MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays are set to face off in the 2026 World Series, capping years of strategic roster management and player development that helped shape both teams into contenders.
Two years ago, the Brewers experienced a painful loss, falling to the New York Mets in the wild-card playoff series after narrowly holding the lead in the final inning. At the time, few anticipated that Milwaukee would improve steadily over the next few seasons, culminating in a deeper postseason run in 2025 and ultimately reaching the World Series in 2026 against the Rays.
Central to this narrative is Willy Adames, whose career path reflects the budget-conscious strategies employed by both the Brewers and the Rays. Adames began his professional career with the Detroit Tigers organization as an 18-year-old prospect before moving to Tampa Bay in a trade involving then-Rays ace David Price ahead of the 2014 trade deadline. Price, a four-time All-Star and 2012 Cy Young Award winner, was dealt to Detroit as the Rays, under general manager Andrew Friedman, sought to build sustained competitiveness through trades that exchanged established stars for high-upside talent.
The three-team trade brought Adames, infielder Nick Franklin, and pitcher Drew Smyly to Tampa Bay. Subsequent moves transformed Smyly into pitcher Ryan Yarbrough and catcher Mike Zunino, both integral parts of the Rays’ core in their 2020 World Series appearance. These transactions were part of a longer-term organizational strategy aimed at maximizing competitiveness within financial constraints.
In May 2021, the Rays traded Adames to the Brewers along with pitcher Trevor Richards in exchange for two right-handed relievers, including Drew Rasmussen, who would become a key starting pitcher for Milwaukee’s championship run. The transactions illustrate a common thread between the two franchises, with executives such as Milwaukee’s Matt Arnold and Tampa Bay’s Erik Neander applying similar principles in scouting, development, and roster construction.
Adames anchored the Brewers’ infield for four seasons, contributing significantly to the team’s playoff appearances in 2021 and 2023. When the Brewers faced the prospect of losing Adames and ace pitcher Corbin Burnes to free agency after the 2024 season, the organization chose to trade Burnes to focus on maintaining competitiveness without undergoing a full rebuild. Arnold noted the importance of balancing rebuilding with fielding a competitive team.
Adames responded by setting career highs in home runs (32), runs batted in (112), stolen bases (21), and posted a .794 OPS in the 2025 season, underscoring his value despite impending free agency. Following his departure in free agency, the Brewers extended a qualifying offer that Adames declined, yielding a compensatory draft pick used to select Brady Ebel, a promising 19-year-old shortstop prospect who has already posted an .819 OPS in Class-A ball.
The Brewers’ sustained success also benefited from players acquired in the Burnes trade, including third baseman Joey Ortiz, who hit .329 in the second half of the 2025 season, and left-handed pitcher DL Hall, who contributed key relief wins in the National League Championship Series.
Since Mark Attanasio purchased the Brewers in 2005, the franchise has steadily built trust with its fanbase, embracing a philosophy that success is possible despite market size. Milwaukee’s recent achievements demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach and set the stage for the upcoming World Series showdown with the Rays, whose own roster was shaped by a similar, long-term strategy of player development and strategic trades.