Throwing a football can age like fine wine — at least that’s the case for a couple of quarterbacks, according to Tom Brady. 

In the most recent edition of #AskTom, Brady was asked which quarterback throws the prettiest ball in the NFL. He actually responded with a pair of quarterbacks, and they’re both veterans.  

“One is Aaron Rodgers and the other is Matthew Stafford,” Brady replied. 

And not only did Brady say that the two decorated quarterbacks throw the prettiest passes in the league today, but he also went on to say that the way Rodgers and Stafford throw the ball might be among the best in NFL history. 

“Both those guys spin the ball as well as anybody that’s ever played,” Brady said. “They have silky-smooth deliveries. They’re so accurate, and it’s just effortless when it comes out of their hands.”

This actually isn’t the first instance where Brady has compared Rodgers to all-time passers. In April 2025, he said that Rodgers and Dan Marino instantly came to mind when he was asked which quarterback has the most talented arm in NFL history. 

Rodgers’ résumé speaks for itself, as his four MVPs are the second-most in NFL history. At 42, Rodgers is still putting up respectable numbers and occasionally dropping dimes. He’s thrown for 1,487 yards, 12 touchdowns and five interceptions this season, helping the Pittsburgh Steelers get out to a 4-2 start.

Stafford, meanwhile, threw some pretty balls last season en route to winning his first MVP, doing so at age 37. Now 38, Stafford has continued to make some impressive throws this year. He leads the league in passing entering Week 7 (1,794 yards) as he continues to spark the Los Angeles Rams’ offense. 

As Rodgers and Stafford continue to drop dimes, Brady thinks the two quarterbacks have an innate talent for throwing the ball. 

“I think there’s really natural passers from the time you’re born, and you see that all the way through baseball leagues, and then Pop Warner football,” Brady said. “Then, you get to college, and you really start to refine it, because you’re practicing so much. By the time you get to the pros, those fundamentals are pretty hardwired into what you do. You can make minor modifications, but both those guys were natural passers the day they came into the NFL.”

Rodgers might have some of the most impressive passes in NFL history. His 61-yard Hail Mary to help the Green Bay Packers beat the Detroit Lions in 2015 has been debated as the best Hail Mary in NFL history. On that play, which has since been dubbed the “Miracle in Motown,” Rodgers scrambled around the backfield before unleashing a pass from the Packers’ 35-yard line. His pass traveled a few yards into the end zone, where Richard Rogers came down with the game-winning grab.

That wasn’t the only Hail Mary that Rodgers completed that season. In fact, he completed two Hail Mary passes in the Packers’ playoff loss to the Arizona Cardinals. The first was a fourth-and-20 completion to Jeff Janis, where Rodgers threw the ball nearly 60 yards in the air to help Green Bay go from deep in its own territory to Arizona’s side of the field. A couple of plays later, Rodgers eluded the Cardinals’ pass rush and found Janis on a Hail Mary pass for a touchdown that had nearly 60 air yards. 

Those Hail Mary throws might not even be the most impressive of Rodgers’ career, either. A year later, Rodgers threw a ball on a tightrope for a 36-yard completion to Jared Cook to help set the Packers up to kick the game-winning field goal against the Dallas Cowboys in the divisional round of the playoffs. That might be too bland a way of describing that pass, though, as Rodgers scrambled to his left before squeezing the throw by a Cowboys defender and to Cook, who perfectly kept himself aligned with the sideline. 

Years before those throws, Rodgers made an impressive throw on the game’s biggest stage. He completed a 21-yard touchdown pass to Greg Jennings for a touchdown in the Packers’ Super Bowl XLV win over the Steelers. On that pass, Rodgers threaded the needle by perfectly placing a ball between Steelers safeties Ryan Clark and Troy Polamalu. The ball went just past a diving Clark, while Polamalu was just too late to make a play and knock Rodgers’ pass away. 

If Rodgers is the King of Hail Mary throws, then Stafford might be the equivalent of no-look passes. Stafford has made several highlight no-look throws over the years, including on the biggest drive of his career. 

When the Rams needed to score a touchdown in the final minutes of Super Bowl LVI, Stafford deceived the Cincinnati Bengals’ defense when he looked toward the sideline as he fired a pass over the middle to Cooper Kupp for a 22-yard gain. 

Stafford has continued to make big plays on no-look passes as he ages. Just last season, he faked out the Seattle Seahawks’ defense when he looked toward the flat as he threw a touchdown pass to Puka Nacua on a slant.

