Brewers World Series History: 2026 Champions After 1982 Loss
The Milwaukee Brewers won the 2026 World Series. They beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 for the first title in team history. It was only their second trip. The first, in 1982, ended with a Game 7 loss in St. Louis.
The title came in the club’s 58th season, counting from 1969 as the Seattle Pilots. Milwaukee’s two pennants also came in different leagues: 1982 in the American League and 2026 in the National League.
- World Series trips
- 2
- Titles
- 1 (2026)
- Pennants
- 2 (1982 AL, 2026 NL)
- Playoff years
- 12
- 2026 wins
- 103
- First season
- 1969 (Seattle Pilots)
Every October they played
- 1981ALDS, YankeesLost 2-3
- 1982World Series, CardinalsLost 3-4
- 2008NLDS, PhilliesLost 1-3
- 2011NLCS, CardinalsLost 2-4
- 2018NLCS, DodgersLost 3-4
- 2019Wild Card, NationalsLost
- 2020Wild Card, DodgersLost 0-2
- 2021NLDS, BravesLost 1-3
- 2023Wild Card, DiamondbacksLost 0-2
- 2024Wild Card, MetsLost 1-2
- 2025NLCS, DodgersLost 0-4
- 2026World Series, RaysWon 4-1
1982: Harvey’s Wallbangers get one win away
Down 0-2 to the Angels, then three straight
Manager Harvey Kuenn’s team was known as Harvey’s Wallbangers. In the American League Championship Series, the California Angels won the first two games in Anaheim. Milwaukee then won three straight and clinched the pennant at County Stadium. No team had come back from 0-2 to win a best of five playoff series before.
Up 3-2 on the Cardinals, then two losses in St. Louis
The World Series opened with a 10-0 Brewers win in St. Louis. Paul Molitor set a World Series record that night with 5 hits. Milwaukee won two of three at home and headed back to Busch Stadium leading 3-2.
Then it slipped away, as St. Louis won Game 6 by 13-1. In Game 7, the Brewers led 3-1 in the sixth inning and lost 6-3. Cardinals catcher Darrell Porter was named Series MVP.
| Game | Date | Park | Final | Series after |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oct 12 | Busch Stadium | Brewers 10, Cardinals 0 | MIL 1-0 |
| 2 | Oct 13 | Busch Stadium | Cardinals 5, Brewers 4 | Tied 1-1 |
| 3 | Oct 15 | County Stadium | Cardinals 6, Brewers 2 | STL 2-1 |
| 4 | Oct 16 | County Stadium | Brewers 7, Cardinals 5 | Tied 2-2 |
| 5 | Oct 17 | County Stadium | Brewers 6, Cardinals 4 | MIL 3-2 |
| 6 | Oct 19 | Busch Stadium | Cardinals 13, Brewers 1 | Tied 3-3 |
| 7 | Oct 20 | Busch Stadium | Cardinals 6, Brewers 3 | STL 4-3 |
The 1982 World Series, game by game. Shaded rows are Brewers losses.
The long wait, 2008 to 2025
After 1982, Milwaukee missed the playoffs for 25 straight seasons. The team switched to the National League in 1998. Here is how each October ended once the Brewers got back.
2008 and 2011: two exits to Philadelphia and St. Louis
The 2008 club lost a division series to the Phillies, 3-1. In 2011 Milwaukee beat Arizona 3-2, then lost the NL Championship Series to the Cardinals in six games. St. Louis had now stopped the Brewers twice.
2018: a Game 7 away from the World Series
Milwaukee swept the Rockies in the division series. The NL Championship Series against the Dodgers went the full seven games, and Los Angeles won Game 7 by 5-1.
2019 to 2024: five quick goodbyes
Each of the next five playoff trips ended in the first series Milwaukee played. Washington won the 2019 Wild Card game. The Dodgers swept a 2020 Wild Card series, and Atlanta took a 2021 division series 3-1. Arizona swept the 2023 Wild Card round. In 2024, the Mets won the deciding third game on a ninth inning home run by Pete Alonso.
