BILLINGS — Brice Turang set the tone for the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series.
Turang's game-tying solo home run in the fourth inning of Game 1 against Dodgers lefty ace Tarik Skubal helped Milwaukee to a 2-1 victory and, eventually, a series sweep of the two-time reigning world champions.
While Turang prepares for baseball’s biggest stage, his journey to the Fall Classic began with the old Helena Brewers in 2018. In fact, he is among a group of players and coaches in this year's World Series that cut their teeth in the Pioneer League when it still had its professional development license with MLB.
The league has been an independent "partner league" of Major League Baseball since the Rookie level of the minors was contracted prior to the 2021 season.
VIDEO: Former Helena manager Nestor Corredor heads to World Series with Milwaukee
Turang was a first-round draft pick of Milwaukee in 2018 (21st overall) out of Santiago High School in Corona, Calif. He played 29 games and hit .268 that summer in Helena. He rose through the ranks and made his MLB debut in 2023 and is now considered among the top second basemen in baseball, after hitting 21 homers and driving in 100 runs this year, both career highs.
Teammate and relief pitcher Aaron Ashby also spent part of 2018 in the Capital City, making six appearances on the mound. In Game 3 against L.A., Ashby secured a nine-out save in a 6-4 Brewers win.
Ashby debuted with Milwaukee in 2021 and this season has turned into one of the game's most elite high-leverage relievers.
You can say the same about Brewers relief man Abner Uribe, who spent 2019 in Colorado Springs, Colo., with the Rocky Mountain Vibes of the Pioneer League.
Meanwhile, Milwaukee field coordinator Nestor Corredor served as manager in Helena for the team's final three seasons there (2016-18), and played for the club in both 2004 and 2008. Also, pitching coordinator Jim Henderson was Helena's bullpen coach in 2018.
Pitchers Brandon Woodruff and Angel Zerpa, who have been on the 60-day injured list, also spent time in Helena.
Milwaukee's opponent — Tampa Bay — also has a few Pioneer League connections.
Platoon outfielder Ryan Vilade played for the Grand Junction Rockies in 2017. He gives the Rays flexibility off the bench. Hitting coach Chad Mottola had a big-time year for the Billings Mustangs in 1992, hitting .286 with 12 homers and 37 RBIs. He later made his major league debut with the Cincinnati Reds in 1996.
In addition, Rays first base coach Corey Dickerson spent the 2010 season playing with the Casper Rockies. Pitcher Jonathan Heasley (Idaho Falls, 2018) also came through the Pioneer League but is currently on the 60-day IL.
It's been six years since the Pioneer League lost its MLB affiliation, but for now the league's legacy remains alive on baseball's biggest stage.
First pitch for Game 1 of the 2026 World Series is scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m.
