What We Learned from the 2026 World Series

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What We Learned from the 2026 World Series

Originally posted on New Baseball Media
By Chris Studley | Last updated Oct 29, 2026 2:24 PM ET

At long last, after nearly a decade of flirting with a title, the 2026 Brewers ended the club’s title drought. The World Series taught us a lot of how adaptable the Brewers were in tight spots, and how problematic the club could be for every team for years to come.

Brewers brilliance

In many ways, this series played out the way it was expected to. A lot of contact, strong pitching, and the expectation that one team was going to have to out-grind the other. Well, the Brewers did that and then some.

This series did play out at somewhat of a different pace. Milwaukee hitters were more aggressive in the Fall Classic, with a 37% Chase% during the five-game series, which is a blip on the radar for a team that showed poise and discipline throughout the season. But the club also made the Rays pay for that aggressiveness.

One of those pitches turned into a David Hamilton RBI single that was part of an eight-run inning in Game 3. Another resulted in a single by William Contreras off Kevin Kelly in the eighth inning of Game 1 that nearly started another rally.

And then, there were the home runs. Milwaukee hit three during the World Series, none of which came from well-known power hitters. Sal Frelick tied Game 2 with a solo shot. David Hamilton did the same in Game 4. And Cooper Pratt‘s solo shot in the 12th nearly capped off a four-game sweep.

While the Brewers were not a power team per se in 2026, the club had some theatrics both in the regular season and playoffs, hitting home runs in clutch situations.

But you can’t have a discussion about the Brewers without the stellar pitching.

Aside from the cramp, Jacob Misiorowski was in elite form in Game 5. It capped off a well-pitched series, highlighted by brilliance from Robert Gasser in Game 3, plus incredible bullpen work from Aaron Ashby, Abner Uribe, etc.

Missed opportunities by Tampa

This one is going to sting for the Rays.

Tampa Bay nearly tied Game 1 after an overturned play at second base in the ninth inning. The Rays jumped out to a 4-0 lead in Game 2, before Milwaukee reeled off five to come back and win. And had Ben Williamson been able to reel in a throw from third before Christian Yelich in Game 3, that aforementioned eight-run inning wouldn’t have happened.

While this series was lopsided on paper, the Rays had their chances. But thanks to a lack of defensive execution, plus missed opportunities at the plate, Tampa Bay didn’t take advantage of those.

Are the Brewers the favorite in 2027?

Perhaps.

Look, the reality is that the Brewers are set up well for the future. Jacob Misiorowski, Logan Henderson, and Robert Gasser are set to headline a controllable rotation in 2027. Jackson Chourio, Luis Lara, and Cooper Pratt are all locked up for the long term. Plus, Milwaukee has a deep system.

The one real question mark is how the club will handle William Contreras, the club’s star backstop for the last four seasons. But nevertheless, the Brewers will be competing for another title in 2027.

It’s just a matter of how the rest of the National League, and the entire league itself, will look coming into next year.

This article first appeared on New Baseball Media and was syndicated with permission.

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