The Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays were the top teams in their respective leagues during the regular season, and that talent is reflected on their postseason rosters. As the two No. 1 seeds prepare to meet in the World Series, ESPN MLB Insider Kiley Mc Daniel ranks all 52 expected participants based on how good he thinks they'll be in the Series and predicts who will take home superlatives.
Topping the list is Brewers starter Jacob Misiorowski, who throws harder than any other starter in baseball, averaging 100.6 mph. His cutter sits in the mid-90s and his curveball sneaks into the 90s, and all of his pitches grade as plus. His fastball has the highest run value in baseball, and he is the pick to win MVP.
Rays third baseman Junior Caminero is an electric hitter with incredible bat speed. He is second in baseball in home runs over the past two seasons with 87, behind only Kyle Schwarber. Rays ace Drew Rasmussen has also blossomed into one of the best pitchers in the game, with four above-average pitches and above-average command. He could make potentially three starts in the Series, or two starts and a relief appearance.
Brewers second baseman Brice Turang has quietly become one of the best players in baseball, posting a 5.9 WAR this season with a strong batting eye, above-average power, speed and defense. Left fielder Jackson Chourio has been consistent and durable since debuting with an $82 million extension at 20 years old. He is above-average at all five traditional tools, and curtailing his chase rate could make him one of the sport's best.
Catcher William Contreras is a standout hitter who regularly posts .350+ on-base percentages and about 20 homers each season, which is elite for an everyday catcher. Center fielder Garrett Mitchell has elite speed, arm strength, defense and bat speed, and his swing-and-miss is now the main thing holding back his tools.
Source: ESPN MLB · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing