In the sixth inning of Game 1 of the 2026 World Series, five giant sausages sprinted across American Family Field in front of a packed Milwaukee crowd — and MLB’s official account said it plainly: this was the first sausage race in postseason history. That’s not hyperbole. The last time the Brewers played in a World Series was 1982. The Racing Sausages weren’t born until 1993. This goofy, beloved tradition had never had an October stage — until now.
Why It Took 33 Years
The Famous Racing Sausages debuted on June 27, 1993, at Milwaukee’s old County Stadium. Graphic designer Michael Dillon convinced the Brewers’ marketing department to bring to life what had only existed as a scoreboard animation. Three oversized sausages — Bratwurst, Polish, and Italian — hit the field unannounced in front of 45,580 fans who had no idea what was happening. The tradition stuck immediately.
The problem was simple: Milwaukee stopped going to October. The Brewers had played their only previous World Series in 1982 — a full decade before the sausages existed — and hadn’t been back since. The race became a staple of every home regular-season game, always in the sixth inning, but the postseason remained out of reach. Until October 23, 2026.
Five Sausages, Three Decades of Waiting
The race that took the field in Game 1 isn’t quite the same one from 1993. The original cast had just three runners: Bratwurst, Polish, and Italian. Hot Dog joined later, and eventually Chorizo — a fan favorite, especially among Latino supporters — rounded out the roster to five. All of them charge out from the left-field door at every home game.
Behind all of this is a Brewers team that arrived at the Fall Classic with serious credentials. Milwaukee finished the regular season 103-59, the best record in all of MLB in 2026, swept the Dodgers in the NLCS (4-0), and opened the Series as favorites at -180, per ESPN.
At the center of it is Jackson Chourio, just 22 years old, who already owns the Brewers’ all-time postseason records with 6 home runs and 18 RBI in 20 games — also the best numbers by any player under 23 in recent October history.
The sausages ran. Milwaukee showed up. And the result of that Game 1 race — like the World Series itself — is still being written.
