The best team in the National League and the best team in the American League have advanced to the World Series, which nonetheless qualifies as a stunner considering those teams’ identities.
asserted
which → advance → identities
Welcome to the Brewers-Rays World Series, in which, regardless of the result, an organization that scrimps on roster payroll and prides itself on outthinking its opponents will win its first championship.
asserted
that → welcome → championship
Milwaukee has only played in one other Fall Classic — way back in 1982, 44 years ago — and Tampa Bay lost in 2020 and 2008.
asserted
Bay → play → 2020
Finally the brains, more so than the brawn, of one of the clubs will pay off in a matchup that begins Friday in Wisconsin.
asserted
that → pay → Wisconsin
If this battle of technically sound and remarkably athletic players supported by brilliant baseball minds does not excite masses who wanted Goliaths such as the Yankees and Dodgers, maybe savor the game at its best while it is being played.
asserted
it → support → best
Which brings us to another storyline of the 122nd World Series …
asserted
Which → bring → Series
This is poorly timed for the owners ahead of an expected lockout
asserted
This → time → lockout
The league’s billionaires soon will shutter the sport to argue that significant steps — namely, a salary cap — must be taken to achieve better competitive balance.
asserted
steps → shutter → balance
Because how could a team like the Rays — with the 28th-highest payroll, according to Spotrac — and the Brewers — No. 19 — compete with the Yankees and Dodgers?
uncertain
team → accord → Yankees
So yes, the owners’ case would have more greatly resonated if the annual winter winners became the October winners, perhaps with the Dodgers three-peating.
asserted
Dodgers → resonate → ?
But to get this far, the Rays and Brewers acted differently than the bigger-market behemoths who more freely throw money at free agents.
asserted
who → get → agents
Each market and each owner operates distinctly in a system with a soft salary cap and no salary floor, and money spent is an inarguable advantage.
asserted
money → operate → cap
It is not just that they act differently, but …
Both teams play differently
They score differently than most.
asserted
They → act → most
The Rays led the majors in singles, and the Brewers were second.
asserted
Brewers → lead → singles
The Rays swing differently.
asserted
Rays → swing → ?
They excel in putting bat on ball, best in the majors in strikeout rate and tops in bunts — for hits and sacrifices — laid down.
asserted
They → excel → hits
The Brewers swing differently.
asserted
Brewers → swing → ?
They are not as contact-driven but delight traditionalists in other ways, notably by using the opposite field more than anyone.
asserted
They → drive → anyone
They find gaps, take their walks, advance runners and figured out ways to score the second-most runs in baseball while hitting the second-fewest home runs in baseball.
asserted
They → find → baseball
Both teams run differently, the Rays with the slight edge in steals (second best vs. fifth best) but the Brewers overall faster (the fastest team in MLB, according to Statcast’s Sprint Speed).
uncertain
Brewers → run → Speed
They defend differently, both largely excellent with the gloves.
asserted
both → defend → gloves
The Rays outfield is particularly strong, and the Brewers’ all-around defense has vacuumed up ball after ball, helping their pitchers with a .229 Batting Average on Balls in Play in the postseason.
asserted
defense → vacuum → postseason
They pitch differently, the Brewers’ high-powered bullpen the best in October while the Rays rotation has led the way.
asserted
rotation → pitch → way
Both are cohesive, well-meshed teams that nonetheless feature …
Standouts whose stardoms are about to grow
It is not an exaggeration to say Jacob Misiorowski is the hardest-throwing starting pitcher in baseball history.
asserted
Misiorowski → mesh → history
At a time when velocity is king, the crown belongs to a wiry, 6-foot-7, 24-year-old with a boyish face, a love of Pokémon and a Cy Young Award in his future.
asserted
crown → belong → future
The Mets staff threw nine regular-season pitches of at least 100 mph this season; “The Miz” threw 1,115.
asserted
Miz → throw → 1,115
Behind him, 22-year-old Jackson Chourio, having a quiet postseason, has the ability to instantly become a household name.
asserted
Chourio → have → ability
As does Brice Turang, who is no longer among baseball’s most underrated stars.
asserted
who → do → stars
On the Rays side, Junior Caminero — who, growing up in the Dominican Republic, successfully lobbied to name his little brother “Girardi” after the then-Yankees manager — announced himself in the ALCS-clinching victory with a shot off the left field foul pole, some chest-beating and a detour-filled slow trot around the bases.
asserted
who → grow → bases
A 23-year-old MVP candidate for this year and a threat for years to come, Caminero has the talent to become one of the faces of the game.
asserted
Caminero → come → game
And one the ALCS-losing Guardians will forever regret trading.
asserted
Guardians → lose → ?
In all likelihood, the Rays will turn to Drew Rasmussen and Freddy Peralta in Games 1 and 2 on normal rest.
asserted
Rays → turn → rest
If they get shut down, the Brewers would have only themselves to blame.
asserted
Brewers → shut → themselves
Rasmussen, an oft-injured but promising prospect, debuted for the Brewers in 2020 and was traded to the Rays the next year in the Willy Adames swap that looked lopsided until it wasn’t.
asserted
it → injure → swap
Finally healthy, Rasmussen has a combined 2.71 ERA in 61 starts the past two years.
asserted
Rasmussen → have → starts
The Peralta saga is more familiar locally, another walk-year Brewers player dealt before free agency, this time to the Mets.
asserted
saga → deal → Mets
Peralta struggled, could not be fixed in Queens and was sent to the pitching-fixers in St. Petersburg, who have unlocked the ALCS MVP.
uncertain
who → struggle → MVP
Speaking of recognizable faces, there are plenty of …
Local connections
For the Brewers, Gary Sánchez and Jake Bauers will be familiar to Yankees fans, and Trevor Megill is the brother of the Mets’ Tylor.
asserted
Megill → speak → Tylor
The Aporia
