Special Edition: How can you not be romantic about baseball?

⏪ How they got here: The Brew Crew tore through the regular season, posting the best record in MLB (103-59) for the second straight year. They were similarly dominant in the playoffs, eliminating the San Diego Padres in four games before stunningly sweeping the two-time reigning champ LA Dodgers. Squeaky clean.

🏆 Why they’ll win: Their pitching staff is incredibly deep, boasting a jaw-dropping 2.03 ERA so far this postseason highlighted by lights-out closer Aaron Ashby. Defense wins championships, and Milwaukee has it in droves.

• Speaking of, catcher William Contreras anchors this squad from behind the dish. Owning the bulk of catching responsibilities, the three-time All-Star can change the game with his aggressive approach to ABS challenges and pit bull mentality. Bark bark.

💪 Players to watch: Game 1 starter Jacob Misiorowski. The 24-year-old made a massive leap this season, commanding his triple-digit fastball and absolutely dominating hitters en route to likely Cy Young Award honors. The Miz hasn’t logged many innings in his two starts this postseason, but he’s as formidable as they come.

• And we’d be remiss not to mention captain Christian Yelich. He won MVP honors in his first season with the Brewers in 2018, leading this team to their recent success but always coming up short of the ultimate goal.

• Now, nearly a decade in Milwaukee later, he’s finally getting his shot at a World Series. How can you not be romantic about baseball?

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A beloved dugout presence, Brewers manager Pat Murphy is known for his old-school managerial style. Murph served as bench coach in Milwaukee for eight seasons before earning the top job after his former boss, Craig Counsell, left for the Chicago Cubs.

• From jacket snacks to quotable content, there’s never a dull moment with Murph at the helm — and his players love him for it.

There’s no shortage of memorable Murphy moments, but we especially love one story that encapsulates his signature humor and bluntness. During a 2024 game against the Dodgers, Murphy gave center fielder Garrett Mitchell the steal sign.

• After Mitchell missed the sign multiple times, Murph called out to Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman: “Hey, Freddie! Tell him to run!” No beating around the bush here.

That bold leadership style paired with this gritty group of “gamers” has Pat Murphy and his team four wins away from Milwaukee’s first-ever World Series title. Proud is an understatement.

⏪ How they got here: The Rays earned the American League’s (AL) No. 1 seed with a stellar 98-64 regular-season record. Tampa Bay made quick work of the NY Yankees with an AL Divisional Series sweep, then stormed back from a deficit to beat the Cleveland Guardians in six games in the AL Championship Series (ALCS). Gritty.

🏆 Why they’ll win: Their big three of Yandy Díaz, Junior Caminero, and Jonathan Aranda. Far and away this squad’s best hitters, los tres pequeños went a dismal 5-for-34 at the plate in the Rays’ first three ALCS games. But the trio exploded for a combined 15 hits in their next three wins. As these big boppers go, so does Tampa Bay.

💪 Players to watch: A dynamic player with major aura, the aforementioned Caminero is due for a breakout moment on the game’s biggest stage. His captivating presence and penchant for seizing major moments make him the ultimate difference-maker for these Rays.

• Don’t worry, we didn’t forget about the pitchers. Starter Drew Rasmussen has been a reliable ace all season, while fellow starter Freddy Peralta earned ALCS MVP honors after posting a stellar 0.75 ERA in the series.