Four Venezuelans are wearing Milwaukee Brewers uniforms in the 2026 World Series — which opens today, October 23, against the Tampa Bay Rays. Jackson Chourio, William Contreras, Antonio Senzatela, and Luis Lara all have a shot at giving Venezuela something it hasn’t had in eleven years: a Fall Classic MVP.
The Last Venezuelan to Win It Was Salvador Pérez — in 2015
The last Venezuelan to be named World Series MVP was Salvador Pérez, catcher for the Kansas City Royals, in October 2015. He hit .364 in five games against the New York Mets — 8-for-22 with two doubles and two RBI — as Kansas City claimed its first title in 30 years. Before that, Pablo Sandoval won the same award in 2012 with the San Francisco Giants. Two Venezuelan MVPs in three years — and then silence. Eleven seasons with no Venezuelan hoisting that trophy. Milwaukee now has four chances to break the streak.
The Double No Latino Has Ever Pulled Off
Here’s where things get genuinely historic. In March 2026, Venezuela won the World Baseball Classic for the first time ever, beating the United States 3-2 at loanDepot Park in Miami. Maikel García was named tournament MVP. Three players on that championship roster — Chourio, Contreras, and Senzatela — are the same three now taking the field for Milwaukee in the Fall Classic.
If the Brewers win, that trio would become the first Latin American players in baseball history to win both the WBC and the World Series in the same calendar year. Only two players have ever done it — both Japanese. And before anyone brings up Shohei Ohtani: he won the WBC in 2023 and the World Series in 2024 with the Dodgers — different years. What Chourio, Contreras, and Senzatela are chasing is doing it in the same year. No Latino has ever done that. Not once.
Luis Lara, the fourth Venezuelan on the roster, wasn’t part of the WBC team — he’s a rookie who earned his spot this season — but he has his own story to write. A Brewers championship means he lifts the trophy too.
What These Four Bring to the Field
- Jackson Chourio finished the 2026 regular season with 25 home runs, 75 RBI, and 23 stolen bases in 28 attempts — the power-speed combination that made him one of Milwaukee’s faces.
- William Contreras is the starting catcher, a key piece both defensively and in managing the pitching staff.
- Antonio Senzatela adds depth to a rotation that swept the Dodgers in four games in the NLCS.
- Luis Lara, the rookie, brings energy from the outfield.
The Series Landscape
Milwaukee enters as the betting favorite: BetMGM had them at -165 as of October 20, with Tampa Bay at +145. The Brewers open at home at American Family Field, a venue they earned the right to host thanks to a 103-69 regular-season record — the best in the National League. Tampa Bay is playing in its third World Series without a title (2008, 2020). Milwaukee is making its second appearance; the first was in 1982, a series they lost. Whoever wins this October will be a first-time champion.
Salvador Pérez’s 2026 Numbers, for Context
Statcast has Pérez’s full 2026 season on record:
- 627 plate appearances
- 21 home runs, 78 RBI
- AVG: .229 | OPS: .657
- xwOBA: .316
- Exit velocity: 89.2 mph avg | Barrel rate: 10.7% | Hard-hit: 42.7%
- Bat speed: 71.6 mph avg
- Chase rate and sprint speed: both at the 1st percentile in MLB
