MLB World Series 2026 Storylines to Track in Rays vs. Brewers Fall Classic Bracket

The Tampa Bay Rays cashed their ticket to the 2026 World Series on Monday night with a 7-3 win over the Cleveland Guardians for the American League pennant, joining the National League champions, the Milwaukee Brewers.

Two fresh faces in the Fall Classic, neither team is the star-studded squad baseball fans have come to expect after two straight seasons of the Los Angeles Dodgers hoisting the Commissioner's Trophy, but that is not necessarily a bad thing.

Ahead of the greatest series in sports, find out the stories to track and more in this preview.

When the Rays and Brewers take to the field in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday night at 8:00 p.m., they will do so having never won the most coveted prize in baseball.

Both have been to the dance, Tampa as recently as 2020, but neither has gotten over the proverbial hump and won the title.

Either Milwaukee will capture its first championship since its founding in 1969, or the third time will be the charm for the Rays.

Tampa played the Dodgers and Phillies in the Fall Classic, but has never mustered the level of performance that got them there. They lost decisively to Philadelphia in 2008, 4-1, and did not fare much better against the Dodgers 12 seasons later (4-2).

The Brewers' lone World Series appearance came in 1982, when they lost in seven games to the St. Louis Cardinals.

It was difficult to find a starting pitcher who had a worse first half of the season than Freddy Peralta.

The New York Mets traded for the ace in the offseason, only to watch him develop a 4.99 ERA and become a liability on the mound.

With the season cratering, they sent the righty to the Rays, where he quickly reversed fortunes, going 5-2 in 10 appearances, with an ERA of 3.25 and a WHIP of 1.01, both vast improvements from what fans in Queens had seen from him.

His redemption continued into the playoffs and, ultimately, the ALCS, where he was named the MVP after going 2-0 with a 0.75 ERA and recording 9 strikeouts.

Up next for the 30-year-old? A date with his former squad, Milwaukee, for whom he played eight seasons and earned two All-Star appearances.

After a disastrous start, what better way to wrap things up than by beating the team he spent the majority of his career with and winning the Rays their first World Series ring?

The Brewers' Longtime Leader Gets His Title Shot

Christian Yelich joined the Milwaukee Brewers following a 2017 trade and quickly became the face of the franchise. He won the NL MVP award in 2019 and earned "captain" status with the organization as its leader, both in front of the cameras and behind the scenes.

He has been through the highs and the lows with the team, and while he may not be quite the player he once was, there is no denying that he is as synonymous with this generation of the Milwaukee squad as anyone.

After a season that saw him deliver 104 hits, 12 home runs, 59 RBI, and a slash line of .235/.315/.378, it will bear watching as to whether or not Yelich still has that superstar magic left in him and can help propel his organization to its first world championship.

A close friend of the late Brewers play-by-play announcer, the legendary Bob Uecker, Yelich figures to be playing for teammates both here and gone when he takes to the diamond Friday night at American Family Field.