The Milwaukee Brewers secured their first World Series title in franchise history Wednesday, defeating the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 in Game 5 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, to complete a dominant 12-2 postseason run. The victory ended a 57-season championship wait for the franchise, which relocated from Seattle to Milwaukee and played its inaugural season as the Brewers in 1970.
Closer Trevor Megill induced a soft ground ball for the final out, sending teammates rushing from the dugout to celebrate on the field. The moment marked the franchise’s first World Series title after losing in seven games in 1982 during its only prior appearance in the Fall Classic.
“This is one of the greatest moments of my life,” Brewers shortstop Cooper Pratt told the broadcast after the game. “Oh my gosh. It doesn’t even feel real. This is surreal.”
The championship capped a historic season for the small-market franchise, which entered the playoffs with the second-best record in baseball at July’s All-Star break and finished with an MLB-high and franchise-record 103 regular-season wins. Operating with a payroll that ranked 19th out of 30 teams, Milwaukee demonstrated resilience throughout October by winning seven of the nine games in which it trailed.
Starting pitcher Jacob Misiorowski delivered 5 2/3 scoreless innings in the clinching game. “I don’t even have words,” Misiorowski told the broadcast following the win. The 24-year-old right-hander made the All-Star Game as a rookie in 2025 after just five starts and spearheaded a pitching staff that produced the second-lowest team ERA in Major League Baseball during the regular season.
Milwaukee opened its postseason journey by defeating the San Diego Padres in the divisional round. In the opening game of that series, 20-year-old outfielder Jackson Chourio hit a late two-run home run to save the team before delivering a walk-off single in the following contest. The Brewers then swept the two-time reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series, outscoring Los Angeles by 10 runs despite the Dodgers carrying a payroll more than double Milwaukee’s.
Against Tampa Bay in the World Series, the Brewers relied on manufacturing runs rather than relying solely on the long ball. After sweeping the Dodgers while hitting seven home runs, Milwaukee took a 3-0 series lead over the Rays with just one home run over that span. In Game 5, the Brewers drove in their runs using two singles, a sacrifice fly, and a double.
Tampa Bay avoided a shutout in the bottom of the ninth inning when Chandler Simpson hit a two-out double that drove in Liam Hicks, trimming the deficit to 4-1 before Megill recorded the final out.
The championship roster blended emerging youth with veteran leadership. Christian Yelich, the 34-year-old team captain, and 33-year-old reliever Brandon Woodruff were the only players remaining from the 2018 Brewers squad that came within one win of reaching the World Series. Woodruff earned a save in Game 3 for his first appearance since July 4 due to injuries, sparking a 10-1 rout that featured an eight-run, two-out rally without a home run.
“Best feeling ever,” Yelich said.
“This is just incredible,” Megill added. “Ten-year-old me would be so proud.”
