Jonny DeLuca’s missed diving catch in the first inning set the tone for Tampa Bay’s defensive collapse. Although not ruled an error, the Rays helped the Brewers with some lapses on the field, and Milwaukee took the opportunity with both hands.
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“It’s early, but is anyone seeing how the Rays are playing like Yankees defense,” wrote a fan after the Rays defense let some balls through to give the Brewers a 2-0 lead.
The Tampa Bay Rays gave fans an unexpected defensive scare after 2 first-inning lapses helped Milwaukee take early control of the World Series opener. For contrast, the Rays made zero errors in their 6-game ALDS victory.
DeLuca charged forward on Yelich’s drive to right-center, but the ball slipped past him, allowing Yelich to reach third. Contreras’ single was deflected off shortstop Taylor Walls, scoring Yelich.
Although the official scorer credited Yelich with a triple and Contreras with a single instead of an error, fans questioned whether DeLuca should have made the play. One reaction captured their disbelief:
“First run by Brewers! Error? By Rays”
The lapses stung because the Rays had been flawless through the ALDS.
Milwaukee took advantage of the early opportunities, putting pressure on the Rays before they could settle into the game. The failed catch became even more noticeable because DeLuca was not simply watching the ball drop, but attempting a difficult play.
Fans still judged the moment by the possibility of making the catch rather than the official scoring decision.
Another fan expressed frustration, writing, “Rays starting with two unethical hits against the miz.”
The surprise becomes clearer when looking at the Rays’ regular-season defensive numbers, which ranked among baseball’s strongest.
Tampa Bay’s outfield recorded +37 Outs Above Average, the highest total by any outfield in the Statcast tracking era. The team also allowed a .256 batting average on non-home-run balls hit at least 220 feet. That figure was the lowest recorded across more than 300 full team-seasons tracked by Statcast.
DeLuca himself contributed significantly, finishing with +13 Outs Above Average after returning from an injury-shortened 2025 season.
Those numbers explain why fans expected Tampa Bay to turn difficult chances into outs instead of allowing balls to escape.
By May this season, Chandler Simpson became one of baseball’s best defensive outfielders. We saw an instance of that in a game against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Toronto’s Brandon Valenzuela sliced a line drive down the line, and Simpson reached it for the catch. Statcast gave the play just a 35% catch probability, meaning similar attempts are missed roughly 7 times out of 10. Simpson’s jump was 10 feet better than average. But it was not just Simpson.
Tampa Bay outfielder Jake Fraley improved his outfield jumps from average to +3.2 feet better than average. Even then, neither one of them is the best in the Rays outfield. The best one may come as a surprise.
Jonny DeLuca, who had merely been average last year, was second behind Pete Crow-Armstrong on the Major League leaderboard early this season, getting jumps five feet better than average.
But in Game 1, the Yankees comparison followed because Tampa Bay had recently benefited from New York’s own defensive collapse.
In Game 2 of their ALDS, the Yankees committed 3 errors during the first inning against the Rays. Ryan McMahon misplayed Yandy Díaz’s grounder before Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s wild throw allowed Díaz to score. Austin Wells then committed catcher interference, extending the inning and giving Tampa Bay another baserunner. New York eventually committed 4 errors in the 5–2 defeat, leaving fans questioning how quickly defensive mistakes had changed the game.
One fan highlighted the contrast: “Rays couldn’t make one error against the Guardians and do in the first inning of the World Series”
That comparison became more striking because Tampa Bay had looked dependable while progressing through the postseason.
The Rays eliminated Cleveland in 6 games, winning 4 contests while their defense made no errors. One of the best examples of how good the Rays’ defense has been was the catch by Victor Mesa Jr.
During a July game against the Red Sox, outfielder Victor Mesa Jr. made a highlight-reel catch that took away a hit from Ceddanne Rafaela. According to MLB.com, Mesa’s biggest advantage was his exceptional first step. His jump was 9 feet better than average, allowing him to make that play.
A fan summed up the sudden change: “Rays didn’t mess one play up last series, and now they mess up 2 in a row.”
The reaction reflected the difference between Tampa Bay’s established defensive standards and the early problems against Milwaukee. For the Rays, the focus shifted to whether they can clean up those mistakes before Milwaukee builds further momentum. But they could not.
Although the Rays managed to score off Jacob Misiorowski in the 4th inning, the Brewers’ bullpen completely shut them down.
And just to rub salt in the wounds for Tampa, the Brewers then scored a 3rd in the 7th inning after Jackson poked one just past Jonathan Aranda to bring in Cooper Pratt.
At the end of the day, that was the difference between a win and a loss. The Rays lost 3-2, and the Brewers took Game 1 of the World Series.