The most iconic pass of Stafford’s career might have come when he was with the Lions, though. It actually occurred in his rookie season. Stafford separated his non-throwing shoulder on the penultimate play from scrimmage in the Lions’ win over the Cleveland Browns in 2009, with a pass interference giving Detroit the ball at the 1-yard line on the ensuing play. Stafford stayed on the field for the next play, throwing a tight spiral over the middle to Brandon Pettigrew for a touchdown that helped serve as the game-winning score. 

Which Pass Does Tom Brady Think Is The Toughest?

 

In a follow-up question, Brady was asked which throw is tougher to make: a go route or pass over the middle. Brady combined the two and said that throwing a deep post was the toughest throw for him to make during his career. 

“I thought a deep go route down the sideline was a little easier because, A, you were only dealing with one defender, the cornerback usually, and B, that receiver was always on the same path,” Brady said. “He was always running directly down the field. So you could gauge his speed, and then try to put the perfect arc in place, drop it right into the bucket and let your receiver catch it. 

“When you’re running a post, you’re running also horizontally across the field. I always felt that was much harder to judge, and a lot of times, you’re involving either the middle-of-the-field safety and the corner, which is kind of a two-on-one ball and was always a little tricky. I probably threw more go-balls for touchdowns than post for touchdowns over the course of my career.”

While there isn’t an exact number that shows how well Brady did at throwing passes to receivers on post routes during his career, there are some numbers that suggest he didn’t do as well throwing deep and over the middle of the field. Brady threw for more touchdowns and a higher passer rating on throws of 20-plus yards outside the numbers as opposed to 20-plus-yard throws between the numbers in 10 of his 16 final seasons, per Pro Football Focus. 

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How to Watch New England Patriots vs. Chicago Bears

• When: Thursday, October 22, 2026 at 8:15 p.m. ET
• Where: Soldier Field, Chicago, IL
• Stream: Amazon Prime Video

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American Family Field (MILWAUKEE) – The Brewers were trailing the Dodgers 4-0 in Los Angeles, and Shohei Ohtani had just woken up with a three-run home run. For so many teams, facing the two-time defending champions in their own ballpark, that would have ended their night. 

But Milwaukee spent the next few innings picking the Dodgers apart. The Brewers tied the game with their usual small-ball approach. That was expected. What came as a complete and total surprise was how clutch they were with the long ball. 

Brewers center fielder Garrett Mitchell led off the sixth inning with a go-ahead home run off Tanner Scott. The No. 9 hitter, third baseman David Hamilton, then added insurance with a solo shot off Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz in the ninth, completing a four-game sweep and sending Milwaukee to its first World Series in 44 years.

David Hamilton’s home run was the exclamation point at the end of the Brewers’ Game 4 win in the NLCS over the Dodgers. (Katelyn Mulcahy/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

It was a very different way to get there than the last time. In 1982, the Brewers were defined by their power. Unlike this year’s pennant-clinching team that has manager Pat Murphy’s fingerprints all over it, the ‘82 Brewers didn’t sneak up on opposing teams with its pop.

Harvey’s Wallbangers, named after manager Harvey Kuenn, led the majors with 216 home runs, 30 more than Reggie Jackson’s Angels in second. That memorable Milwaukee club was anchored by Hall of Famers Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, and Ted Simmons, as well as multi-time All-Stars Gorman Thomas, Ben Oglivie and Cecil Cooper. 

Robin Yount powered the 1982 Brewers to a World Series appearances. (Photo by Focus on Sport via Getty Images)

Opposing pitchers faced a lineup that had no easy outs and no place to hide. Almost every hitter in that lineup could end the game with one swing. For that team, home runs were always the plan. And it still wasn’t enough. Milwaukee lost that World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games.

The 2026 Milwaukee Brewers will never be mistaken for Harvey’s Wallbangers. They’re more like Murphy’s Smallballers. 

“We had a few guys that hit 20 home runs this year,” Hamilton told me on Thursday at American Family Field ahead of Game 1 of the 2026 World Series (Friday at 8 p.m. ET on FOX). “But people don’t realize that 20 is still a lot. That’s not really our game. Small ball is our game. We can hit the home run when we need to, but we don’t always need to. I feel like that’s a good thing.”

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It’s not hard to understand why facing Jacob Misiorowski is often a fruitless endeavor.

Prior to this year, Jordan Hicks was the only starting pitcher in the pitch-tracking era (since 2008) to eclipse the 103-mph mark on a fastball. He did it twice in 2022.

Misiorowski did it 136 times during the regular season alone.

(Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)

Cardinals catcher Pedro Pagés saw Misiorowski’s stifling speed up close on May 25, when he was one of just two players in the lineup to record a hit off the Brewers ace, who struck out 12 batters in seven innings of work. 

Pagés’ advice?

“Swing and pray,” he told me. “You’ve got to stay short and try to be early. That fastball’s different. That fastball’s definitely different. He throws it hard, he’s huge, and he lets it go right on you because of his extension.”

Throwing Serious Heat

Pitches By Starters Over 103 MPH Since Statcast Era Began (2008)

Misiorowski, the likely National League Cy Young Award winner who will start Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Padres on Saturday night (FS1, 8:30 p.m. ET), led MLB in ERA (1.80), strikeouts (252), strikeout rate (37.9%) and WHIP (0.80), among many categories. He held opponents to a .157 batting average, the lowest mark ever for a qualified starter.

With the hardest fastball on average of any MLB starting pitcher, it’s no wonder why stepping into the box against Misiorowski is typically a frustrating and futile effort. 

(John Fisher/Getty Images)

Of the 369 occasions this season that a starting pitcher reached 102 mph with their fastball, 365 belonged to Misiorowski. 

“He has the best fastball in baseball,” Mets infielder Bo Bichette said when asked about facing ‘The Miz.’ “And on top of that, he throws strikes. When you have great stuff and you throw strikes, it’s tough for hitters to get comfortable.”

But it’s not just the velocity and strike-throwing that cause problems, as Pages pointed out — it’s also the place at which Misiorowski unleashes that heat. 

The Miz … And Two Other Guys

Pitches By Starters Over 102 MPH This Season

The 6-foot-7-inch right-hander has the farthest extension of any starter in MLB, allowing him to cut down the distance significantly from the 60 feet, 6 inches between the mound and home plate. For context, Misiorowski’s average of 7.6 feet of extension this season is more than a foot farther than Dylan Cease, who had the second-highest strikeout rate among MLB starters.

Ask those who have faced Misiorowski, and that’s often what sticks with them. His four-seamer, which reached as high as 105.5 mph this year, feels a few ticks faster when you add on the extension. 

“Guys don’t get down the rubbers as far as he does, which is why I think his fastball plays way higher than what it was,” Angels infielder Zach Neto, who struck out twice in three at-bats against Misiorowski this year, told me. “It was a tough, very tough [at-bat], and I think it’s the reason why he has the success he has.”

(Rob Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

On Aug. 9, on the first of his three strikeouts against Twins infielder Royce Lewis, Misiorowski threw three straight fastballs over 103 mph. 

It’s not the velocity itself, Lewis agreed, that makes Misiorowski — a pitcher he described as “one of a kind” and “a unicorn” — stand out from the pack. Lewis, after all, has faced 17 different pitchers in his career who have thrown a pitch at least 100 mph against him. 

“The biggest difference is his extension toward the plate,” Lewis told me. “He’s cutting that distance, so that 103 really looks like 112. Your decision-making is sped up.”

100+ MPH Pitches In A Season

Since Tracking Began In 2008

The Rockies concur. 

They faced Misiorowski twice during the regular season and lost both matchups. The first time, Misiorowski struck out eight batters and allowed one unearned run in seven innings. Some of the best at-bats belonged to Kyle Karros, who lined out sharply in his first plate appearance, doubled in the Rockies’ lone run in his second and walked in his third. 

On the double, Karros swung through a slider then watched a 101.7 mph four-seamer go by to fall down 0-2. Then he battled, laying off two four-seamers just outside the zone before going the other way on a slider on the outer half. 

Like most others, Karros was thinking heater the whole time. Unlike most others, he was able to adjust. 

“I think the biggest thing for him is you can’t try to do too much,” Karros told me. “You can’t try to match power with power. All my hits were middle or opposite field, just letting him supply the power, because it is like a fastball you’ve never seen before.”

The second time Misiorowski faced the Rockies a month later, he struck out 12 over five innings of one-run ball. He didn’t mess around with his secondaries that time, throwing 80% four-seam fastballs. He did not throw a single slider. 

In the first at-bat of the game, he threw Rockies outfielder Jake McCarthy six four-seamers over 103 mph. 

“A lot of people see the velo, and that’s what gets the attention,” McCarthy told me. “And, obviously, 103 is 103. … But, sort of the angle of his pitches, there’s a lot of different elements that go into it rather than just, ‘Here’s 104, try to hit it.'”

Angels outfielder Wade Meckler only hit three home runs during the regular season, but one of those three was among the 14 homers surrendered by Misiorowski in 2026. 

