![\"Milwaukee](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/01m6g89xg1qer8spwghg.jpg\" "\\"Milwaukee")
<\/p>\nThis article is a part of Verducci\u2019s View, a weekly baseball newsletter from Sports Illustrated senior writer Tom Verducci. Every Monday, Tom empties out his notebook over email and covers MLB\u2019s hottest topics, provides in-depth analysis through both text and video breakdowns, looks forward to what\u2019s worth watching during the week and more.<\/p>\n
Brewers pitcher Robert Gasser, 27, became the first rookie to start three road wins for his team in one postseason\u2014and he did it in three of the six toughest venues for visitors: Petco Park in San Diego, Dodger Stadium and the Trop.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s come a long way since Oak Ridge High School in El Dorado Hills, Calif., where his coach warned him he was too unserious about baseball, three different colleges, a trade and Tommy John surgery.<\/p>\n
Once famously hard on himself, Gasser said of staying cool under high pressure, \u201cReally, just try to keep it as simple and not place a high importance on it. I know it’s hard to say that, and it’s weird to think like that, but I’ve been trying to just like stay as loose and relaxed as possible and not like, put the headphones in and get in this little world. Hanging out, watching people playing NHL , go outside and just try not worry about what could happen or anything. Like controlling the controllables, really.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s like, \u2018How can I prepare myself to go pitch?\u2019 rather than \u2018What are all the possible outcomes here?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
In college at Houston, Gasser worked with mental skills coach Brian Cain. That\u2019s when he adopted techniques to get through stressful situations.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe would always talk about your stoplights,\u201d Gasser said. \u201cLike green light, obviously, you’re going well. You are just rolling. And yellow light and red light. The red light is like, go pick a spot in the stadium, like the foul pole. That’s always going to be there. You can look at it, refocus, recenter.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd then the yellow light, it’s like 2\u20130, I’ll step off, grab some rosin and get back in the mindset. So, other than that, though, nothing. I’m not crazy breathing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHonestly, watching [Shane] Drohan was the craziest. Like, really? He, from day one, I don’t think he’s ever opened his mouth when he’s pitching. He is as cool as it can be. And honestly watching him, I try to learn off that.\u201d<\/p>\n
The World Series Bottom Line<\/p>\n
You can dissect the World Series every which way, but nothing stands out more than this truth: the Brewers\u2019 staff had much better pure stuff than the Rays\u2019 staff. Milwaukee threw the ball harder and spun the ball more and faster\u2014and it wasn\u2019t close. The Brewers pushed postseason velocity to a place we\u2019ve never seen.<\/p>\n
First, the fastball comparison, which shows a 3.1 mph difference between the two pennant winners:<\/p>\n
Team<\/p>\n
Pct.<\/p>\n
MPH<\/p>\n
BA<\/p>\n
SLG<\/p>\n
Brewers<\/p>\n
58%<\/p>\n
97.6<\/p>\n
.198<\/p>\n
.247<\/p>\n
Rays<\/p>\n
50%<\/p>\n
94.5<\/p>\n
.306<\/p>\n
.435<\/p>\n
Highest Fastball Velocity, World Series 2008-26<\/p>\n
Team<\/p>\n
Velocity (mph)<\/p>\n
1. 2026 Brewers<\/p>\n
97.6<\/p>\n
2. 2025 Dodgers<\/p>\n
96.8<\/p>\n
3. 2020 Rays<\/p>\n
95.7<\/p>\n
3. 2024 Dodgers<\/p>\n
95.7<\/p>\n
4. 2022 Phillies<\/p>\n
95.6<\/p>\n
Now, the breaking pitch comparison:<\/p>\n
Team<\/p>\n
Pct.<\/p>\n
RPM<\/p>\n
BA<\/p>\n
SLG<\/p>\n
Brewers<\/p>\n
22.1%<\/p>\n
2,603<\/p>\n
.186<\/p>\n
.256<\/p>\n
Rays<\/p>\n
13.1%<\/p>\n
2,488<\/p>\n
.300<\/p>\n
.550<\/p>\n
A high-velocity, high-spin team, the Brewers were the best team in the regular season at depressing slug. With a shortened staff and days off, they were even tougher to slug against in the postseason (.243, the lowest in the pitch tracking era with more than two games).<\/p>\n
In 12 postseason games the Brewers allowed just four home runs, none in the three games at Tropicana Field. The key to Milwaukee depressing slug is their heavy load of power sinkers. They allowed no home runs on 569 sinkers that averaged almost 97 mph.<\/p>\n
Sinker Use, 2026<\/p>\n
Pct.<\/p>\n
Velocity (mph)<\/p>\n
BA<\/p>\n
SLG<\/p>\n
MLB Average<\/p>\n
16.6%<\/p>\n
94.1<\/p>\n
.282<\/p>\n
.414<\/p>\n
Brewers Postseason<\/p>\n
31.2%<\/p>\n
96.9<\/p>\n
.208<\/p>\n
.248<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Brewers DH Christian Yelich (right) celebrates winning the World Series with first baseman Jake Bauers. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n
Batman & Robin<\/p>\n
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