Milwaukee won the World Series with a payroll smaller than 18 rivals'
The Brewers claimed their first title with a mix of homegrown talent and players acquired via trades. Before being crowned, they swept the Dodgers.
The Milwaukee Brewers are World Series champions for the first time. They beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4–1 on Wednesday, October 28, and closed out the Fall Classic four games to one.
One figure helps put the title in perspective: Milwaukee reached the Fall Classic with an estimated payroll of $146.2 million, 19th among MLB's 30 teams. Eighteen organizations had more money committed to salaries.
The gap was clear in the National League Championship Series. The Brewers swept the Dodgers 4–0, whose payroll stood at around $339.3 million, more than double theirs.
Estimated payrolls of the teams mentioned.
| Team | Estimated payroll (USD) |
|---|---|
| Dodgers | $339.3 million |
| Brewers | $146.2 million |
| Rays | $95.6 million |
How the champions were built
How did they build a team capable of winning like this? Of their 26-man World Series roster, 14 arrived via trades and eight were selected in the draft, the system for picking amateur talent.
William Contreras was acquired in a three-team deal in December 2022. Jacob Misiorowski came out of the second round of that same year's draft. Jackson Chourio had signed as an international prospect in 2021.
Those additions ended up carrying the champions. Contreras was named World Series MVP, batting .381 with four RBIs.
Pat Murphy's team had already finished the regular season with 103 wins, the best record in the majors. In the playoffs it added 11 wins and just two losses.
Tampa Bay also reached the final with a modest payroll: roughly $95.6 million, below Milwaukee's. The title fight brought together two clubs that compete with fewer salary resources than much of the league.
Milwaukee turned years of scouting, development and player trades into its first title. Its payroll ranked 19th; its results made it MLB's champion.
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