The Changeup Conundrum: Can the Brewers Tame the Rays’ Signature Pitch to Win the World Series?

The Milwaukee Brewers are rolling into the World Series as the favorites, with home-field advantage and a recent sweep of the defending champs under their belt. But the Tampa Bay Rays are no slouches – they’ve earned their spot and could make things tough. What might tip the scales? It could all come down to one pitch: the changeup. ESPN’s Jeff Passan pointed out that the Rays love throwing changeups, and they’re not always in the strike zone. In fact, only about 41% of their changeups were strikes. The good news for the Brewers is that they’re pretty good at not chasing those outside pitches. If guys like Jackson Chourio and William Contreras stay patient and lay off the balls, they could take away one of the Rays’ biggest strengths. Teams like the Yankees and Guardians struggled with this, so it’s not a given. But if Milwaukee handles it right, that one pitch could decide the series.