By Oliver Thomas, Staff Writer 

As a potential lockout looms, so much of the dialogue across the baseball world has been about the MLB not having a salary cap and the advantage this gives to larger-market teams that can afford to outspend the rest of the league. This has appeared to be the case, as 20 of the last 28 World Series Champions finished top 10 in total team payroll. 

The 2026 World Series marks an end to this trend, as this is the first time since 1991 that both teams in the Fall Classic ranked in the bottom half of the league in total payroll. In 2026, the Brewers ranked 19^th out of 30 teams in the league with a payroll of $142 million, while the Rays were 28^th, with just $90 million allocated to their roster. For reference, the Dodgers lead the league with $412 million. 

The Cincinnati Reds, a small-market team, can learn from this year’s World Series matchup. The draft and international signings might seem like the key to each team’s success with their limited payroll. However, this is not the case, especially for the Rays. Only four players on Tampa Bay’s 26-man ALCS  roster were originally drafted or signed as an amateur with the Rays, which was the lowest in MLB. 

The Brewers were closer to league average in that respect, as 10 players on their current roster were either drafted or signed as international free agents. This includes some of the Brewers’ most important pieces, the projected 2026 Cy Young Award winner Jacob Misiorowski, who was drafted by Milwaukee in 2022, and key outfielder Jackson Chourio, who signed with the team as an international free agent in 2021. 

Since neither team heavily relied on the draft or massive contracts to construct their rosters, both organizations’ front offices focused trades to acquire talent. The Rays traded for 17 players on their current roster, while 15 of the Brewers’ players were acquired via trade. This puts the two teams at the top of the entire league in terms of percentage of players on their 26-man rosters acquired via trade.  

Many of these trades that led to each team’s success took place many years ago before current players had established themselves as quality major league players. There is no better example of this than the Rays trading for their star third basemen, Junior Caminero, who was acquired five years ago as an 18-year-old in the lowest level of the minor leagues. Come 2026, Caminero hit 42 home runs in the regular season. 

They also were willing to buy low and not give up their marquee minor league talent. At this year’s trade deadline, the Rays traded for struggling starter Freddy Peralta, who posted a 4.99 ERA with the Mets. Thanks to the elite pitching coaching in Tampa, Peralta completely righted the ship, winning ALCS MVP after two dominant starts in the Rays’ series win over Cleveland.  

The same goes for the Brewers, who traded for outfielder Jake Bauers prior to the 2024 season after a career worst season where he batted just .202 and spent time in the minor leagues. Fast forward three years, Bauers won NLCS MVP, where the lefty hit a crucial home run and six RBIs. 

This year’s World Series matchup shows the impact elite scouting and player development can have in building a roster that succeeds come October. In an era of the sport that has been dominated by big market organizations, the success of Tampa Bay and Milwaukee shows what is possible for teams with lower payrolls across baseball.