World Series Tale Of The Tape

The World Series starts tonight! Although I'm sure the networks and others who profit from the game are disappointed that there are no large market teams in this year's World Series, I'm personally excited. No matter how this series plays out, one fandom is going to experience a glorious World Series Championship for the very first time! My Red Sox went 86 years between titles, and that drought ending victory in 2004 is a feeling I had never felt before or since. (Maybe if one of Buffalo's teams ever breaks through...) Someone is going to get that feeling soon.

 

The AL Champion is the Tampa Bay Rays, who also led the league with 98 wins. After sweeping the second-best team in the AL (Yankees), they finished off the AL Central Champion Guardians winning the last three games of the series. 

 

The NL Champion is the Milwaukee Brewers. They finished the regular season with the best record in all of baseball, leading the way with 103 wins. Their only postseason loss came in the Division Series against the Padres, and earned the NL pennant by impressively sweeping the back-to-back defending World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

 

Two well-built teams built on great pitching and solid fundamentals. We also get to watch two of the greatest young superstars in the sport in Junior Caminero and Jackson Chourio. This is about as close to an even matchup as we've seen in some time in the World Series.

 

Since the team I wanted to see in the Fall Classic fell short, who should I root for? There are lots of little factors I take into consideration, so who has the edge?

 

Former Red Sox Players

 

Brewers: David Hamilton, Kyle Harrison, Dustin May 

Rays: Cam Booser, Steven Matz

2026 Topps Update #US22 David Hamilton

If I can't root for my Red Sox, I can at least root for the guys who used to play for them. You have to love it when trades work out for both sides. That appears to be the case for the off season trade that sent current Brewers David Hamilton, Kyle Harrison, and Shane Drohan from the Red Sox in exchange for Gold Glove finalist Caleb Durbin and others. The Red Sox may have gotten the best player, but all 3 players from that trade are on the World Series roster. On the Rays, the single greatest reason to root for them is relief pitcher Cam Booser. His story and everything he had to overcome is what makes baseball great.

Advantage: Brewers 
 

Shenandoah Valley Baseball League Alumni

 

The Shenandoah Valley Baseball League is a summer collegiate league that operates in my little corner of the world. I try to go to at least one game every year in support of my hometown team, the Waynesboro Generals. Unfortunately, no alums made the World Series this year. 

 
Advantage: none
 

University of Virginia Cavaliers Alumni*

 

Go Wa-hoos! Living a short drive from Charlottesville, I've gone to a few UVa baseball games and try to keep up with them throughout the season. Out of the 10 former Cavaliers who played in the Majors this past season, none of them made it this far. Although it's not quite the same, I can root for Rays' pitcher Kevin Kelly who attended another nearby college, James Madison University.

 

Advantage: *Technically none, but I'll give the Rays a point here for the local guy
 

Championship Drought

 

Brewers: 57 years (Never won)

Rays: 28 years (Never won)

 

When my favorite team finally won the World Series in 2004, it ended an 86-year drought. As a result, I've always had a soft spot for teams that haven't one in awhile. Like I and pretty much everyone else has mentioned, this year a team is going to win their first title ever, so I really can't be upset if either team wins. I'm giving the edge to the Brewers though. Not only have they been around longer, but their only other World Series appearance was even longer than the Rays' existence. That team by the way featured 5 Hall of Famers! (Yount, Molitor, Simmons, Sutton, and Fingers).

 

 

1982 Donruss #510 Robin Yount

Advantage: Brewers

 

Personal Connection

  

Growing up, I always found the Brewers likable due to their fun yellow and blue uniforms and arguably the greatest team logo in sports history. However, back in 2027 I sent out every card in a pack to see if I can get any players to sign them. The biggest return from that pack was current Brewers veteran Christian Yelich. Back then, he was a young Miami star coming off his first Silver Slugger Award. After joining Milwaukee, he became one of the franchise's all-time greats.

 

As for the Rays, I've been to Tampa. That plays more of a factor in the next section though. 

Advantage: Brewers

 

Spring Training Adventures

 

From 2013-2019, I went with my father-in-law and a friend to Spring Training in Florida every year. I got to see a lot of different teams over those years, and once got to see the Rays take on the Orioles. I managed to see some of the greatest players to ever put on a Rays' uniform, such as Evan Longoria, Chris Archer, and Kevin Kiermaier. The Brewers train in Arizona, so no adventures there.

 

A picture I took: Spring Training 2017

Advantage: Rays

 

Best 2026 Topps Base Set Card

#192 William Contreras

#342 Chandler Simpson (FS)

Since this is primarily a baseball card blog, I figured this post should have a card show-off! I decided to pick each team's best card from the 2026 Topps base set. As far as I'm concerned, it's power vs. speed. Both of these cards are fantastic, but my vote goes to the border-breaking bat flip!

Advantage: Brewers

Final Talley: Brewers 4, Rays 2

Crack open a cold one!

Go Brewers!