This year’s MLB fall classic was one for the history books; what is next remains to be seen
Photo Courtesy of Michael Barera- Wikimedia Commons
The Milwaukee Brewers won their first World Series in franchise history, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 in Game 5. This World Series appearance marked the Brewers’ first in 44 years.
The first game alone of this year’s World Series garnered over 12 million viewers, and the excitement only went up from there, as The Athletic reported. After five high-intensity baseball games, on Oct. 28, the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Tampa Bay Rays in game five of the World Series with a score of 4-1 to become the champions of the 2026 Major League Baseball (MLB) season, Fox Sports documented.
The excitement of becoming World Series champions was heightened for the Brewers, who were competing for the first World Series win in franchise history, and in a series which marked the team’s first appearance in the World Series in 44 years. CBS58 News Milwaukee reported some excited fans’ reactions to the historic win. Joe Oszuscik, who “told CBS 58” that he has “been a fan for the last two decades,” exclaimed, “the vibe was fantastic, the fans were even better, the team’s amazing this year.” Other Milwaukee fans commented on “waiting [their] entire life for the team to take home the trophy.”
The Brewers wasted no time making their first victorious World Series exciting. As documented by Baseball Reference, the Brewers won the first three games of the series, by a score of 3-2 in game one, 5-4 in the second game, and a shocking 10-1 in game three. However, before they could sweep the series, the Tampa Bay Rays showed a fighting spirit in game four, taking that game by a score of 4-3, but not before the teams played into extra innings, ultimately ending the game with a Tampa Bay victory in the twelfth inning. Finally, in game five, the Brewers reached their final victory with a score of 4-1, and standout pitcher Jacob Misiorowski on the mound.
The Brewers came out on top as the victorious team in the World Series, and the team’s catcher, William Contreras, took home the World Series MVP title, as reported by Fox News. Fox reports that “[d]uring the series, he stole a base and threw out four runners attempting to steal, including American League stolen base leader Chandler Simpson.” This was not all for Contreras, though. FOX notes, “He became the first catcher since Bill Dickey of the New York Yankees in 1938 to steal a base and throw out the opposing team’s leading base stealer in a World Series victory.” This legendary performance by the Milwaukee catcher in the World Series adds to his career statistics, as reported by ESPN, of 24 stolen bases, 409 Runs Batted In (RBIs), and over 740 games played.
MLB documented the praise Contreras gave his teammates, and the same praise he received after his performance in the series. Via interpreter, Contreras said, “I’m just appreciative of my teammates, appreciative for [manager Pat] Murphy, and just want to thank all of them.” Milwaukee pitcher Brandon Woodruff echoed those sentiments, saying “he’s special,” referring to the awarded catcher. The Brewers seemed in no hurry to see the end of Contreras’ playing time in Milwaukee, picking up his club option shortly after the MLB offseason began, as reported by YahooSports. MLB reporter Bob Nightengale reported that the team “picked up the 28-year-old’s $15.5 million club option for next season,” and is allegedly looking into “negotiat[ing] a new contract extension with Contreras at some point in the offseason.”
Other notable players leading the Brewers to their historic World Series victory included shortstop Cooper Pratt, who drove in seven RBIs for the Brewers in the World Series, and outfielder Jackson Chourio, who had four multi-hit games in the series, “including four hits in the Game 3 blowout,” as per ESPN. One other Milwaukee player who fans will not be quick to forget his impact on the series is ace pitcher Jacob Misiorowski. The Milwaukee ace took the mound for game one and game five of the 2026 World Series, allowing just one earned run and zero earned runs, respectively, as documented by StatMuse. After his performance in this World Series, he holds “a record of 2-0 with an ERA of 0.84 and 5 strikeouts in 2 appearances in the World Series in his career,” StatMuse states.
Despite the Tampa Bay Rays’ tough loss in the postseason where they were also competing for their first-ever World Series victory, as per YahooSports, the players united to support each other after the Milwaukee win. “I’m just proud to be part of this group,” said Bryan Baker, the Rays’ closer, as quoted by ESPN. Drew Rasmussen, the starter for the Rays in Game 1 of the World Series, still called his team “the best,” citing his teammate’s support, after their ultimate postseason loss, as also quoted by ESPN.
With the 2026 postseason finalized, major league baseball has officially begun its offseason. As CBS Sports reporter Mike Axisa wrote, this offseason’s activity and teams’ preparations for next season remain highly questioned by fans, as a potential lockout in 2027 looms.