The Tampa Bay Rays face a tall order after losing the first two games of the 2026 World Series to the Milwaukee Brewers.
As they prepare for Game 3 on Monday, Oct. 26 at home, the Rays will look to do something no team this century has accomplished: come back from an 0-2 deficit to win the World Series.
The last team to pull off such a comeback was the 1996 New York Yankees, who dropped the first two games to the Atlanta Braves, but then stormed back to win the next four in a row and kick off a dominant run of four titles in five seasons.
The Rays would love to add their name to a very short list.
In the 121-year history of the World Series, only 10 teams have successfully managed to pull off an 0-2 comeback.
Which teams have come back from 0-2 to win World Series?
The Rays and Brewers have been called "throwback teams" this postseason for their reliance on some old-school principles − such as bunting, base-stealing and defensive excellence − that seem to have fallen out of favor in the power-heavy modern game.
If the Rays need some inspiration for their comeback, they can point to three teams in the decidedly old-school 1980s who did rebound from losing the first two games to win the World Series.
Down (0-2), but not out
- 1996 New York Yankees (def. Atlanta Braves 4-2)
- 1986 New York Mets (def. Boston Red Sox 4-3)
- 1985 Kansas City Royals (def. St. Louis Cardinals 4-3)
- 1981 Los Angeles Dodgers (def. New York Yankees 4-2)
- 1978 New York Yankees (def. Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2)
- 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates (def. Baltimore Orioles 4-3)
- 1965 Los Angeles Dodgers (def. Minnesota Twins 4-3)
- 1958 New York Yankees (def. Milwaukee Braves 4-3)
- 1956 New York Yankees (def. Brooklyn Dodgers 4-3)
- 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers (def. New York Yankees 4-3)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Can Rays rebound from 0-2 World Series deficit? Here's some inspiration