Can Rays rebound from 0-2 World Series deficit? Here's some inspiration

The New York Mets celebrate on the field after defeating the Boston Red Sox in Game 7 of the 1986 World Series at Shea Stadium on Oct. 27, 1986.

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.