Four Venezuelan players and a coach played key roles as the Milwaukee Brewers claimed the 2026 World Series championship, capping a historic year that also saw their national team capture the World Baseball Classic crown, according to regional sports reporting.
Winter Preparation and the World Baseball Classic
The journey to the championship began in January 2026, when William Contreras trained with a physical therapist in Orlando while Jackson Chourio prepared after brief winter-league action with the Águilas del Zulia in Venezuela. Pitchers Ángel Zerpa and Antonio Senzatela also underwent rigorous off-season conditioning, supervised remotely by Néstor Corredor. All except outfield prospect Luis Lara received call-ups from manager Omar López to represent Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic.
Venezuela captured the global tournament title behind standout performances from its Brewers contingent. Zerpa anchored the bullpen by tossing five and one-third scoreless innings with three hits allowed and eight strikeouts. Chourio secured the starting center-field job, Contreras shared catching duties with Salvador Pérez and his brother Willson Contreras, and Senzatela pitched out of the relief corps. Corredor, serving as Omar López’s bench coach during the tournament, also monitored Zerpa’s bullpen sessions. “Fueron semanas de ardua preparación para lograr un objetivo que ilusionaba a todos en el país,” Corredor remarked regarding the weeks of intense preparation.
Roster Moves and Regular Season Impact
The transition from international play to Major League Baseball brought immediate challenges and roster adjustments for the Brewers organization. Luis Lara earned a promotion to the majors on July 7, 2026, quickly establishing himself as an elite outfield defender capable of playing all three positions. Though he appeared in only four postseason games, Lara delivered a decisive run-scoring single in the first game of the League Championship Series to secure a 1-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
For Zerpa, the momentum from the World Baseball Classic was cut short when he suffered a right elbow injury in late April 2026 that sidelined him for the remainder of the season. Meanwhile, the Brewers bolstered their pitching staff ahead of the July 31 trade deadline by acquiring Senzatela from the Colorado Rockies. Senzatela made an immediate impact in relief, tossing four and one-third scoreless innings in the postseason, including two crucial appearances in the World Series.
Néstor Corredor completed his 25th year within the Brewers organization by serving on manager Pat Murphy’s coaching staff, helping orchestrate the franchise’s championship run alongside the team’s Venezuelan core.
Chourio and Contreras Deliver Historic October Performances
Jackson Chourio justified an 81 million dollar contract signed before he had logged a major-league at-bat by batting .291 with 25 home runs, 75 RBIs, and 23 stolen bases during the 2026 regular season, marking his third 20-20 campaign. In the postseason, Chourio hit a game-tying home run in Game 1 and a walk-off single in Game 2 of the Division Series against the San Diego Padres. During the World Series, he batted .458 with 11 hits in 24 at-bats, tying a record set by Babe Ruth in 1928 by collecting 10 hits in the first four games of the Fall Classic.
Behind the plate, catcher William Contreras orchestrated a pitching staff that posted a 1.38 ERA across 65 postseason innings. Contreras batted .371 with four RBIs and two runs scored in the World Series, earning World Series Most Valuable Player honors. He joined Pablo Sandoval and Salvador Pérez as the third Venezuelan-born player to win the award. The victory delivered the Brewers their first championship in 57 seasons, matching the historical significance of his brother Willson Contreras’s role in the Chicago Cubs’ 2016 World Series title.
What Comes Next for the Champions
Tras la conclusión de la Serie Mundial el pasado miércoles 28, la organización de los Brewers y sus jugadores transicionarán hacia la próxima temporada, donde las evaluaciones de la plantilla y los programas de rehabilitación para jugadores como Ángel Zerpa cobrarán protagonismo.
