Both top seeds won their pennants, the Brewers by sweeping the Dodgers. The Series opens in Milwaukee Friday, moves to St. Petersburg for Games 3 to 5, and comes back for 6 and 7 if needed.
The two best teams of the regular season both made it through. In the American League, the top-seeded Rays swept the Yankees 3-0 in the Division Series and beat the Guardians 4-2 in the ALCS. Cleveland had needed all five games to get past the sixth-seeded White Sox, who knocked out the Astros in the Wild Card round; the Yankees beat the Red Sox in the other AL Wild Card series.
Only one pennant winner since 1995 stole more bases than either of them. Game 1 is Friday at 8 p.m. Eastern on FOX.
Expect the bases to be busy. The Rays tied for second in the majors with 164 stolen bases this season and the Brewers ranked fifth with 162, MLB.com notes, and both have kept running in October: Tampa Bay is 11 for 11 on steals in nine playoff games, and Milwaukee 10 for 12 in eight.
The World Series opens Friday at 8 p.m. Eastern on FOX. It is the first Fall Classic between two franchises without a title since 1980.
Whoever wins this World Series wins it for the first time. The Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers are two of the five current franchises that have never won a title, with the Mariners, Padres and Rockies, and it is the first World Series between two such teams since the Phillies beat the Royals in 1980, MLB.com notes.
The Angels declined their option on manager Kurt Suzuki after one season and will seek a new manager and coaching staff for 2027, MLB.com reports; general manager John Mozeliak said the team's record was not a true reflection of Suzuki's abilities and offered him a role as a special assistant. Suzuki, 43, the first Hawaiian-born manager in the majors, played his last two seasons as a catcher with the Angels. Mozeliak's own contract is up in December.
Series results per MLB's postseason bracket; World Series schedule per MLB, via Yahoo Sports, WTSP and FOX 13.
From the stands
Argue about the game all you like; keep it about the game. No betting tips, no referral links, no personal attacks on players, officials or other readers. Comments are public and kept until you ask us to remove them.