Rays Announce Game 1 Starter in Pursuit of 1st World Series
The Tampa Bay Rays will have right-hander Nick Martinez start Game 1 of the World Series against Milwaukee Brewers on Friday.
The 2026 World Series starts in Milwaukee on Thursday, with the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays competing for their first championship. One notable matchup is Brewers first baseman/outfielder Jake Bauers, who will be facing his former team, according to Evan Closky of 10 Tampa Bay. Bauers reflects on the strangeness of the situation, saying it feels "like a different lifetime" and that seeing the Rays across the field evokes nostalgic memories of where it all began.
Bauers was drafted by the San Diego Padres in 2013, then traded to the Rays the following year. He made his MLB debut with the Rays in 2018, posting a .201 batting average with 65 hits, 11 home runs, and 48 RBIs. Afterward, he played for the Cleveland Guardians from 2019 to 2021, the Seattle Mariners in 2021, the New York Yankees in 2023, and was traded to the Brewers in 2024.
Bauers has noticed similarities in the management and priorities of the two organizations, emphasizing the importance of fundamental baseball fundamentals. He was traded to the Rays in 2014, made his MLB debut in 2018, and was dealt to Cleveland in the Yandy Diaz trade.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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