The 2026 World Series is set, and on Friday, the Milwaukee Brewers will host the Tampa Bay Rays to kick off the Fall Classic. 

Friday will serve as another opportunity for Brewers ace right-hander Jacob Misiorowski to take the mound and play a part in helping Milwaukee secure its first title in franchise history. His opponent will likely be a former Brewer, Rays All-Star righty Drew Rasmussen. 

So, it is worth exploring what the seasons of Misiorowski and Rasmussen have looked like and how they stack up against one another.

Let's rewind six months. On April 1, in the early days of the 2026 regular season, the Brewers and the Rays faced one another at American Family Field in Milwaukee. 

Misiorowski and Rasmussen were on the mound for that contest, and Misiorowski delivered a seven-strikeout performance in which he allowed four hits, two earned runs and two walks over six innings of work. Rasmussen, meanwhile, threw eight strikeouts while allowing three hits, one earned run and one walk over five innings pitched.

The Brewers went on to win, 8-2, but Misiorowski was not awarded the winning decision, and Rasmussen was not assessed the losing one. 

After their only meeting of the regular season, Misiorowski and Rasmussen both went on to have great years. Misiorowski took the Major League Baseball world by storm with his record-breaking velocity, which turned into record-breaking performances. 

Across 30 starts, Misiorowski notched a 16-5 record with a 1.80 ERA and a 0.80 WHIP over 174.2 innings pitched. He led MLB in ERA, strikeouts, WHIP and opponent batting average (.157).

While Misiorowski was dominating the spring and summer months, Rasmussen was no slouch either. The 31-year-old made 30 starts himself and logged an identical 16-5 record while posting a 2.67 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP over 172 innings of work. 

Rasmussen's efforts during the year earned him his second All-Star selection in as many seasons, and he established himself as Tampa Bay's go-to guy on the mound. However, as good a season as both players had through 162 games, it is the playoffs that matter most. 

Through two postseason starts, Misiorowski has been solid, but not what fans have been used to seeing from him. 

Over his two starts, Misiorowski has logged 8.1 innings of work in which he has a 3.24 ERA. He has struck out 11 batters while walking four and allowing nine hits and three earned runs. 

Brewers manager Pat Murphy has kept his starters on a short leash during the playoffs, but it is interesting to see that Misiorowski has yet to have a dominant performance.

On Friday, he will be on the biggest stage of his life, and it will be up to him to execute against a highly talented Rays offense. 

On the flip side, Rasmussen has more experience under his belt than Misiorowski, and this has been demonstrated during this run in October. 

Rasmussen has made one more start than Misiorowski, and he has notched a 2-0 record with a 1.29 ERA and a 0.76 WHIP. He has struck out 23 batters while only allowing three walks, 13 hits, and three earned runs. 

Rasmussen has been in a rhythm, and he is sure to challenge Milwaukee's superstar youngster. 

All told, it is going to be an incredibly high-level pitching matchup between two of the game's best, and it will be on Milwaukee’s and Tampa Bay’s hitters to be as prepared as they can be when Misiorowski and Rasmussen toe the rubber on Friday.