World Series 2026: Top Brewers and Rays players you might not know but probably should

The 122nd World Series begins Friday in Milwaukee, featuring the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays. Even with small-market budgets, both clubs have developed players who broke through to mainstream attention. The story highlights Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski’s unusual velocity in his second season, Rays third baseman Junior Caminero after shining in the 2025 Home Run Derby, and Jackson Chourio’s rise to the top of Milwaukee’s postseason leaderboards. It also points to Freddy Peralta, Christian Yelich, William Contreras, and Yandy Díaz. Beyond the headline names, it previews 14 additional key contributors expected to shape the Fall Classic.