In an era in which as many as 11 MLB teams have payrolls in excess of $200 million, the two clubs that reached the World Series managed to run the gauntlet with some of the league’s smallest payrolls. The Brewers’ $146 million payroll ranks 19th league-wide, while the Rays are all the way down at No. 28, paying their roster just north of $96 million collectively.
Assembling a roster formidable enough to compete with, and even outmatch, the highest payrolls in MLB while not spending a fortune themselves, isn’t an easy task. It requires impressive roster construction to build a lineup capable of consistent offensive output and a pitching staff strong enough to silence some of the best hitters in the game. Both of these teams have outstanding young talent which they can confidently deploy in a big spot, and that’s been one of the key difference makers behind their respective runs to the Fall Classic.
