Freddy Peralta and Jake Bauers Have Something Personal at Stake in World Series

The Tampa Bay Rays are preparing to face the Milwaukee Brewers in the World Series, and one of the biggest storylines involves two players who will be facing their former organizations.

Freddy Peralta and Jake Bauers.

Both players were named MVPs of their respective Championship Series, helping their teams reach the Fall Classic, and now they have an opportunity to win a World Series against the organizations where their major league careers began.

Peralta spent eight seasons with the Brewers from 2018 through 2025, becoming one of Milwaukee's most dependable starting pitchers.

During that time, he compiled a 70-42 record with a 3.59 ERA and 1,153 strikeouts.

However, Milwaukee decided to trade Peralta to the New York Mets before the 2026 season.

And things didn't necessarily go according to plan.

Peralta struggled in New York, carrying a 4.99 ERA before the Rays acquired him at the trade deadline.

Since arriving in Tampa Bay, he's looked like a completely different pitcher.

And his performance throughout the ALCS was a major reason the Rays eliminated the Cleveland Guardians in six games.

Peralta made three appearances against Cleveland, including two starts and a relief appearance in Game 4.

He finished the series with a 0.75 ERA across 12 innings, earning ALCS MVP honors.

He made it very clear this week heading into Game 1 on Friday that if it were up to him, he would want to remain with the Rays the rest of his career. Now he'll return to American Family Field with an opportunity to help Tampa Bay win its first World Series championship.

But what makes this World Series matchup even more interesting is that Milwaukee has a player with a similar connection to Tampa Bay.

And that player is Jake Bauers.

Bauers made his major league debut with the Rays in 2018 before spending time with several organizations. He eventually joined Milwaukee in 2024 and has become an important part of the Brewers' offense.

The former Rays prospect enjoyed an outstanding 2026 season, hitting 26 home runs and driving in 86 runs.

And just like Peralta, his production continued throughout the Championship Series. Bauers drove in six runs during Milwaukee's four-game sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers, including a go-ahead two-run home run against Blake Snell in Game 3.

That performance earned him NLCS MVP honors, setting up an interesting matchup between two players who have taken completely different paths to reach this point.

Peralta was an established All-Star who needed to turn his season around after struggling with the Mets.

Meanwhile, Bauers spent years trying to establish himself as a consistent major league contributor before finding success in Milwaukee.

Now both players are preparing to play in the World Series against their former organizations, and each is trying to win the franchise's first-ever title.