This year’s World Series matchup is not one many predicted at the start of the season. The Rays and Brewers, two teams that have bucked MLB’s recent trend of prioritizing home runs at the plate while simultaneously navigating the difficulties of operating with smaller payrolls have ran the gauntlet to reach the Fall Classic.
These two teams have stuck to their styles all season long. They both ranked in the bottom 10 league-wide in home runs but inside the top 10 in OPS, and each were the No. 1 seed entering the postseason in their respective leagues.