Oct 3, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Bryan Baker (47) reacts after defeating the New York Yankees in game one of the ALDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
For as much as the Rays are getting embarrassed by the Brewers in this World Series, the Yankees should feel just as bad, if not worse.
These are the same Rays that dominated the Yankees in a three-game sweep in the ALDS earlier this month, holding Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone’s men to just five runs during that series.
After outlasting the Guardians in the ALCS, the Rays have been completely outmatched by the National League’s Brewers in the Fall Classic, coming to a head in a 10-1 beatdown in Game 3 to put Milwaukee up 3-0.
No team in World Series history has overturned a 3-0 deficit.
Not only is the Rays’ magic coming to an end, but it’s a stark reminder of just how weak the American League has been in recent years. Only five teams in the junior circuit held a winning record this season, and three of them were in the AL East. The Houston Astros won the AL West with a .500 record.
It was all set up so perfectly for the Yankees to knife through to the pennant, and yet they could not even win their division.
Blame the onslaught of injuries, which saw Aaron Judge, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Giancarlo Stanton, and Max Fried miss considerable time. Or blame the architects of the team, which built an offense far too reliant on Judge for what feels like the ninth time in 10 years.
The latter deserves more of the heat than the former.
If this postseason has taught us anything, it’s that teams built on good fundamentals and a willingness to put hubris aside to simply put the ball in play go farther than most. That’s why the Rays are representing the American League and the Yankees have been home for weeks. It’s why the Brewers are on the precipice of their first championship in franchise history.
The braintrust heading up the Bronx should be taking notes, because if there is baseball next year, a team that is an iota more well-rounded should be able to get through what this embarrassingly winnable league.
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