The 2026 World Series opens Friday night with two clubs still chasing the first championship parade in franchise history, and the Brewers-Rays matchup arrives with a bullpen contrast that could shape every late inning. Game 1 is set for 8 p.m. ET on FOX, FOX Deportes and FOX One, with Milwaukee bringing overpowering velocity and Tampa Bay countering with angles, command and a broader range of looks.
Both league leaders made it through October, putting names such as Jacob Misiorowski, Junior Caminero, Jackson Chourio, Drew Rasmussen, Brice Turang and Yandy Díaz on the sport’s biggest stage. There is also a neat bit of organizational crossover: Milwaukee’s NLCS MVP, Jake Bauers, began his career in the Rays system, while Tampa Bay’s ALCS MVP, Freddy Peralta, debuted in the Brewers organization.
Two October bullpens, built in different ways
Milwaukee’s relief corps has been the more intimidating group on paper and on the field. Brewers relievers own a 1.33 postseason ERA and have averaged 98 mph with their four-seam fastballs and sinkers, the highest figure among playoff clubs.
The Rays sit at the other end of that velocity ranking, averaging 93.2 mph on those pitches. Yet Tampa Bay’s bullpen has produced a 29% whiff rate and a 26.7% strikeout rate this postseason, narrowly ahead of Milwaukee’s 28.9% whiff rate and 24.5% strikeout rate. The Brewers have a collection of hard throwers with sharp secondary stuff; the Rays use varied release points, different tempos and less predictable pitch shapes.
Milwaukee’s late-inning power
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Trevor Megill has stepped into the closer line once occupied by Josh Hader and Devin Williams. Acquired from Minnesota in a small April 2023 trade, the 6-foot-8 right-hander has recorded 81 saves over four seasons with Milwaukee, compiling a 2.80 ERA and 231 strikeouts. His upper-90s fastball carries elite induced vertical break, while his curveball has generated misses on roughly half of opponents’ swings over the past three years. Above-average command adds another layer to his ninth-inning profile.
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Aaron Ashby has been Milwaukee’s standout relief weapon in October. The left-hander has not allowed a run through his first 12 1/3 postseason innings, a run reminiscent of Andrew Miller’s 2016 work for Cleveland. Ashby finished the Brewers’ NLCS sweep of the Dodgers by working three scoreless innings in Game 4. His sinker has reached the upper 90s, and every one of his primary offspeed pitches has been a swing-and-miss option: his slider had a 56.6% whiff rate in 2026, third among individual pitch types with at least 50 swings; his curveball posted a 52.4% mark, eighth best; and his changeup checked in at 48.9%, placing among the top 25.
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Abner Uribe gives Milwaukee another force from the right side. The Dominican reliever brings a sinker that exceeds 99 mph and a wipeout slider. Since the start of 2025, his 1.80 ERA ranks second among the 110 relievers with at least 100 innings, behind only Aroldis Chapman’s 1.51 mark. Megill, Ashby and Uribe arrive at their results through different pitch mixes, which gives the Brewers flexibility even before matching up by handedness.
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JoJo Romero joined Milwaukee from St. Louis at the 2026 Trade Deadline in the deal that also brought Dustin May. Romero has faced 19 hitters this postseason, striking out nine, walking one and allowing only one run, a Jake Cronenworth solo homer in the NLDS. The left-hander works mainly with a sinker and sweeper, and his sweeping pitch helped him strike out Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy during the NLCS clincher. Tampa Bay’s penchant for lineup and matchup adjustments could make his usage especially important.
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May arrived as a starter, and Milwaukee still could use him to start or open a World Series game. But his multi-inning value out of the bullpen has become clear. Ohtani hit a three-run homer off May in the NLCS-clinching game, though Milwaukee still views him as a bridge to the late-inning arms. His arsenal includes three high-velocity fastballs and several high-spin breaking pitches, and it has shown its effectiveness at points this October.
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DL Hall, acquired from Baltimore in the 2024 Corbin Burnes trade, has found his footing after injuries and uneven results over his first two Brewers seasons. He posted a 1.91 ERA with 64 strikeouts in 61 1/3 regular-season innings, then added 5 1/3 scoreless playoff innings. A former starter, Hall deployed six pitches at least 7.9% of the time during the regular season. He has two mid-90s fastballs, with a changeup and slider that each produced whiffs around 40% of the time.
Antonio Senzatela rounds out the available Milwaukee relief options after throwing 1 2/3 scoreless innings in the postseason.
Tampa Bay’s changing looks
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Bryan Baker became Tampa Bay’s closer after the club acquired him from Baltimore at the 2025 Trade Deadline for a Draft pick. The 31-year-old posted a 1.44 regular-season ERA, tied for the Major League lead with 41 saves and made his first All-Star team. He has been even tougher in October, allowing one hit across seven scoreless innings while collecting five saves. Baker’s four-seamer averaged 96.3 mph in the regular season and carried 19.3 inches of induced vertical break, and his changeup has been a finishing pitch against hitters from either side.
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Tyler Wells was another former Orioles reliever who found a role in Tampa Bay after arriving at this year’s Deadline. He struck out 19 while recording a 1.50 ERA in 18 regular-season innings. The Rays have leaned heavily on him in the playoffs, although the ALCS brought a rough patch: four runs allowed in four outings. At 6-foot-8, Wells does not rely on premium velocity. His five-pitch selection creates chases and whiffs while helping him keep walks down.
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Ian Seymour has worked in both the rotation and bullpen, then taken on a major relief load in October. He finished the regular season with a 4.21 ERA and 158 strikeouts in 132 2/3 innings. In six postseason appearances, the left-hander has a 3.68 ERA over 7 1/3 innings. His regular-season fastball averaged 90.8 mph, but he pounds the strike zone, entices hitters to chase and still gets enough misses to cover multiple innings.
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Brennan Booser has supplied an important human chapter as well as key outs. After overcoming addiction, he reached the majors with Boston in 2024, spent last season with the White Sox and signed a Minor League contract with Tampa Bay before this year. He rewarded the Rays with a 1.98 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 41 regular-season innings, then threw 4 2/3 scoreless innings across six playoff appearances. His four-seamer and cutter lead an approach built on whiffs, chase and limited free passes.
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Kevin Kelly provides the low-slot look that recalls the 2020 Rays bullpen, a group that helped carry Tampa Bay to the American League pennant by attacking hitters from a variety of arm angles. Kelly has been with the Rays since his 2023 debut and turned in a career year this season, posting a 2.44 ERA and 1.4 WAR in 71 appearances. The sidearming right-hander uses a low-90s sinker for ground balls, a changeup for both misses and grounders, then mixes a four-seamer to left-handed hitters and a sweeper to right-handed hitters. He has allowed one run in 2 1/3 innings over five postseason appearances.
Griffin Jax, used as both a starter and reliever this postseason, offers Tampa Bay another adaptable arm. Steven Matz has made one playoff appearance and delivered two scoreless innings.
The World Series will feature plenty of star power in the lineups and rotations, but the late innings may belong to the bullpens. Milwaukee can shorten games with sheer force. Tampa Bay can keep changing the picture until a hitter’s comfortable at-bat disappears. For two franchises seeking their first title, that distinction could matter well beyond Game 1.
