Updated November 1, 2026
The Milwaukee Brewers won the 2026 World Series on Wednesday, October 28, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 in Game 5 at Tropicana Field to take the series four games to one. It is the first World Series title in franchise history and Milwaukee's first since the 1957 Braves, according to MLB.com's Game 5 story. Catcher William Contreras was named World Series MVP. Every statistic below comes from MLB.com unless noted.
Game 5: Brewers 4, Rays 1
Milwaukee closed the series one night after a 12-inning, walk-off loss in Game 4 had left the Brewers three outs from a title that did not come. Our recap of the Rays' walk-off win in Game 4 covers that night.
In Game 5 the Brewers built a 4-0 lead by the sixth inning. Rookie shortstop Cooper Pratt had hits in his fifth and sixth consecutive plate appearances, which MLB.com reports tied and then broke a World Series rookie record, and he added a sacrifice fly in the sixth. Contreras doubled in the sixth to score Christian Yelich with an insurance run.
Tampa Bay's only run came in the ninth, after a Liam Hicks double hit first base and took an unusual bounce. Closer Trevor Megill limited the damage and finished it with a groundout to second baseman Brice Turang. MLB.com puts the final out at 11:13 p.m. local time in St. Petersburg.
How the series went
- Game 1: Brewers 3, Rays 2
- Game 2: Brewers 5, Rays 4
- Game 3: Brewers 10, Rays 1
- Game 4: Rays 4, Brewers 3 (12 innings)
- Game 5: Brewers 4, Rays 1
Game 1 through Game 4 scores are from the MLB.com Game 4 recap.
Misiorowski and the Bullpen
Starter Jacob Misiorowski threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings, which MLB.com called his best start of the postseason, before calf cramping ended his night in the sixth. The bullpen took it from there and allowed only the ninth-inning run.
That fit the series. MLB.com reports that Milwaukee's pitching staff posted a 1.91 ERA and held the Rays to a .182 batting average across the five games. Tampa Bay had been 11-for-11 on stolen-base attempts in the postseason before the World Series, and the Brewers' catcher took that away.
Contreras Named World Series MVP
Contreras, 28, went 8-for-21 with four RBIs in the series, per MLB.com's MVP story. Behind the plate he threw out four of nine would-be base stealers.
2026 is the first season with the Automated Ball-Strike challenge system in the majors, and Contreras used it well. In the World Series, 10 of his 13 challenges were overturned, a 77 percent rate. MLB.com lists the regular-season overturn rate for fielders at 60 percent.
He is the eighth catcher to win World Series MVP or co-MVP. The most recent before him was Salvador Perez of the 2015 Royals. Milwaukee acquired Contreras from Atlanta in a three-team trade with the Braves and Athletics on December 12, 2022.
Milwaukee's First Title
The Brewers had reached one World Series before this one, in 1982, and lost it in seven games. MLB.com notes this title came in the club's 57th season in Milwaukee.
The 2026 team won a franchise-record 103 regular-season games, the most in the majors. In October it beat the Padres in the NLDS, swept the Dodgers in the NLCS, the same franchise that won the 2024 title (see our 2024 Dodgers World Series episode notes), and then beat the Rays, finishing with 11 postseason wins and two losses. Manager Pat Murphy has managed the club for the past three seasons and is the two-time defending National League Manager of the Year.
The city held a championship parade on Friday, October 30, at 10 a.m. CT, starting at North 4th Street and West Wisconsin Avenue and running through downtown to the Summerfest grounds, per MLB.com.
Four Franchises Still Without a Title
Before Game 5, five current franchises had never won a World Series: the Brewers, Mariners, Padres, Rays and Rockies. Milwaukee's win leaves four:
- Seattle Mariners
- San Diego Padres
- Tampa Bay Rays
- Colorado Rockies
The Rays came close in this series, forcing a Game 5 after trailing three games to none. Only one team in a best-of-seven postseason series has come back from 0-3, the 2004 Red Sox in the ALCS, and that held.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 2026 World Series?
The Milwaukee Brewers, who beat the Tampa Bay Rays four games to one. They clinched with a 4-1 win in Game 5 on October 28, 2026.
Who was the 2026 World Series MVP?
Brewers catcher William Contreras. He hit .381 (8-for-21) with four RBIs and threw out four of nine base stealers, per MLB.com.
Is this the Brewers' first World Series title?
Yes. It is the first in franchise history. Their only previous World Series appearance was a seven-game loss in 1982.
Sources: MLB.com, Brewers win Game 5 and the World Series (Oct. 29, 2026); MLB.com, Contreras wins World Series MVP (Oct. 29, 2026); MLB.com, Game 4 recap; Associated Press, Contreras wins World Series MVP. Featured photo: Sewageboy, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (2024 photo, converted to black and white).
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