For the first time in 46 years, the World Series will feature two teams that have never won a World Series when the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers face off. While both teams had the best records in their respective leagues, the Brewers are the favorite to win it all.
ESPN’s Buster Olney joined “Just Baseball Media” to share his thoughts on how he believes the Rays can upset Milwaukee in the World Series and win their first-ever World Series Championship.
Olney points to Tampa Bay’s starting pitching, which has been stellar so far this postseason, as what he believes is going to make the difference in this World Series matchup.
Olney was asked, if the Brewers got upset in the World Series, how did that happen?
Rays can create edge over Brewers with starting pitching
Oct 17, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Nick Martinez (28) reacts after walking Cleveland Guardians infielder Travis Bazzana (not pictured) during the fifth inning in game four of the ALCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“Because the Rays’ starting pitching got deep into games,” Olney said.
The ESPN journalist mentioned how Milwaukee defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS, which forced their starting pitchers to throw as little as possible.
“What the Brewers did in the National League Championship Series was to mitigate the strength of the Dodgers’ vaunted quartet in their rotation,” Olney said. “Between Tarik Skubal, [Yoshinobu] Yamamoto, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, those four guys combined for 18 innings in that series, less than five innings.”
The Brewers forced the Dodgers to go to their bullpen sooner. Skubal went five innings in Game 1, Yamamoto went 2.2 in Game 2, Snell went six in Game 3, then Glasnow went 4.1 in Game 4.
Olney believes that this is the reason why Milwaukee was able to get the best of them in the NLCS and ruin their hopes of a three-peat, and if the Rays want to do the same to the Brewers, their starters going deeper into games is going to be essential.
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“To me, if the Rays are going to have a chance, then [Drew] Rasmussen, Freddy Peralta, Griffin Jax, [Nick] Martinez, they have to consistently get that team into the sixth or even the seventh inning,” Olney said. “That is the path through which I think that they would have to go if they’re going to win this series.”
Tampa Bay’s starters have been dominant this postseason. Drew Rasmussen is 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA in three starts, ALCS MVP Freddy Peralta is 2-0 with a 1.08 ERA in four appearances (three starts) and Martinez, their Game 1 starter, is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in two starts.
Rays rotation will be differencemaker in World Series
Oct 18, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Drew Rasmussen (57) throws a pitch against the Cleveland Guardians in the second inning in game five of the ALCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Another reason for Olney’s perspective is that the Rays’ bullpen isn’t as strong as it once was, and he doesn’t believe it’s as strong as Milwaukee’s bullpen.
“In part because the soft underbelly of the Rays typically they have absolutely lights-out bullpen, not quite the case,” Olney said. “I think they have a good bullpen, but not totally dominant bullpen that the Brewers have.”
Olney added: “But if they get consistently see starters into the sixth or seventh inning, then we could be talking about a Rays upset.”
Tampa Bay’s starters going deep into games is going to be crucial for them to beat the Brewers in the World Series. They’ve been successful at that so far, with Rasmussen and Peralta leading the rotation.
They’ll need that to continue into the Fall Classic as they face the team with the best record during the regular season, which just swept the Dodgers to get to this point. Nick Martinez will take the ball first to set the tone.
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