pointed to the production: “It's tough not to say Chandler Simpson. He stepped up at the plate and did his job with eight hits in two games, and for a guy who has been so doubted, that had to feel good on the biggest stage in the sport.”
Rauh singled out Simpson for carrying his end of the load when the bats around him went quiet. “Definitely Simpson.
He stepped up when the rest of the lineup wasn't doing it. Players like Yandy Diaz had themselves a World Series slump, although his postseason was great, but players like Chandler Simpson were great throughout the entire Fall Classic.”
For Brauner, the bigger picture of Tampa Bay’s 2026 run leans more toward success than disappointment. He called it “a fantastic year,” noting that the Rays beat the Yankees in the playoffs and won the division before running into a team that was simply too good. “It's unfortunate they couldn't finish it off, but they ran into a buzzsaw.”
Rauh was even more direct in framing the season as a milestone for the franchise. “Historic success for sure.
Only one team can win the World Series, but that doesn't mean only one team had a good year. Tampa Bay was doubted from the beginning of the season all the way until the playoffs began.
Many believed they would finish at the bottom of the AL East and instead found themselves as the final team in the Junior Circuit standing. There's a lot to still improve from this squad, but overall, they had a great trade deadline, and they found they can be competitive, even with the payroll the team has given the roster.
Historic success for sure.”
As for the biggest offseason priority, Rauh pointed to the middle infield. “I'd like to see some improvement in the middle infield. You need to have more offensive production rather than a defensive specialist.”
The Rays now head into a long offseason with the same goal in mind: retool, reload, and try to find their way back to the World Series in 2027.
In Other News...
Rays Center Field Picture Just Got More Complicated
The Rays outfield plans got a little murkier with the club declining mutual options on right-hander Nick Martinez and Cedric Mullins, pushing both players into free agency. Mullins gave Tampa Bay a useful glove in center field, but his 2026 season was a mixed bag as the defensive metrics stayed strong while the offense trended the wrong way, leaving the front office to weigh value against fit as it looks ahead.
For now, Jonny DeLuca sits atop the center field depth chart, with Jacob Melton in the mix as another option for playing time. Meltons upside gives the Rays another name to consider, but the path at the position is no longer as straightforward as it looked earlier, and the next move from the front office will say plenty about how much certainty it wants in the middle of the outfield. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Face A Big Rotation Question In Freddy Peralta Sweepstakes
Freddy Peraltas path over the past year has already been unusual enough to keep him in the conversation around Tampa Bay. After being traded from the Brewers to the Mets and then to the Rays, he even ended up facing Milwaukee in the World Series, a matchup that only added to the intrigue around a pitcher whose next stop now feels very much up in the air. With MLB free agency here, Peralta is one of the names being linked to a handful of clubs, including the Rays, Orioles, Braves and Angels.
For Tampa Bay, the interest makes sense on its own terms, even before the market starts to sort itself out. The Rays have rotation questions to answer, and Peraltas availability only sharpens the sense that this could become one of the more closely watched pitching pursuits of the winter. Baltimore may be the team drawing the headline attention, but the Rays are right there in the mix as the sweepstakes takes shape. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Stadium Push Is Already Disrupting Plans Around The Site
The Rays proposed stadium project is already reshaping plans around the North Dale Mabry site, and Hillsborough College is among the first institutions adjusting course. What had been a temporary classroom setup at The Nest is now being reworked as the college shifts its academic operations away from the campus area, even as the stadium discussion moves through the city process and the City Council has already approved a community benefits package tied to the project.
The college says The Nest will remain in use for administrative services, but students should expect a different daily routine once the transition is complete. Hillsborough College is working through the logistics now and plans to provide shuttle service to help students get where they need to go, a reminder that the stadium push is affecting more than just the Rays future home field. [Read more 🡒]