Rays vs. Brewers: Setting the Stage for the World Series

The World Series kicks off this Friday night. The Tampa Bay Rays and the Milwaukee Brewers will face off in Wisconsin.

All games will start at 8 p.m. and will be broadcast on RDS.

Of course, both teams are small-market clubs, which is noteworthy given that a lockout seems all but certain in MLB.

But above all, they're two powerhouses on the field.

The Pitchers

The Rays will have three days off between Game 6 against Cleveland (Monday) and Game 1 of the World Series. So aside from Freddy Peralta, everyone will be ready on Friday.

But in any case, we expect to see Drew Rasmussen start Game 1 before Peralta—who was with Milwaukee through 2025—takes the mound for Game 2.

Nick Martinez and Griffin Jax are the team's other starters.

In the bullpen, Bryan Baker (as the closer), Cam Booser, and Ian Seymour are the players Kevin Cash has relied on the most.

Seymour blew it on Monday night, but he had been solid before that in the playoffs.

Kevin Kelly and Tyler Wells are also pitchers who have shouldered responsibilities in the Rays' bullpen this October.

In Milwaukee, Jacob Misiorowski is the go-to guy, even though his postseason performance hasn't lived up to his regular-season form.

Robert Gasser and Logan Henderson are the team's other two starters who are guaranteed a start. And the rest?

Pat Murphy will handle that however he sees fit, but Dustin May is an option—he's also been used out of the bullpen in the playoffs.

Shane Drohan, for his part, served as an opener once in the 2026 playoffs.

Abner Uribe, Aaron Ashby, DL Hall, Trevor Megill (the closer), JoJo Romero, and Antonio Senzatela, meanwhile, form a dominant bullpen.

Facing these guys isn't easy.

Position Players

For the Rays, Yandy Diaz, Junior Caminero, and Jonathan Aranda are the hitters to watch. Victor Mesa, Chandler Simpson, and Richie Palacios, too.

Ryan Vilade and Cedric Mullins, as bench players, are also getting the job done.

In Milwaukee, William Contreras is on a hot streak. Jake Bauers (the Championship Series MVP), Jackson Chourio, Garrett Mitchell, and Brice Turang are there to back him up.

These are the players to watch. David Hamilton, off the bench, is another one to keep an eye on.

The Managers

Kevin Cash is one of the best in his profession. This isn't his first World Series—he managed the Rays in 2020.

We all remember the Blake Snell situation. Will he pull a stunt like that again? It's possible: the Rays' approach works more often than not.

Pat Murphy, on the other hand, has never managed a team in the World Series. He is well-liked by his players and has plenty of resources at his disposal.

Expect him to be active during the games.

The Unpredictables

Both teams finished first in their respective leagues. They have similar strengths and are looking to win their first-ever championship.

It's not the most “exciting” matchup for TV networks. But for baseball fans, it's a showdown at the top.

Created by humans, assisted by AI.