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2 former Dodgers who are chasing a ring in Brewers-Rays World Series (and 2 who missed out)

Two former Dodgers who are playing in this year's World Series and two ex-Dodgers who will miss out.
ByPat Ragazzo
Oct 15, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA;  Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Dustin May (21) throws during the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game four of the NLCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium.  Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Oct 15, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Dustin May (21) throws during the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game four of the NLCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Los Angeles Dodgers won't be in the World Series for a third straight year, missing out on their chance to become the first team to three-peat since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees. The Dodgers were swept by the NL pennant-winning Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS.

While the Dodgers aren't in the World Series, some of their former players are with the Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays and will be competing for a title in the Fall Classic. So, we're going to take a look at two former Dodgers playing in the World Series and two who are with the Rays, but will miss out.

2 former Dodgers chasing a ring in the 2026 World Series

The headliner of this former Dodgers group is right-handed pitcher Dustin May. The Dodgers drafted May in the third-round of the 2016 MLB draft and he made his big league debut in 2019. May helped the Dodgers win the World Series in 2020, but did not appear with them in 2024 due to his recovery from Tommy John surgery and an esophageal tear.

Injuries derailed May's tenure with the Dodgers, and Los Angeles traded him to the Boston Red Sox at the 2025 trade deadline for James Tibbs III and Zach Ehrhard. May signed with the St. Louis Cardinals in the offseason and was later dealt to the Brewers at the deadline along with reliever JoJo Romero. He will now get a chance to win the second ring of his career as a healthy player.

Next, we have Rays center fielder Jonny DeLuca. The former Dodgers' prospect made his MLB debut with Los Angeles in 2023. DeLuca slashed .262/.311/.429 with a .740 OPS, two home runs, six RBI and a 0.3 bWAR in 24 games with the Dodgers that season. He was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays with Ryan Pepiot the following offseason in the deal that brought starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow to the Dodgers.

Despite missing time during the 2026 season with a hamstring strain, DeLuca emerged as the Rays' starting center fielder, breaking out with a .266/.300/.429 slash line, .729 OPS, 11 homers, 50 RBI and a 1.7 bWAR in 112 games. DeLuca is chasing the first ring of his young career.

2 former Dodgers who'll be missing out on all the action

Now, we will get to the former Dodgers players, who will miss out on playing in the World Series. Ex-Dodgers prospect Gavin Lux is with the Rays, but he missed the entire season due to a shoulder injury. The Dodgers picked Lux at No. 20 overall in the 2016 MLB Draft, and he made his debut for them in 2019. Unfortunately, Lux never lived up to the hype in Los Angeles.

The Dodgers traded him to the Cincinnati Reds ahead of the 2025 season in exchange for outfield prospect Mike Sirota and a competitive balance pick in the draft. After playing 140 games for the Reds last season, Cincinnati dealt Lux to the Rays in a three-team trade with the Los Angeles Angels this past offseason.

The other former Dodger who won't play in the Fall Classic is pitcher Ryan Pepiot. As previously mentioned, the Dodgers traded Pepiot and DeLuca to the Rays for Glasnow ahead of the 2024 season. Pepiot has been solid as a starter for the Rays, posting a 3.75 ERA and 4.3 bWAR in 57 starts with Tampa Bay. However, he did not appear in the 2026 season as a result of hip surgery, which knocked him out for the entire campaign.

The Dodgers selected Pepiot in the third-round of the 2019 MLB Draft and he made his big league debut with them in 2022. He made just 17 appearances (10 starts) for the Dodgers from 2022-2023, producing a 2.76 ERA and 1.6 bWAR.

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