Meckler, a left-handed hitter, did not have to see a four-seamer in the at-bat. 

“As every hitter will tell you, they’re only on the fastball against him, because you have to be,” Meckler told me. “But he threw me that first-pitch cutter, and it’s a different look.”

Breaking The Heat Barrier

Pitchers Who Eclipsed 104 MPH In 2026

Meckler watched that cutter go by at 95.5 mph for a strike on the inner corner of the plate. So, Misiorowski tried the same pitch in the same spot again. Despite thinking about the four-seamer, Meckler was able to adjust to the cutter — “my brain had now, I guess, seen what that pitch looked like,” he explained — pulling a 388-foot home run to right-center. 

While Meckler said he would prefer to look at his season as a full body of work as opposed to his success in one at-bat, that was, clearly, among the highlights of his season. 

“I mean, it’s cool to say you took him deep, obviously,” Meckler said. “I’m going to be telling people that I took him deep.”

(Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

It’s not the extension itself, in Meckler’s mind, that stuck out most from facing Misiorowski that day. 

Rather, it’s the fact that, along with his extension, Misiorowski’s velocity and low release comes a deceptive horizontal break toward his arm side. His 11.2 inches of arm-side run on his four-seamer ranked 18th among right-handers who threw at least 500 fastballs during the regular season.

That is part of the reason, Meckler believes, why Misiorowski had reverse splits this year. (Lefties had a .378 OPS against Misiorowski this year, while righties had a .582 OPS.) 

“For whatever reason, it creates this optical illusion for a left-handed hitter,” Meckler said. “It creates this rising effect.” 

The second time Misiorowski faced Meckler that day, he fired three straight four-seamers for a strikeout.

“It’s the best fastball I’ve ever seen, personally,” Meckler continued. “If it was 92 mph instead of 103 mph, it’d be a lot easier. But the fact that it’s 103 mph with arm-side run, that’s, I think, what sets him apart from other guys that throw hard from that low slot.” 

The Angels handed Misiorowski one of his five losses on the season that day, despite the Brewers star striking out 10 and allowing just two runs over seven innings. 

“If I had to face him again, I’d try to be ready for a fastball and just hope I get it,” Neto said. “It’s one of those things, you don’t really have time to think about what’s coming or kind of try to see what’s coming. Because it’s 104 coming at you.”

Misiorowski and three relievers — the Angels’ Ben Joyce, the Dodgers’ Edgardo Henriquez and the Padres’ Mason Miller — are the only pitchers who have eclipsed 104 mph past regular season. Joyce did it four times, Henriquez twice, Miller once. 

Miz did it 22 times, often saving it for the fiercest competition, including twice apiece to Shohei Ohtani, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber. 

Harper took Misiorowski deep in 2025, but he went 0-for-3 against the Brewers flamethrower this season.

“All I can do is try to be on time,” Harper said about facing Misiorowski. “I had success my first time against him, but the next three at-bats weren’t the greatest. He’s got incredible stuff.”

In his lone appearance against the Phillies in 2025, Misiorowski fired a 15-strikeout, complete-game shutout on just 95 pitches. The Braves beat the Phillies in the wild-card round, though, so Harper won’t get another crack at Misiorowski this season.

“I haven’t faced a lot of guys like that in my career,” Harper said. “He’s got one of the best heaters out there and it plays. It plays in this league, and I don’t see it going anywhere.”

FOX Sports MLB writer Deesha Thosar contributed to this story.

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American Family Field (MILWAUKEE) – On Sept. 26, during a team meeting before the Brewers’ penultimate game of their franchise-record 103-win regular season, outfielder Christian Yelich was officially named the first team captain in franchise history. 

The honor, while meaningful, was something of a formality. The “C” on his uniform denotes what has already been clear for years to every player who has stepped through Milwaukee’s clubhouse. 

“I could speak for an hour on it,” Brewers outfielder Sal Frelick told me, “but he was the captain before he got the ‘C.’ We all know that.” 

“I don’t think anyone would question that,” added infielder Joey Ortiz. 

“We go through him,” infielder David Hamilton told me. “Head honcho.” 

Christian Yelich after the Brewers won the NLCS. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)

In many ways, Yelich’s teammates credit him for building the culture that has this Milwaukee squad in position to do what no team in Brewers history has done before, now four wins away from winning the franchise’s first World Series championship. 

Before Frelick was a big-leaguer, he already witnessed Yelich’s impact first-hand. Drafted in the first round in 2021, Frelick couldn’t believe the way that Yelich decided to take him under his wing.

