Brewers-Rays World Series reportedly first this century without a top-half year-end salary payroll team

The teams also fall outside the top half by value. In Sportico’s rankings at the start of the season, Milwaukee was No. 20 at $1.94 billion and Tampa Bay was No. 24 at $1.7 billion. Sportico says every earlier World Series this century featured at least one team in the top half of that year’s valuations. That comparison uses Sportico rankings for 2021 through 2026 and Forbes rankings for 2000 through 2020.

For salary payroll, Sportico identifies the 2015 Royals-Mets matchup as the closest comparison: Kansas City moved up to No. 13 after the trade deadline, while New York was No. 17. Sportico says that was also the last World Series without a top-10 payroll team. This year, either Milwaukee or Tampa Bay will leave the series with its first championship.