The Brewers and the Rays. The best teams in the National League and the American League all season, respectively. A rare meeting between the No. 1 seeds from each league in the World Series.

And one of them will take home the first Commissioner’s Trophy in their franchise’s history. Both teams have more than earned this chance.

The Brewers, whose 103 regular-season wins were a franchise record, navigated a tight NL Division Series against the Padres before clobbering the two-time reigning champion Dodgers in the NL Championship Series sweep. It’s just the second World Series appearance in their history and their first since 1982.

Meanwhile, the Rays swept the division rival Yankees in the ALDS before handling the Guardians in six games in the ALCS. They’re back in the Fall Classic for the third time and the first since 2020.

Both teams do a little bit of everything right on the diamond, making for what should be a thoroughly exciting World Series. Here’s how our group of MLB.com experts see it playing out.

Rays vs. Brewers

The pick: Brewers (43 of 51 votes, 84.3%)

Why they’ll win

Any time you take down the back-to-back reigning champs, and do so in a sweep, it’s going to make noise. But really, this is nothing new for the 2026 Brewers. They owned the best regular-season record with a roster that just gets the job done across the board.

The Brewers can play small ball, but they can slug when it matters most, too. In fact, Milwaukee has been more homer-dependent in October than it was all year. But the club can still work a deep count and get on base in many ways. Just ask Jake Bauers.

On the mound, it’s no secret that the bullpen is the Brewers’ strength. One of the best groups in the regular season is only doing more of the same in October, with a 1.33 ERA in eight games. Lefty Aaron Ashby is leading the charge during a historically good run. And then there’s that Jacob Misiorowski guy, who has been good enough in the playoffs but could unleash a new, dominant level in the World Series.

What they’re saying

“There's something about this Brewers club. Maintaining the league's best record all summer and barely giving an inch so far in the postseason, they're looking pretty unstoppable with the right mix of clutch hits, key performers and an absolutely lockdown bullpen. It might finally be the Crew's moment in the spotlight.” -- Adrian Garro, editorial producer

“The Brewers have been knocking on this door for years and are firing on all cylinders following their impressive sweep of the Dodgers. They are smart and hard-nosed enough not to let the long layoff affect them negatively.” -- Andrew Werle, supervising editor, content operations

“Walking off Mason Miller. Sweeping the 2-time defending champion Dodgers. These Brewers may just be a team of destiny, with their final obstacle being the American League's top-seeded Rays.” -- Kyle Boris, supervisor, media operations

The dissenting view

The Brewers have been dominant, but so have the Rays. They have a clear edge in starting pitching, with Drew Rasmussen, Freddy Peralta and Nick Martinez firing on all cylinders. The Tampa Bay bullpen, while not as overpowering as the Brewers’, is still strong and has lockdown closer Bryan Baker waiting in the wings.

The key for the Rays likely lies in their lineup, where Junior Caminero, Yandy Díaz and Jonathan Aranda appear to be heating up at the right time. Much like Milwaukee, the Rays will put together quality at-bats, get on base and then cause havoc on the basepaths. Perhaps no one is more adept at doing so than Chandler Simpson.

“The Rays' ‘small ball’ doesn't slump, and they've been pressing all of the right pitching buttons.” -- Jonathan Mayo, national reporter, prospects

“With their Big 3 of Yandy Díaz, Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero breaking out at the end of the ALCS -- plus a slight edge over the Crew in starting pitching -- I believe the Rays are going to steal Game 1 vs. The Miz and ride that to a World Series title. Third time is a charm.” -- Brian McGrath, supervising editor, content operations

Series predictions

Brewers (6 games): 23 votes

Brewers (7 games): 14 votes

Brewers (5 games): 5 votes

Rays (7 games): 4 votes

Rays (6 games): 3 votes

Rays (5 games): 1 vote

Brewers (4 games): 1 vote

There may have been an overwhelming majority of our group predicting the Brewers to win the World Series, but that doesn’t do justice to how close these two teams seem to be. This will: 44 of 51 voters see the series going at least six games.

Who will be named World Series MVP?

Jackson Chourio (MIL): 16 votes

William Contreras (MIL): 13 votes

Jacob Misiorowski (MIL): 6 votes

Yandy Díaz (TB): 5 votes

Brice Turang (MIL): 5 votes

Aaron Ashby (MIL): 1 vote

Jake Bauers (MIL): 1 vote

Junior Caminero (TB): 1 vote

Trevor Megill (MIL): 1 vote

Drew Rasmussen (TB): 1 vote

Chandler Simpson (TB): 1 vote

It’s not hard to see why Chourio was our experts’ favorite to take home the World Series Most Valuable Player Award. Still just 22 years old, Chourio already leads Brewers franchise history with six career playoff home runs. He’s already shown he can rise to the occasion this year with a walk-off single against Mason Miller in the NLDS and a massive homer against Blake Snell in the NLCS. But Chourio’s overall production this October has been quiet (6-for-35). It might just be a matter of time before he breaks out.

“Chourio is due to break out in the World Series. While he hasn't done much in the playoffs so far, his two homers were impactful -- a go-ahead shot and a game-tying blast. He's ready to let it rip.” -- Kelsie Heneghan, senior coordinator, social media editorial, MiLB

“He's a legend in the making. This is the start of his Hall of Fame case.” -- Will Leitch, senior columnist

Who will be on the mound when the series ends … and what happens?

Trevor Megill (MIL), final out: 24 votes

Aaron Ashby (MIL), final out: 10 votes

Bryan Baker (TB), final out: 6 votes

Jacob Misiorowski (MIL), final out: 6 votes

Bryan Baker (TB), walked off: 3 votes

Drew Rasmussen (TB), final out: 1 vote

Ian Seymour (TB), final out: 1 vote

Megill has been lights-out as the Brewers’ closer, so it’s easy to envision him shutting things down at American Family Field in Game 6 or 7. But don’t be surprised if it’s Ashby continuing his fireman role -- or The Miz coming in for a clutch relief appearance.