Rochester Red Wings and the 2026 World Series: Past and Present Connections

The 2026 World Series, at first glance, doesn't seem to be particularly connected to the Rochester Red Wings. The club has never been affiliated with either the Milwaukee Brewers or the Tampa Bay Rays, and neither team has a Rochester-born player, as the Toronto Blue Jays did in 2025 with Brighton's Ernie Clement.

But looks can be deceiving. Rochester has still left a mark on both teams in this year's Fall Classic, both in their current forms and in the past. Here's a brief look at some of the connections between the Flower City and this year's American League and National League champions.

The Tampa Bay Rays

Tampa Bay's most prominent current player with Red Wings ties is probably pitcher Griffin Jax, who pitched in three games for Rochester in late 2019 while in the Twins organization. He likely would have pitched more for the Wings if the COVID-19 pandemic hadn't canceled the 2020 season. Earlier this year, Jax played for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic alongside Clement and former Red Wing Byron Buxton.

While Jax is the only Rays player who is a Rochester alum, he's not the only connection between ESL Ballpark and Tropicana Field. Second baseman Richie Palacios' brother, Josh, hit .298 in 76 games for Rochester in 2022. Their uncle, Rey Palacios, played one game for the Red Wings in 1993 before retiring from baseball and becoming a longtime firefighter with the Rochester Fire Department.

Corey Dickerson, the Rays' first-base coach, also had a brief three-game stint as an outfielder with Rochester in 2023.

Despite the Rays' relatively short history, they have quite a history of former Red Wings players. In their early years, the Rays saw action from former Red Wings such as Gregg Zaun, Tim Laker, Aaron Ledesma, Esteban Yan, and 2026 Red Wings Hall of Famer Danny Clyburn, for example.

As the Orioles era turned to the Twins era, more former Red Wings found their way to Tampa Bay. Pitcher Matt Garza and shortstop Jason Bartlett both went to St. Petersburg in a trade during the 2007-2008 offseason, and Bartlett especially impressed, being named an All-Star for Tampa in a 2009 year that saw him hit .320/.389/.490 with an .879 OPS, a career-high 14 HR and 66 RBI. Beloved Twins-era outfielder Denard Span, meanwhile, played 43 games with Tampa in 2018 as his career neared its end.

Other notable players for the Rays over the years who had earlier played for the Red Wings include Australian closer Grant Balfour (a Red Wing in 2003 and a Ray for parts of six years), infielder Trevor Plouffe (a Red Wing for parts of seven seasons, a Ray in 2017), and catcher Wilson Ramos (2010 Red Wings, 2017 Rays).

In other words, Jax is just the latest in a long line of Red Wings alums for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Before the postseason spotlight, there was Rochester. Make Red Wings baseball part of your 2027 plans and learn about season seats at ESL Ballpark.

Milwaukee Brewers

At first glance, Milwaukee has less of a connection to the Red Wings. And as far as players go, that's correct: none of the expected World Series roster has come through Rochester as a Red Wing. However, their bullpen coach, Charlie Greene, played 77 games for the Red Wings as a catcher in 1998. In addition, it should be noted that Brewers manager Pat Murphy was the Head Coach of the Fightin' Irish during the time that Red Wings General Manager Dan Mason was graduating from his beloved Notre Dame – a serious case of it being a small world.

Looking to the past, though, there are a few more connections between Milwaukee and Rochester.

Outfielder Dave May, who played parts of three seasons in the late 60s for Rochester while hitting .295 with 26 home runs, is likely the biggest link between Rochester and Milwaukee. The Delawarean later went on to play six seasons in Milwaukee, earning an All-Star selection in 1973 and a place on the franchise's Wall of Honor. May's son, Derrick, was born in Rochester during his dad's time here and later spent part of a season with the Brewers himself.

Another notable historical connection is through Jerry Narron, who played for the Red Wings in 1988 and managed the team in 1992. Narron later was bench coach for the Brewers for four years in the early 2010s, including during a playoff run in 2011. The Narron family has deep connections to Rochester, with Jerry's nephew Sam serving as an assistant pitching coach for the club in 2026 and Jerry’s uncle – also named Sam – playing for the Red Wings as a catcher in the 30s and 40s.

Another coaching connection between Rochester and Milwaukee is through Phil Roof – although best known in his playing days for his time with the Athletics and Twins, the Red Wings manager from 2003 through 2005 also played two seasons with the Brewers and had cups of coffee with the Braves during their time in Milwaukee. Roof wasn't the only former Brewer who could be seen in the Rochester clubhouse during the Twins era – Baseball Hall of Famer Paul Molitor visited Rochester on occasion during his time as a roving instructor for the Minnesota Twins. Molitor, of course, is regarded as one of the greatest players in Brewers history.

Red Wing Hall of Famer Mike Boddicker finished his professional career in Milwaukee in 1993. Catcher Andy Etchebarren, who played for the Red Wings in 1965 and later managed the team in 2001 and 2002, similarly saw his professional playing career end in Milwaukee in 1978.

Other former Red Wings who later played for the Brewers include Ben McDonald, Jimmy Haynes, Jerry Hairston Jr., Jeffrey Hammonds, Anthony Swarzak, and Garza. Rocky Coppinger, a Red Wings pitcher who went 17-11 over four years with the club in the 1990s, was traded to Milwaukee and pitched for parts of two seasons for them before injuries sidelined a promising career.

Finally, before the Brewers were Milwaukee's MLB team, the Milwaukee Braves played in the Cream City, and it was with them that Johnny Antonelli – the great left-hander out of Jefferson High School in Rochester – finished his career.

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