2025: past the Cubs, swept by Los Angeles
Milwaukee beat Chicago 3-2 in the division series. The Dodgers then swept the NL Championship Series 4-0. In the clinching 5-1 game, Shohei Ohtani hit 3 home runs and struck out 10 batters.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Series |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | ALDS | New York Yankees | Lost 2-3 |
| 1982 | ALCS | California Angels | Won 3-2 |
| 1982 | World Series | St. Louis Cardinals | Lost 3-4 |
| 2008 | NLDS | Philadelphia Phillies | Lost 1-3 |
| 2011 | NLDS | Arizona Diamondbacks | Won 3-2 |
| 2011 | NLCS | St. Louis Cardinals | Lost 2-4 |
| 2018 | NLDS | Colorado Rockies | Won 3-0 |
| 2018 | NLCS | Los Angeles Dodgers | Lost 3-4 |
| 2019 | Wild Card game | Washington Nationals | Lost |
| 2020 | Wild Card | Los Angeles Dodgers | Lost 0-2 |
| 2021 | NLDS | Atlanta Braves | Lost 1-3 |
| 2023 | Wild Card | Arizona Diamondbacks | Lost 0-2 |
| 2024 | Wild Card | New York Mets | Lost 1-2 |
| 2025 | NLDS | Chicago Cubs | Won 3-2 |
| 2025 | NLCS | Los Angeles Dodgers | Lost 0-4 |
| 2026 | NLDS | San Diego Padres | Won 3-1 |
| 2026 | NLCS | Los Angeles Dodgers | Won 4-0 |
| 2026 | World Series | Tampa Bay Rays | Won 4-1 |
Every Brewers playoff series through the 2026 title: 7 won and 11 lost.
The Brewers in the World Series
How the 2026 Brewers won it all
103 wins, the best record in baseball
Pat Murphy’s team won 103 games, the most in the majors. It was the first season with 100 wins in club history. That made Milwaukee the top seed in the whole field, with home field for every round.
San Diego in four, then the Dodgers in four
The Brewers beat the Padres 3-1 in the division series, winning three games by one or two runs. Next came the Dodgers. They had swept Milwaukee a year earlier and won the last two World Series.
This time Milwaukee did the sweeping. Game 4 at Dodger Stadium started badly, with Los Angeles up 4-0. The Brewers came back to win 6-4 on October 15, and Jake Bauers was named NLCS MVP. It is the club’s first pennant since joining the National League.
The World Series: Tampa Bay in five
Milwaukee won the first two games at home, 3-2 and 5-4, then won 10-1 in Game 3 at Tampa Bay. The Rays took Game 4 in 12 innings, 4-3.
The Brewers clinched with a 4-1 win at Tropicana Field on October 28. Catcher William Contreras was named World Series MVP.
| Game | Date | Home team | Final | Series after |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oct 23 | Milwaukee | Brewers 3, Rays 2 | MIL 1-0 |
| 2 | Oct 24 | Milwaukee | Brewers 5, Rays 4 | MIL 2-0 |
| 3 | Oct 26 | Tampa Bay | Brewers 10, Rays 1 | MIL 3-0 |
| 4 | Oct 27 | Tampa Bay | Rays 4, Brewers 3 (12 innings) | MIL 3-1 |
| 5 | Oct 28 | Tampa Bay | Brewers 4, Rays 1 | MIL 4-1 |
The 2026 World Series, game by game, with the series score after each game.
Four clubs still without a title
Four current teams have no World Series title: the Rays, Padres, Rockies and Mariners. Seattle is the only club that has never played in one. Before Milwaukee, the last team to win its first title was the Texas Rangers in 2023.
Compare the Brewers with
The Rays lost the 2008 Series to the Phillies and the 2020 Series to the Dodgers. The Padres lost in 1984 and 1998, and Boston swept the Rockies in 2007. Trip counts above include 2026 for both Milwaukee and Tampa Bay.
Short answers on the Brewers and the World Series
Have the Brewers ever won a World Series?
Yes, once. Milwaukee won the 2026 World Series, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1. Its only other trip, in 1982, ended with a seven game loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.
How many times have the Brewers been to the World Series?
Two times: 1982 and 2026. The 1982 trip came as an American League team. The 2026 trip was their first as a National League team, after the club moved leagues in 1998.
When did the Brewers win the World Series?
On October 28, 2026. Milwaukee beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 in Game 5 at Tropicana Field to win the Series 4-1. It was the 58th season for the franchise.
Who was the 2026 World Series MVP?
Brewers catcher William Contreras. Milwaukee beat the Tampa Bay Rays in five games and clinched the title with a 4-1 win in Game 5.
Who was the 2026 NLCS MVP for the Brewers?
Jake Bauers. Milwaukee swept the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-0 in the NL Championship Series. It clinched the pennant with a 6-4 comeback win in Game 4 at Dodger Stadium on October 15, 2026.
Every champion since 1903 is on our World Series winners by year page. The format and dates are on how many games are in the World Series. More baseball counts live on the MLB hub.
Sources
Game results, records and franchise history were matched across MLB.com, Baseball-Reference, ESPN, SABR and AP reports. Main pages: MLB.com on the 2026 NLCS, MLB.com 2026 World Series schedule and Baseball-Reference on the 1982 World Series.
Last verified: October 30, 2026.
