Milwaukee Brewers top ESPN’s early 2027 MLB rankings after first World Series title

The Milwaukee Brewers are No. 1 in ESPN’s early 2027 MLB power rankings, published after they beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 in Game 5 on Wednesday, October 28, in St. Petersburg, Florida, to win their first World Series title. The ranking makes Milwaukee the team to beat in ESPN’s initial assessment of next season, with the winter’s roster decisions still ahead.

ESPN says its list weighs each team’s roster entering the winter, key free agents, 2026 performance, possible improvement by young players and incoming prospects. Milwaukee finished the regular season 103-59, the best record in the majors, and ESPN also ranked it first at the end of 2026.

Why ESPN ranks the Brewers first

The club also has longer-term control of several players in that group. ESPN says Chourio is signed through 2033, while Pratt and Lara are signed through 2035, including club options. Brice Turang has three years before free agency, according to ESPN. Those arrangements help explain why the ranking looks beyond a single championship season.

The roster questions heading into winter

The roster is not settled. ESPN lists Jake Bauers, Brandon Woodruff and JoJo Romero among Milwaukee’s key free agents. It also lists a mutual option for Dustin May and a club option for Antonio Senzatela. Their eventual status could change the team ESPN assessed in its first 2027 ranking.

ESPN also notes that MLB’s collective bargaining agreement expires December 1 and says the offseason’s course remains uncertain. Its ranking is a snapshot before those player decisions and the labor deadline, rather than a settled 2027 roster.

How Milwaukee reached its first title

Milwaukee’s championship followed an 11-2 postseason, according to the Associated Press, including seven comeback wins. The Brewers took the first three World Series games before Tampa Bay won Game 4 in 12 innings; Milwaukee then secured the series in Game 5. The title came 44 years after the Brewers’ previous World Series appearance, a seven-game loss to St. Louis in 1982.

For Tampa Bay, the defeat prolonged its wait for a first championship. AP says the Rays, Colorado Rockies, San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners are the four MLB franchises still without a World Series title after Milwaukee’s win.