“My first big-league camp, before I was in the big leagues, he’s walking me through baserunning stuff,” Frelick recalled to me. “I’m like, ‘This guy’s won an MVP, why is he telling me how tight I have to cut the third-base bag when I’m running home from second?’ It’s because he just knows how to play the game. He cares. He knows that’s how to win baseball games. And he knows if people hear it coming from him, they’ll tell other guys and show how important it is.”

Before Yelich arrived in 2018 and was named MVP in his first season with the team, the Brewers had missed the playoffs six straight seasons. 

Since Yelich’s arrival, they’ve won the division six times and made the playoffs eight times in the last nine years. 

“I just think the culture that was built here has been on him,” Frelick said, “on his back.” 

EARLY ON, MUCH of Yelich’s impact came with his play. He hit 36 homers in 2018, another 44 in 2019, then staked his future to the franchise in 2020, when he signed a club-record nine-year, $215 million extension with Milwaukee that cemented his place as a Brewer for life. 

He has spent every season since then, whether healthy or not, trying to instill the values and attention to detail that would build the club’s foundation for success and ultimately lead to the franchise’s first trip to the World Series since 1982. 

“I think the last three years, we have the best record in baseball,” said Brewers manager Pat Murphy. “Christian Yelich is at the forefront of all of that, whether he’s injured or not injured or whatever. He’s leading these young people that nobody expected. Nobody picked us to win the division one time in those three years, and he’s in the middle of it all, helping these young players believe in themselves.”

Brewers manager Pat Murphy standing next to team captain Christian Yelich. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Sometimes, it’s as simple as trying to get them into a better mindset. 

“This last year, when I was in a slump, he helped me out a lot with just the mental side of things, understanding that every day is a new day,” Ortiz told me. “Just try not to dwell on the past and keep moving forward.” 

This October, Yelich is practicing what he preached. 

This season, he hit below league average for the first time in his career. He is no longer the offensive force he once was, before age and back issues turned him from a superstar into more of a complementary player, but his manager knows how important he is to the team. 

So, Murphy stuck with him as his designated hitter for each of the Brewers’ four games in the National League Division Series against the Padres. Yelich rewarded Murphy’s confidence by recording a hit in each game. 

“He’s been through a lot,” outfielder Garrett Mitchell told me. “He’s had a long, successful career, first and foremost, but has also worked through the ups and downs. He’s someone who’s kind of seen it all, someone you can easily have conversations with, and he’s willing to sit down for however long and just sit and talk. When you have a leader who’s willing to do whatever it takes not only to win but to help teach you, show you the ropes, teach you right from wrong, it’s incredible.” 

And when the Brewers decided to play lefty masher Andrew Vaughn over Yelich in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against ace Tarik Skubal, despite Yelich’s success to start October, the captain didn’t pout. 

He returned to the lineup a day later and followed Jake Bauers’ iconic 12-pitch walk against Yoshinobu Yamamoto with a go-ahead, two-run hit that knocked the reigning World Series MVP out of the game in the third inning.

“This guy won an MVP — you could argue he should’ve won two — and just around the clubhouse, you would never know it,” Bauers told me. “He’s extremely humble. He doesn’t care about Christian Yelich; he cares about the Milwaukee Brewers, and I think that really kind of sets the tone for the rest of the roster.” 

“Everybody looks up to him,” added Vaughn. “If he has something to say, you’re going to listen. I think he’s the piece of this team that kind of keeps everybody together.”

YELICH ARRIVED IN Milwaukee three years before Ryan Braun departed. The two franchise icons were both part of the 2018 team that fell one game short of going to the World Series. 

Over the next decade, Yelich claims he didn’t make a conscious decision to take on more of a leadership role. 

“It’s just doing what’s got to be done to win and to be successful,” Yelich told me. “We’ve got a lot of young players, and having been a guy that’s kind of been around for a while and seen a lot of different things in the game and experienced a lot of the things that they’re probably going through for the first time, you kind of remember what it felt like to be at that point in your career. If you can lend a helping hand or guide somebody through those times or wish you knew something back then when you were going through it, it’s just stuff like that.” 

Brewers great Ryan Braun alongside Christian Yelich in 2018. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

“It’s more like he’s an open book,” Mitchell explained. “If you have a question you want an answer to, he has it. With me, it’s just learning how to be a professional. How do you show up every day and do the things that you do? I think that shows up in a lot of different ways, but the fact he’s willing to do whatever to help a guy learn, whether it’s,  ‘Hey, you don’t show up that late,’ or, ‘Hey, you gotta be here at this time,’ or, ‘Hey, this is how you go about your work in the cage,’ it shows up in a lot of ways. It’s different for everyone. But he’s been one of my favorite teammates I’ve ever come across.” 

