Where 2026 ranks among best World Series matchups since 2000 - ESPN

This year's World Series will have a tough act to follow. Not only was the 2025 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays the first seven-game affair since 2019, but it featured an 18-inning game and then a Game 7 that might have been the greatest baseball game ever played.

The good news is we're guaranteed that a long-starved fanbase will get to celebrate in 2026. The Milwaukee Brewers, coming off their impressive and dynamic four-game sweep of the Dodgers in the NLCS, are in the Fall Classic for the first time since 1982 and seek the first championship in franchise history, looking to put an exclamation point on their season after leading the majors with 103 wins.

The Tampa Bay Rays were a 1998 expansion franchise and reached the World Series in 2008 and 2020 (the shortened season during the COVID-19 pandemic) but are seeking their first title as well. Young power hitter Junior Caminero and unheralded staff ace Drew Rasmussen lead the way as the Rays look to finally cash in after making the playoffs six times in the past eight seasons.

The Brewers and Rays led their respective leagues in wins, always a bonus for those who want the best teams in the World Series. Of course, a lot of attention will be given to the small-market aspect of the matchup, as the cloud of the lockout looms in the offseason.

Let's rank all the World Series since 2000 to see where Brewers-Rays fits in. This ranking is based on hype, the quality of the teams and their star power heading into the World Series. It's not a ranking of the quality of the World Series itself, although we're going to include a grade on that for each matchup. Let's get to it.

The Yankees were back in the World Series for the sixth time in eight