“118 years after Ty Cobb” — Is the 22nd-year-old “monster” or the “elite bullpen arm” who has been scoreless for 15⅔ innings in the postseason following shoulder surgery? Will Milwaukee’s first-ever World Series MVP be decided today (the 28th)?

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Just one more win stands between the Milwaukee Brewers and their franchise-first World Series championship. As the final victory looms, competition for the first World Series Most Valuable Player (MVP) in club history is also heating up. The contenders are “monster” Jackson Chourio (22), who evoked the memory of Hall of Fame legend Ty Cobb from 118 years ago, and Aaron Ashby (28), a former starting pitcher prospect who, after injury and time in the minor leagues, has become the relief pitcher Milwaukee trusts most.

Milwaukee will face the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 4 of the 2026 Major League Baseball (MLB) World Series at 9:00 a.m. (KST) on the 28th at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, USA. The Brewers lead the series 3-0. A victory today would secure their first World Series title in franchise history.

In the MVP race, Chourio has surged to the forefront following Game 3. In the previous day’s (the 27th) Game 3, Chourio drove Milwaukee to a 10-1 rout with four hits in five at-bats, one run batted in (RBI), two runs scored, and one stolen base. He recorded a hit in each of his first three at-bats and delivered an extra-base double in the fifth inning that capped off Milwaukee’s eight-run rally.

His World Series statistics through three games are a .571 batting average (eight hits in 14 at-bats), two RBIs, four runs scored, and three stolen bases. At 22 years and 229 days old, Chourio became the youngest player to hit for the cycle—wait, no, the youngest player to record four hits in a single World Series game since Joe Garagiola of the St. Louis Cardinals did so at age 20 years and 240 days during the 1946 World Series, a feat not matched by anyone younger in 80 years.

He also added stolen bases to his performance. According to MLB.com, the only player younger than Chourio to record both four hits and a stolen base in a single World Series game was the legendary Ty Cobb, who was 21 years and 299 days old in 1908.

Those familiar with Chourio’s regular season performance will not be surprised. This year, he posted a .291 batting average (152 hits in 522 at-bats), 25 home runs, 75 RBIs, and 23 stolen bases, with an On-base Plus Slugging (OPS) of .838. Despite missing the first two months of the season due to a left hand fracture, he became the first player in MLB history to achieve 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in three consecutive seasons before turning 23.

On the mound, Ashby’s presence is formidable. In eight postseason games this year, Ashby pitched 15⅔ innings, striking out 17 batters while allowing not a single run. He has posted a 1-3 record with three saves and an earned run average (ERA) of 0.00, along with a walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP) of 0.51. His current consecutive scoreless innings streak in the postseason is just one-third of an inning short of Andrew Miller’s 16-inning record set in 2016.

Ashby has also appeared at the most critical moments in the World Series. In Game 1, he took over after starting pitcher Jacob Misiorowski and recorded five outs. The next day in Game 2, he entered the mound with one out in the eighth inning, pitching 1⅔ scoreless innings to preserve a one-run 5-4 victory and record a save. Closer Trevor Megill was ready, but Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy chose Ashby.

Looking back at the path Ashby has walked makes his current role all the more significant. Drafted by Milwaukee in the fourth round of the 2018 amateur draft, Ashby was once expected to be a starting pitcher prospect following in the footsteps of Corbin Burnes, Freddy Peralta, and Brandon Woodruff. However, left shoulder surgery cost him the entire 2023 season, and he spent much of 2024 in Triple-A while working to regain his velocity.

After returning to the major leagues, his role changed. He returned to the bullpen in August 2024 and has since become a full-time relief pitcher. This regular season, he started only one game out of 75 appearances. Instead, he pitched 89⅓ innings, recording a 13-3 record with four saves, an ERA of 3.12, and 116 strikeouts. The once-promising starting prospect has transformed into a “multi-inning fireman” who is neither a closer nor a starter. Ashby also told MLB.com in an interview, “I hadn’t been able to contribute to this team for a long time. That’s why I realized how precious it is to be here and how valuable it is to contribute to the team effectively.”

The blowout victory in Game 3 was also good news for Ashby. With Milwaukee pulling away early with a 10-0 lead, the team did not use its bullpen, including Ashby. If the moment to clinch the championship arrives in Game 4, there is ample possibility that the ball will be handed back to Ashby. Additionally, catcher William Contreras (29) has been performing brilliantly on both offense and defense in the World Series and is considered a strong MVP candidate. U.S. network FOX Sports evaluated Contreras and Chourio as the top candidates after Game 3 concluded.

However, the narratives of Chourio, who at age 22 evoked Ty Cobb from 118 years ago, and Ashby, who transformed from a starting pitcher prospect into an elite bullpen arm with 15⅔ scoreless postseason innings after overcoming shoulder surgery, are no small matter. If Milwaukee ends its 44-year wait in Game 4, the franchise’s first World Series championship will be accompanied by the birth of its first-ever World Series MVP. All eyes are on Tropicana Field to see who will lift the MVP trophy in this final game.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original