Let’s look at how 2026 World Series ties to the Braves

The Braves and the rest of baseball will watch what’s expected to be a thrilling Fall Classic between the Brewers and Rays in the coming days.

Here’s how we’ll tie the World Series back to the Braves:

· Milwaukee and the Braves have so much shared history. This would be the Brewers’ first championship since the Milwaukee Braves won the 1957 World Series. Numerous pillar figures for the Braves franchise, including Hall of Famer Hank Aaron and eventual key executive Bill Lucas, came with the team when it relocated to Atlanta for the 1966 season.

· Georgia natives who are playing for a ring: Rays shortstop Taylor Walls (Cordele), Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson (Atlanta, Georgia Tech) and Brewers reliever DL Hall (Valdosta).

Walls, a defensive wizard, was a third-round pick in 2017 out of Florida State. The Rays took the speedy Simpson at No. 70 overall in 2022. He was among the most prolific hitters in Tech history, hitting .433 in his final collegiate campaign and earning first-team All-ACC and second-team All-American honors. Hall, a Valdosta Wildcat, went No. 21 overall in 2017 and became a top prospect for the Orioles. He was traded in the Corbin Burnes deal two years ago and has transformed into a top-tier lefty reliever for the Brewers.

· Braves fans surely appreciate what both these franchises and their supporters have experienced in recent years. It’s comparable to how the Braves had plenty of disappointment before reaching the pinnacle in 1995 (and in 2021 after three consecutive eliminations).

The Brewers have made the postseason eight of the past nine seasons. They’ve made the National League Championship Series three times in that span, but this is their first time getting past the Dodgers (who’d defeated them in that series in 2018 and 2025).

The Rays, meanwhile, have consistently competed in the resource-rich American League East. They’ve made the postseason six times in the last eight years, and this is their second World Series appearance after losing to, you guessed it, the Dodgers in 2020.

· These two franchises embody everything the lower-spending clubs should aspire to be. A lot of dialogue has centered on the market discussion, which is a disservice to the sport. These have been the two best teams the entire season. They execute at a high level in basically every element of the game, maximizing each individual skill set on their rosters.

This series should be celebrated because in a sport that often rewards the team that gets hot at the right time, these clubs instead remained hot throughout the year. And there’s plenty of high-end talent to market here. It’s on MLB to promote it.

Neither of these teams invokes much hate from other fanbases. That might result in some people more casually consuming the series, but for those who truly love the sport, it’s a tremendous opportunity to watch the highest-level baseball on the grandest platform.

· Of the 52 players on these rosters, 31 were acquired via trade (many as prospects). Only six were free-agent signings. It’s a reminder that spending power is just one avenue, albeit a valuable one, to building a club. Shrewd deals and keen talent evaluation will always reign supreme, whether or not MLB institutes a salary cap (or adjacent).

· Both the Brewers and Rays have leaned on their bullpens to reach this point. It’s a safe bet that whoever wins this series will have received stellar innings from that unit. Let this serve as another reminder as to why Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos invests so heavily in his bullpen. Relievers are everything in October. Shout out to the Night Shift, the legendary Braves bullpen that engineered the 2021 World Series title.

· Brewers catcher William Contreras, one of the faces of their operation, was a rare Braves miss. He was an All-Star designated hitter in Atlanta, but his catching ability never developed under coach Sal Fasano. Contreras blossomed in Milwaukee and should earn a seismic contract in free agency after next season. His loss would be discussed more if not for Drake Baldwin.

· Christian Yelich has been synonymous with the Brewers since their emergence nine years ago. He’s no longer their best player, but he remains a core member of the franchise and helped turn it into the powerhouse it’s become. Their deal to acquire Yelich in January 2019 is perhaps the best trade in Brewers’ history.

The Braves were among the teams interested in Yelich when the Marlins were tearing down their roster. It seemed Yelich, then 26 and signed through 2022 at $58.25 million, was primed for a leap. But the Braves refused to part with No. 1 prospect Ronald Acuña Jr. The Marlins weren’t going to move Yelich here without Acuña’s inclusion.

It was the right decision for the Braves, just as parting with outfield prospect Lewis Brinson was the right move for Milwaukee. The trade was a bust for the Marlins, who ultimately yielded little in jettisoning multiple veterans to launch a rebuild.

· There’s been a lot of talk around the starting pitchers the Braves passed on this past offseason and in the spring. Their restraint paid off in many instances, but Nick Martinez would’ve been a nice pickup. He had a 3.10 ERA in 31 starts and earned an All-Star nod for the Rays. He’s had two appearances this postseason, surrendering three runs over nine innings. He’ll surely decline his mutual option and seek a multiyear deal this winter.