The Rays and the Brewers are competing in a historic World Series: Two low-budget teams are seeking their first title with Hispanic talent on the field
The Major League Baseball championship series will feature, for the first time since 1980, two franchises that have never won the championship. Milwaukee advances after eliminating the Dodgers, the reigning two-time champions, despite having a much lower payroll.
The Tampa Bay Rays and the Milwaukee Brewers will take center stage starting this Friday in a historic World Series. Both teams, known for operating on smaller budgets than the major franchises of Major League Baseball (MLB), will seek to win the championship for the first time in the 122nd edition of the Fall Classic.
The final, played in a best-of-seven series, challenges the notion that only teams with greater financial resources can lift the trophy. Furthermore, the series comes at a time of labor tension in MLB, where the collective bargaining agreement with the players' union expires on Dec. 1, amid expectations of a possible lockout due to disagreements over the implementation of a salary cap.
The Brewers reached the World Series after sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers, champions of the previous two seasons, in the National League Championship Series. Milwaukee has a payroll of $143.5 million, well below the Dodgers' $338 million.
The Rays, for their part, spent $98.3 million on salaries and eliminated the New York Yankees on their way to the World Series. The two franchises have the lowest payrolls among the teams that have reached a final since the suspension of play that prevented the 1994 World Series from taking place.
A World Series final unseen in more than four decades
The matchup also stands out for its historic significance: it will be the first time since 1980 that two teams that have never won a World Series will face off for the title. On that occasion, the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Kansas City Royals.
The Rays, founded in 1998, previously reached the World Series in 2008 and 2020. They lost the first to Philadelphia and the second to the Dodgers.
The Brewers, for their part, reached their only World Series in 1982, when they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. The franchise was founded in 1969 as the Seattle Pilots and moved to Milwaukee the following year.
Milwaukee fans are now hoping to celebrate a championship that has eluded them for 44 years. "The city is ready," said Brewers first baseman Jake Bauers, who also assured that the fans are ready for the big event.
Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy highlighted the fans' influence on the team's performance. "Those fans are passionate. They wanted this, and our players sensed just how much they wanted it," he said.
Freddy Peralta and Yandy Díaz among the Latin American stars
The presence of players with histories at both franchises adds another layer of interest to the series. Among them is the Dominican Freddy Peralta, who was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the American League Championship Series following his time in Milwaukee and his subsequent move to Tampa Bay.
Peralta played eight years with the Brewers before being traded in January to the New York Mets, who sent him to the Rays in August.
Bauers, named MVP of the National League Championship Series, made his Major League debut with Tampa Bay in 2018 and is entering his third season with Milwaukee. The Rays' star pitcher, Drew Rasmussen, also began his major league career with the Brewers in 2020, before being traded to Tampa Bay in 2021.
Also standing out on the Tampa Bay roster is designated hitter Yandy Díaz, one of three players in this World Series who have already played in a World Series.
Milwaukee enters the series with 103 wins
Milwaukee boasts a powerful offensive lineup, a solid defense, and a bullpen that has contributed to their run to the World Series. Among their standout players is pitcher Jacob Misiorowski, who finished with a 16-5 record, led the majors with 252 strikeouts and posted a 1.80 ERA.
The Rays, meanwhile, will look to turn their third appearance in a championship series into their first title, following a season also marked by off-field challenges. Hurricane Milton destroyed the roof of Tropicana Field and forced the team to play its games at a nearby minor league stadium throughout 2025. The franchise returned to its home stadium in April.
The World Series begins this Friday in Milwaukee, where the Brewers will try to ride the momentum of their home crowd to win their first-ever title. The Rays will look to stop them and win their first-ever Major League Baseball championship.
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