Garion Thorne gives you a preview, prediction and pick for today\u2019s game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Milwaukee Brewers.<\/p>\n
Doubt the Brewers at your own peril.<\/p>\n
It hasn\u2019t been the most difficult schedule to start the season, but Milwaukee is once again at the top of the National League standings, sitting 4-1 through five games \u2014 five games they had to play without franchise cornerstone Jackson Chourio (hand). This is simply a team that knows how to win on a budget. Ironically, this afternoon, it\u2019ll play a rubber match with Tampa Bay. Another organization that consistently finds victory despite very little financial support.<\/p>\n
First pitch is 1:40 p.m. ET. The Brewers are -143 favorites on the DraftKings Sportsbook.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s preview this matchup and make a couple picks.<\/p>\n
Rays vs. Brewers prediction, preview<\/p>\n
It would\u2019ve been hard for Jacob Misiorowski to make a better statement than he did on Opening Day. After surrendering a leadoff home run to Chase Meidroth, the flame-throwing RHP only allowed one more hit across his five innings of work, striking out 11 White Sox in the process. Misiorowski threw 94 pitches and induced 25 whiffs. He threw three fastballs over 100 mph, including one offering that sat at 101.1 mph. In short, he was the version of himself that completely justified his invite to the All-Star Game in 2025. He was electric.<\/p>\n
However, it remains a little difficult to completely trust Misiorowski. That\u2019s the burden of someone who registered an 11.4% walk rate last season, and to that point, the right-hander did issue three free passes last Thursday to Chicago. This will be an interesting matchup against a Rays squad that has not swung and missed all that much to begin 2026. In fact, Tampa\u2019s swinging strike rate is 8.9% after five contests \u2014 the lowest mark in the American League and trailing only Misiorowski\u2019s own Brewers (7.5%) in all of baseball. Yandy Diaz and Jonathan Aranda are both specifically off to amazing starts, each possessing a wRC+ over 200 and an expected wOBA above .450. It\u2019s just 25 plate appearances apiece, but that\u2019s nothing to sneeze at.<\/p>\n
Opposing Misiorowski on the bump will be Drew Rasmussen. The veteran threw five one-run innings of his own last Thursday, though he went about it in a very different way. Rasmussen struck out only two opposing hitters, yet he also did not walk a soul. It was the continuation of what was an incredible 2025 campaign for the RHP \u2014 though one that was not heavily publicized. Rasmussen posted a 2.76 ERA and a 3.48 xERA over exactly 150.0 innings. The 30-year-old has had his durability issues in the past, but he\u2019s been super effective when available for a half-decade at this point. Heck, from 2021 to 2025, among pitchers with at least 400 innings, the only starter with an ERA lower than Rasmussen\u2019s 2.79 mark is Brandon Woodruff (2.77). Just another way these eerily similar franchises intersect.<\/p>\n
Rays vs. Brewers pick, best bet<\/p>\n