The Milwaukee Brewers are World Series champions for the first time in franchise history, and catcher William Contreras was named the series Most Valuable Player after a dominant all-around performance.
The Brewers defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 in Game 5 on Wednesday night at Tropicana Field to clinch the series 4-1. The victory ended a 57-year wait for the franchise and delivered Milwaukee its first World Series title since the Braves won in 1957. After a franchise-record 103-win regular season, the Brewers went 11-2 in the postseason, beating the Padres in the NLDS, sweeping the Dodgers in the NLCS, and then closing out the Rays.
Contreras, the three-time All-Star, was at the center of Milwaukee’s October success on both sides of the ball. He finished the World Series hitting well above .400 while also controlling games behind the plate with elite game-calling, multiple successful ABS challenges, and a strong arm that threw out baserunners. In the clincher, he delivered a key RBI double in the sixth inning that scored Christian Yelich and helped turn a 2-0 lead into a 4-0 cushion. His consistent impact throughout the series made him the clear choice for MVP honors.
Jacob Misiorowski started Game 5 and worked 5⅔ scoreless innings, allowing just two hits before exiting with a calf cramp. The Brewers’ bullpen then finished the job, with Trevor Megill recording the final out. Offensively, rookie Cooper Pratt continued his hot stretch with an RBI single in the second and a sacrifice fly in the sixth, while David Hamilton added an RBI single in the fifth. The Rays scored their lone run in the ninth on a Chandler Simpson double.
The championship caps a remarkable run for a team that ranked near the bottom of the league in home runs and carried one of the lower payrolls in baseball. Under manager Pat Murphy, the Brewers relied on relentless at-bats, strong defense, and outstanding pitching to overcome their previous postseason shortcomings. Their only prior World Series appearance, in 1982, ended in a seven-game loss to the Cardinals.
Thousands of Brewers fans who traveled to Florida watched the celebration unfold on the field at Tropicana Field. Back in Milwaukee, fans gathered at American Family Field to follow along. With Contreras earning MVP honors and the Commissioner’s Trophy finally heading north, the 2026 Milwaukee Brewers will be remembered as the team that finally delivered the franchise’s first championship.