Yelich and Brandon Woodruff are the only players who remain from that 2018 Brewers squad, which came so close to ending the World Series drought. Eight years later, the NL champions are reaping the rewards of the wisdom of their most-tenured players. 

“We’ve seen it all together,” Woodruff said. “He means a ton to the city and the organization. His voice carries a lot of weight. He’s our franchise player. He just means a ton to the guys. He goes about his days and playing the game the right way, which is why guys respect him so much.”

Four Brewers MVPs – Christian Yelich, Rollie Fingers, Robin Yount, and Ryan Braun. (Photo by Larry Radloff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

At 34, Yelich is now the oldest player on a youthful Brewers squad known for its ability to pressure opponents with contact and speed. He no longer runs the way he did in 2019, when he stole 30 bases, led the majors with a 1.100 OPS and had an argument to win MVP for a second straight season, but his impact remains. 

“He’s way more important to this process than anyone knows,” Murphy said. 

Along with the Yankees’ Aaron Judge and the Royals’ Salvador Perez, Yelich is now one of only three active players with the title of captain. Before accepting the honor, he asked for the permission of Hall of Famer Robin Yount, who was a vital part of the last Brewers team to make it to a World Series. 

Now, Yelich is trying to help his squad do what no Brewers team has done before, whether through his play, his perceptiveness or both. 

“There’s a lot of stuff that goes on behind the scenes with Yeli that I don’t think many people get to see,” Ortiz told me. “So, I’m glad he got the ‘C’ on his chest.”

World Series Related Stories

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The days of Cardiac Caleb might be over – at least for the time being.

Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams has a new (and equally difficult) job. He has to figure out how to protect his leads, an especially difficult task when his defense is as unreliable as it was on Thursday night in a 30-24 win over the New England Patriots at Soldier Field.

Williams was terrific — except for an end-of-game sack (that we’ll get to). Williams was 22-of-33 for 308 yards with two touchdowns and against a well-respected Patriots defense that features one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks in Christian Gonzalez.

There’s no question that Williams is an elite quarterback. But he keeps proving he and head coach Ben Johnson can win games in different ways. And man – the Bears look dangerous. No worries about regression in Chicago.

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This matchup opens the 2026 World Series with the Milwaukee Brewers hosting the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 on Friday, October 23, 2026, at 8:00 PM EDT at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Milwaukee enters with the stronger regular-season record and home-field advantage after going 103-59, finishing first in the NL Central, clinching its division, and securing the best record in the league. The Brewers have also carried sharp form into October, winning 8 of their last 10 regular-season games and bringing a five-game winning streak into this spot. Through eight postseason games, their pitching has set the tone with a 2.02 ERA, while William Contreras has led the lineup with 3 home runs and a .367 batting average.

Tampa Bay arrives as the AL East champion after a 98-64 regular season and the best record in its league. The Rays have taken a different path into this opener, with a more even 5-5 mark over their last 10 regular-season games, but their postseason profile has still been built on run prevention and clean execution. Through nine postseason games, Tampa Bay owns a 2.58 ERA, has converted all 5 save chances, and has gotten key production from Yandy Díaz, who leads the club with 2 home runs, while Richie Palacios carries a .364 batting average into the series.

Below are the details on how to watch.

How to Watch Tampa Bay Rays vs. Milwaukee Brewers

• When: Friday, October 23, 2026 at 8:00 p.m. ET
• Where: American Family Field, Milwaukee, WI
• TV: FOX
• Stream: Watch 3 days free on FOX One

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INDYCAR will bring its five-time champion to his home country of Spain in 2027 and beyond.

Next season’s INDYCAR schedule will include a July 18 stop at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, marking the return to Spain for Alex Palou, who won the last four INDYCAR titles. 

Palou grew up outside of Barcelona.

“I’m so excited to be part of INDYCAR’s first race in Barcelona,” Palou said in a news release. “It is an amazing opportunity, and it means so much to me to have a race at home in Barcelona, it’s hard to put into words.

“I know the fans are going to love it, and I think we are going to put on a great show.”

Five-time INDYCAR champion Alex Palou will get to race on his home turf in 2027. (Getty Images)

The track, located about a 45-minute drive from Barcelona in Montmelo, was built in 1991 — the same year it played host to its first Formula 1 race.

It won’t have an F1 race next year as part of a rotation of venues but has now landed a multiyear agreement with INDYCAR. 

