Even if the Series crowns another champion, Jake Woodford has already won, thanks to his whirlwind 2026 tour of the Brewers and the Rays?
Milwaukee dealt Freddy Peralta to the Mets for prospects Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams, but neither side reaped rewards. Peralta struggled early, Sproat never secured a rotation spot and slid down. He landed in Tampa Bay at the deadline and now co‑anchors the staff with Drew Rasmussen. When he faced Milwaukee in July as a Met, he yielded seven earned runs in 5 1/3 innings. For my money, the trade was a flop for both clubs.
You might recall Jake Bauers arriving in the Wil Myers deal, moving to the Rays from the Padres in December 2014. He rose through Tampa Bay’s system, debuting in 2018, then belted 11 homers and swiped six bases in 388 plate appearances. A three‑team summer swap sent him to Cleveland, bringing back Yandy Diaz. After stints with the Guardians, Mariners and Yankees, he finally settled in Milwaukee.
Brewers right‑hander Jacob Misiorowski is slated to start Game 1 of the World Series, per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. He wasn’t flawless in the playoffs, surrendering a few runs over four innings against the Padres in the NLDS and throwing 94 pitches in 4 1/3 innings in the NLCS, which forced Pat Murphy to tap the bullpen. Still, Milwaukee won both of his starts. Will he finally prove he can dominate on the biggest stage?