World Series Game 1 Discussion: Milwaukee Brewers (0-0) vs Tampa Bay Rays (0-0)

A game 44 years in the making. At long last, Game 1 of the World Series is finally here. The Milwaukee Brewers will face the Tampa Bay Rays to determine who will be the champion in 2026.

Both teams are seeking their first World Series title. The Rays have been here twice before, in 2008 and again in 2020. The Brewers have been just once before, all the way back in 1982.

Both teams were the best in their league this year. The Brewers ran through the National League with a 103-59 record, winning the NL Central by 14 games. The Rays won the AL East by 4.5 games. In the LDS, the Brewers dispatched the San Diego Padres in four games, while the Rays swept the New York Yankees in three. Then in the LCS, the Brewers swept the Dodgers in four games while the Rays fell behind to the Cleveland Guardians 2-1 through three games, but then rattled off three wins in a row to beat Cleveland in six.

The Rays have had three full days off since their last game. The Brewers have had a week off. Finally, after all the anticipation, we are back to baseball.

Also back to baseball is Brewers veteran ace Brandon Woodruff. Woodruff hasn't pitched in a game since the 4th of July, but he has recovered from a shoulder injury and after throwing live BP to the Brewers top hitters during the week, Woodruff was put on the 26 man roster for the World Series.

"I expressed how I felt about things and kind of where I was and I was very truthful and very open. It came down to I want one thing, whether I was on the roster or not, and that's to win. So whatever was decided, I was good with." Woodruff said.

"We feel like there's a window where he can help us. That was the whole decision. This isn't a wow, we love Woody, he's great for the organization, because he already said to us, I don't want to be a sympathy pick. I want to be a pick because I can help the team. Then you go through all the things and say, can he help us? The answer is yes, he can definitely help us." Pat Murphy said.

The Brewers removed Chad Patrick to make room for Woodruff. Patrick had not pitched in either the NLDS or NLCS.

Woodruff will not be starting Game 1, however. That honor, unsurprisingly, belongs to Jacob Misiorowski. Misiorowski has started each Game 1 of the postseason for the Brewers. He hasn't been his usual sharp self that he was during the regular season, which can partially be attributed to fatigue after a long year with more innings than he's ever thrown in his life. Even though he hasn't pitched as deep into games or been as sharp, he's still kept the Brewers in those games and the Brewers have won both of his starts.

On the flip side, the Rays will have Nick Martinez on the mound, allowing an extra day of rest for Tampa's aces Drew Rasmussen and Freddy Peralta. Martinez had a 3.10 ERA in the regular season. In his two starts in the postseason, Martinez went 3.2 IP and allowed two earned runs in his start against the Yankees. Then in the ALCS, Martinez went 5.1 IP, allowing just two hits and one run.

The Brewers are shaking things up a little with their lineup. Jackson Chourio remains in the leadoff spot, that's unchanged. But following him is Jake Bauers batting second and Christian Yelich batting third. Then William Contreras is batting cleanup, followed by Brice Turang and Garrett Mitchell. Cooper Pratt is at shortstop batting seventh while Sal Frelick and David Hamilton round out the bottom of the order. That's three righties in the lineup each with two lefties in between them.

The Rays lineup is also intriguing. Yandy Diaz and Jonathan Aranda are batting 1-2 atop the order. That's not new. But Chandler Simpson, the speedster, with a whopping zero career home runs in his two years in the league, is batting 3rd, a traditional power spot. His role is to get on base for the real power hitter batting cleanup, Junior Caminero. Liam Hicks and Jonny Deluca fill out the rest of the middle of the order. Then Victor Mesa Jr, Ben Williamson, and Taylor Walls round out the bottom of the lineup.

It's the Brewers and the Rays in the 122nd World Series. Here we go.