The INDYCAR Series has not raced outside of North America since Brazil 2013 and has not raced in Europe since 2007 when it raced in the Netherlands.

The INDYCAR Series will race outside of North America for the first time since stopping in Sao Paulo, Brazil (pictured) in 2013. (Getty Images)

The Formula 1 layout is a 2.894-mile, 14-turn course. It has not been determined if any tweaks will be made to the track for INDYCAR. The length of the race has not been decided either. 

“This is a monumental day for our sport,” Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles said in a news release. “We are pleased to be able to take our ultra-competitive brand of wheel-to-wheel racing to Europe and thrilled that we can showcase INDYCAR in Alex Palou’s hometown.”

Barcelona was the only announcement of a new track on Friday for the 2027 schedule. Nashville and Washington, D.C., will not have races next season. 

“The arrival of INDYCAR is a major milestone and an exciting challenge for the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya,” said track chairman, Pau Relat. 

“Bringing one of the most prestigious and spectacular championships in global motorsport to our venue strengthens our international positioning, connects us with new audiences and markets, and reinforces our strategy of diversifying the circuit’s activity through world-class events.”

The agreement with the circuit is a 10-year deal, although there are clauses that could shorten the deal if either side sours on the event.

Miles told me and other reporters on a virtual media availability Friday that the promoters will have to pay for freight — both air and shipping of cars and everything needed for the race — as well as the 900 team crew members and officials who travel for the event (flights and hotels). 

Compared to the Freedom 250 where Penske Entertainment Corp. fitted much of the bill as the promoter, this event is a more traditional promoter-INDYCAR event, with the promoter responsible for selling tickets and making the event financially viable. 

There will be at least one support series, which is still to be determined. 

Miles said he doesn’t view this as the start of the development of a European swing for the series and that the INDYCAR focus in Europe is primarily on the Barcelona race. Any additional international races in future years will likely be in another region. He wouldn’t rule out increasing the schedule from the current 17 races.

“At this moment, our objective is to be here in Europe, in Spain, and stay here — focus on making this the great event that we know it can be,” Miles said. “We’ve never been in a hurry about this. We want to look for great opportunities, but I think for a while we’re going to be very focused on Barcelona.

“That doesn’t mean that there couldn’t be another region or so in the world where we might add something. But fundamentally, we’ll be North American. We’ll have a landing pad in Europe, and if another one develops outside of Europe, then fine.”

Whether INDYCAR adds an exemption for a 26th car for a Spaniard in addition to Palou to race is being considered, INDYCAR President Doug Boles said.

In addition to looking at additional international events, INDYCAR also considers it a major priority to increase the number of ovals. Without Nashville, there are now just five races at four oval venues.

“Ovals that would like to have an NTT INDYCAR Series race, there are plenty of those,” Boles said. “The question really becomes, how can we go into a market where the attendance will make it feel like an event?

“That’s really important to us to get into that. Where do we have a promoter that doesn’t just want us, but is willing to promote alongside us and really be that lead in that community to help drive the attendance is an important piece of that?

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Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt dispelled speculation about his future, saying he’ll return to the club next season to chase an elusive World Series title.

“I’m here,” Vogt said at a news conference Thursday. “I’m coming back.”

Vogt has led the Guardians to a division crown in each of his three seasons, He has twice been named AL Manager of the Year. With the Seattle Mariners’ managerial spot open, there had been rumblings about Vogt possibly leaving in order to be closer to his family’s home in Olympia, Washington.

However, the 41-year-old Vogt said he has not been contacted by the Mariners, who fired Dan Wilson last month following a disappointing 76-86 season.

Stephen Vogt led the Guardians to an AL Central title in 2026, before the season ended in the ALCS. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

Vogt spent one season as Seattle’s bullpen coach in 2023 before being hired by Cleveland and that relationship helped fuel theories about a departure.

“I’ll be in Cleveland,” Vogt said three days after the Guardians were eliminated in the AL Championship Series by Tampa Bay. “I have not gotten a phone call. It was all just media (driven).”

While Vogt is adamant he’s staying, it remains possible the Mariners could call the Guardians with a trade offer. Though rare, trades involving managers in Major League Baseball are not unprecedented, with the most recent involving John Farrell going from Boston to Toronto in 2012.

Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti was asked about a potential pitch from the Mariners.

“I have every expectation that Voter is going to manage here for a really long time,” Antonetti said, using Vogt’s nickname. “We don’t have any interest in Voter managing anywhere else.”

