Somewhere in the long memory of a city that has never held the trophy, a poll of two thousand fans suggests that the country's affection has tilted toward Milwaukee as the 2026 World Series opens. The Brewers, a franchise born as the Seattle Pilots and reborn in Wisconsin, have waited since their lone Fall Classic appearance in 1982, and the crowd seems to be leaning toward a patience it is ready to reward. Facing them are the Tampa Bay Rays, a team that has drawn comparatively little public hope and must now decide whether being unexpected is a kind of freedom. Sentiment, however, is only a s
Fans Overwhelmingly Back Brewers in 2026 World Series, Survey Finds
Goodwill gets no outs and scores no runs.
Mark
Two-thirds of fans want the Brewers to win. Why does that matter?
Mimi
It frames the series as a story, not just a matchup. Milwaukee has never won a title and hasn't been here since 1982, so people see a long wait finally getting its chance.
Mark
And the support isn't just local.
Mimi
No. Fans of 26 of 28 teams surveyed lean Brewers, including 72% of Red Sox fans and 68% of Yankees fans. Even 57% of Cubs fans.
Luke
Worth saying what this is: one Casino Guru survey of 2,000 fans. We don't have details here on how respondents were chosen or the margin of error, so I'd treat the numbers as one snapshot.
Mark
Fair. What about the Rays?
Mimi
Only 34% want them to win, and 31% predict they will. But Florida is the exception, with 81% of respondents there backing Tampa Bay.
Luke
And the idea that the Rays will use being unpopular as motivation is the writer's suggestion. Nothing here shows the team saying that.
Mark
So does popularity matter on the field?
Mimi
The piece says plainly it doesn't. It's a seven-game series.
Luke
Right. The survey tells us what fans feel and expect. It can't tell us who is likelier to win.
Le Pouls
- Two thousand fans were asked, and two-thirds of them are quietly hoping Milwaukee finally breaks a 44-year drought.
- The Rays find themselves in the role of spoiler, with only about one in three fans rooting for them to win.
- Support for the Brewers crosses rival lines, with even 57% of Cubs fans and majorities across 26 of 28 fanbases in their corner.
- Florida stands as the lone stronghold of Tampa Bay backing, with 81% of its respondents hoping for the Rays.
- Tampa Bay may turn its underdog status into fuel, but a seven-game series will be decided on the field, not in the polls.
Somewhere in the long memory of a city that has never held the trophy, a poll of two thousand fans suggests that the country's affection has tilted toward Milwaukee as the 2026 World Series opens. The Brewers, a franchise born as the Seattle Pilots and reborn in Wisconsin, have waited since their lone Fall Classic appearance in 1982, and the crowd seems to be leaning toward a patience it is ready to reward. Facing them are the Tampa Bay Rays, a team that has drawn comparatively little public hope and must now decide whether being unexpected is a kind of freedom. Sentiment, however, is only a shadow of play, and the diamond will have the final word.
Of 2,000 baseball fans surveyed by Casino Guru, 66% want the Milwaukee Brewers to win the 2026 World Series, and 69% expect them to do it. Only about one in three picked the Tampa Bay Rays, and the Rays now find themselves as the team trying to spoil the party.
The Brewers' goodwill reaches far beyond Wisconsin. Fans of 26 of the 28 teams in the survey lean toward Milwaukee, including 72% of Red Sox fans, 74% of Astros fans, 68% of Yankees fans, and even 57% of Cubs fans, despite the rivalry. Florida is the notable exception, where 81% of respondents are rooting for Tampa Bay.
The affection has deep roots. The franchise began as the expansion Seattle Pilots in 1969, moved to Milwaukee and became the Brewers in 1970, and has been chasing its first championship ever since. Its only previous trip to the Fall Classic came in 1982, a seven-game loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, and 44 years have passed since that near miss.
The Rays have a storyline of their own. Being the less beloved team offers a simple message: nobody expects you to win. But public sentiment does not decide a seven-game series. The survey measures hope and expectation, not outcomes, and the Brewers still have to win on the field.
Of 2,000 baseball fans asked who they want to see win the 2026 World Series, 66% said the Milwaukee Brewers. Roughly one in three picked the Tampa Bay Rays. The poll, run by Casino Guru, also asked who people expect to win, and the gap was similar: 69% said Milwaukee will take the trophy, while 31% said Tampa Bay will.
The backing reaches well beyond Wisconsin. Fans of 26 of the 28 MLB teams included in the survey lean toward the Brewers. Among Red Sox fans, 72% want Milwaukee to win. Among Astros fans the figure is 74%, and among Yankees fans it is 68%. Even Cubs fans, whose team is a rival of the Brewers, tilt that way, with 57% in Milwaukee's corner.
Geography tells a similar story. The Brewers have majority support in large states including California, Illinois, New York and Texas. Florida is one of the few exceptions: 81% of respondents there are rooting for the Rays. Overall, only 34% of surveyed fans want Tampa Bay to win, which leaves the Rays as the team trying to spoil the party.
Part of the explanation is history. The franchise began as the expansion Seattle Pilots in 1969, then moved to Milwaukee and became the Brewers in 1970. It has been chasing its first World Series title since. Its only previous appearance in the Fall Classic came in 1982, when the Brewers lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. That is 44 years since Milwaukee last had a chance to win it all.
The survey also asked about the fans themselves. Nearly half of respondents said the Brewers have the better fanbase, while just 10% gave that nod to Tampa Bay. Another 42% called the two fanbases equally good.
The Rays have their own first title to chase, and the survey hands them a ready-made storyline. Being the less popular team can offer a simple message: nobody expects you to win. Public sentiment, though, does not decide a seven-game series. Goodwill gets no outs and scores no runs, and the Brewers still have to win on the field.
That is the setup as the series begins: a team with the crowd's affection and a 44-year wait, against a team with nothing to lose. The survey measures sentiment and expectation, not outcome. The games will settle the rest.
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