The Japan Times - Low-budget Brewers and Rays seek first World Series title

The best-of-seven championship matchup between frugal teams flies in the face of claims only big-spending teams can win the World Series.

MLB's collective bargaining agreement with its' players union expires on December 1 with many expecting a lockout over owners' desire for a salary cap and the players' refusal to consider it.

Big spenders like the Los Angeles Dodgers, 2024 and 2025 champions, were seen as overpowering small-market foes with a cap needed to create parity.

However, the Dodgers, with a $338 million payroll, were swept by the Brewers, with a payroll of $143.5 million, in the National League Championship Series.

They play for the crown against a Rays side that spent $98.3 million on salaries and also took down the big-spending New York Yankees on their way to the Fall Classic.

They will have the lowest-ranked payrolls of any World Series since the work stoppage that wiped out the 1994 World Series.

It shows well-run clubs with less money can succeed against richer rivals just as the issue is set to ignite off-season disputes and a possible shutdown.

On the field, baseball fans will be treated to a showdown with two teams seeking a first World Series title. The only other time that has happened in the past century was in 1980 when Philadelphia beat Kansas City.

Tampa Bay, founded in 1998, lost the World Series to Philadelphia in 2008 before being pipped by the Dodgers in 2020.

The Brewers, founded in 1969 as the Seattle Pilots before moving to Milwaukee the following year, reached their only prior World Series in 1982, losing to St. Louis in seven games.

After 44 years, Milwaukee fans are excited to host Friday's World Series opener.

"The city is ready," Brewers first baseman Jake Bauers said. "I know the fans are ready and I know we'll be ready."

Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy said his players feed off supporters' passion.

"Those fans, they're passionate. They wanted this and our players sensed how bad they wanted it," Murphy said. "That gives them energy and motivation. It makes a difference."

The Brewers, who led MLB with a club-record 103 wins this season, and Rays, who led the American League with 97 wins, have key players who began their MLB careers on the opposite team.

Tampa Bay's Freddy Peralta, Most Valuable Player of the American League Championship Series, pitched for Milwaukee for eight years until being traded in January to the New York Mets, who traded him to the Rays in August.

"Milwaukee is the team and the city that gave me the opportunity to make my dreams," Peralta said. "Milwaukee is going to be always in my heart, but it's time now to compete."

Bauers, this year's NLCS MVP, made his MLB debut in 2018 with the Rays but is in his third season with the Brewers.

Rays star pitcher Drew Rasmussen made his MLB debut with Milwaukee in 2020 before being traded to Tampa Bay in 2021.

- 'Very motivated' -

The Brewers boast a powerful batting lineup, solid defensive play, a gritty bullpen of relief pitchers and star pitcher Jacob Misiorowski, who went 16-5 with an MLB-best 252 strikeouts and MLB-best 1.80 earned-run average.

"It's everything I've ever dreamed of," Misiorowski said of his first World Series.

The Rays seek their first title after Hurricane Milton destroyed the Tropicana Field roof and forced the team to play out of a nearby minor-league ballpark in 2025 before returning to "The Trop" in April.

"This group, they've been a complete joy to be around all season," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "They're very motivated."

Only three players in this year's event have played in a World Series, including Rays designated hitter Yandy Diaz.

"It feels like I'm on top of the world," Diaz said. "Hopefully this time around it's for us to win."

S.Fujimoto--JT