Vogt signed a multiyear contract extension with Cleveland following the 2024 season. That deal was never made public and the club’s secrecy about the contract’s terms may have played a part in the rumors about a move.

Dan Wilson was let go by the Mariners at the end of the 2026 season, following a disappointing campaign that saw Seattle finish 76-86. (Photo by Olivia Vanni/Getty Images)

A father of three, Vogt has been open about the difficulty in being away from his loved ones over an extended period. His wife, Alyssa, and their kids join him in the summer, but the months apart are hard on him.

“It’s not just since I’ve been here. This has been my whole playing career,” said Vogt, who played with six teams from 2012-2022. “It’s very difficult living on the other side of the country, especially with my kids’ age. My daughter’s in high school, my boys are starting to get older, their activities are going up, so it’s more challenging for them to get out here on a whim.

“But my wife’s incredible and she reminds me every day that I’m where I’m supposed to be and I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing. And she jokes, ‘We don’t need you anyway.’ Not joking. It’s the worst part of my job.”

As for the job he did this season with Cleveland, Vogt deserves praise.

One of the league’s youngest teams, the Guardians regrouped from a sluggish first half and, bolstered by several trade deadline acquisitions, caught Chicago and won the division. They then rallied from a 0-2 deficit to stun the White Sox in the Division Series.

Cleveland’s magic disappeared against the Rays, extending baseball’s current longest World Series drought to 76 years.

Through it all, Vogt believed the ’26 Guardians would prevail.

“There was a belief that we were just going to do it,” he said. “We were never out of it. It wasn’t like ’25 where we did this historical comeback, needed a bunch of help. We controlled our destiny and we went out and grabbed it and took it.”

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Vogt, Antonetti and general manager Mike Chernoff addressed several other topics, including:

— Pitching coach Carl Willis will return for a 15th season in two stints with Cleveland. Willis, 65, has helped develop five Cy Young winners during his career.

“He’s given a ton to this organization and is insanely competitive,” Antonetti said. “He really wants to win a World Series in Cleveland for Cleveland.”

— Vogt reiterated that the curious lack of postseason use for starter Tanner Bibee was because the team wanted to lean on its left-handed pitchers. Vogt said he spoke with an “upset” Bibee before Game 6 of the ALCS.

“We ended up talking about a lot more than just baseball and had a similar conversation in his exit interview,” Vogt said. “It was very candid. It was very open. He spoke his mind and we gave him our reasoning. Tanner’s going to be a huge part of this team for a long time and I’m really excited about that.”

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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I think most people are expecting to see fireworks when the Chiefs and Seahawks take the field this weekend, but in this instance, I’m not most people. 

Here’s how I’m wagering NFL Week 7.

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I was tempted to take Kansas City as a short underdog, which has been a success with Patrick Mahomes as quarterback, but I have my reservations about the Chiefs in this spot. 

The Chiefs are without receiver Rashee Rice and tackle Jaylon Moore, who’s got a concussion. So K.C. has no downfield threat, and is looking at undrafted free agent rookie Kahlil Benson at left tackle and Joshua Ezeudu at right tackle. That’s not a great formula on the road against Seattle’s defense. 

Kansas City is gonna run the ball and attempt safe, short passes. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if Mahomes had a bunch of rushing yards trying to avoid the Seattle pass rush.

On the other side, the Seattle offense isn’t what we saw last season. 

The Seahawks lost Klint Kubiak to the Raiders as a playcaller and has no running backs. They are 25th in EPA per play, which is shocking considering how good this offense was just a year ago. The Kansas City defense, while not facing the most incredible offenses this season, has played fantastic. It is third in EPA per play and has been better against the pass than the rush. 

Well, guess what? Seattle can’t run the football. 

I think we see a controlled game plan from both teams, understanding that defense will be the path to victory. It’s also worth noting that the Chiefs’ kicking has been awful and they are bound to miss an important field goal at some point on Sunday night.

Schwartz’s Pick: Under 42.5

Who is Brock Purdy going to throw the ball to this weekend against the Falcons?

Everyone on the outside is hurt or out. Maybe Mike Evans plays, but if not, it’s a bunch of dudes who don’t have much of a player relationship with Purdy. 

We saw last weekend that Purdy targeted Christian McCaffrey 10 times — it equaled nine receptions. I understand the Falcons know this as well, but Kyle Shanahan has shown the ability to scheme up receptions for his star running back. 

The Atlanta defense allows the most receptions to opposing running backs, so this is a great spot for CMC to have his way.

Schwartz’s Pick: Christian McCaffrey Over 5.5 receptions

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