Brewers pitcher Dustin May says this World Series means more than 2020 title
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The gist
Brewers pitcher Dustin May says this World Series against the Rays means more to him than the one he won with the Dodgers.
May, who nearly lost his career to injuries, gets a second chance on the sport's biggest stage.
Background
Dustin May is a Milwaukee Brewers pitcher (No. 21) who previously pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals. He won a 2020 World Series with the Dodgers, but injuries and a life-threatening esophageal tear in 2024 disrupted his career. The Cardinals signed him to a one-year, $12.5 million deal last December, and the Brewers acquired him before this season's trade deadline along with reliever JoJo Romero. He is now in the World Series with Milwaukee against the Tampa Bay Rays, his first postseason appearance since 2020.
How it unfolded
- 2020May won a World Series while pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
- 2024May suffered a life-threatening esophageal tear when he choked on a piece of lettuce.
- 2025May was traded from the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Boston Red Sox.
- Last DecemberThe Cardinals signed May to a one-year, $12.5 million deal with a mutual option worth $20 million for 2027.
- 2026 , before trade deadlineThe Brewers acquired May and reliever JoJo Romero from the Cardinals for Alexander Frías and Josiah Ragsdale.
- Oct 12, 2026May threw an inning of scoreless relief in Game Two of the NLCS against the Dodgers at American Family Field.
- Oct 15, 2026May pitched the second inning against the Dodgers in Game Four of the NLCS at Dodger Stadium.
- Oct 22, 2026May gave an interview on Foul Territory reflecting on his journey to the World Series.
- Oct 23, 2026May ran onto the field during player introductions before Game One of the World Series against the Tampa Bay Rays.
- Oct 24, 2026Reports published saying May considers this World Series to mean more than the one he won with the Dodgers.
Who’s saying what
- Player
- May says he is "very blessed to be here" and that two years ago he wasn't sure he would ever play again.
- Analysts
- MLB.com's Will Leitch writes that May improved his value with the Cardinals but struggled after moving to Milwaukee, and is not the No. 3 postseason starter the Brewers hoped for.