Mariano Rivera has handed Milwaukee Brewers reliever Aaron Ashby the kind of praise bullpen arms rarely hear, saying Ashby reminds him of himself. The comment came Monday, before Game 3 of the World Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Brewers, during Rivera’s appearance on national pre-game coverage.

Few people are better qualified to make that comparison. Rivera is a 13-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion, and he is widely regarded as one of the finest relievers in MLB history. When he went looking for the most outstanding reliever of this postseason, he pointed to Ashby.

His description was blunt and full of admiration.

’That man reminds me of myself. That man is nasty. When that man’s on the mound, I say, ‘Man, this game’s over.’ That’s (how) nasty that man is. So good. As a pitcher, and as a guy from the bullpen, seeing a guy like that, you appreciate baseball.’

For a reliever, that is about as high as praise goes. The words came from a player whose own résumé sets the standard for the role, and they landed at the exact moment Ashby’s name is being discussed across the sport.

The streak behind the praise

Ashby has been a central figure in Milwaukee’s run to the World Series. He has now pitched 18 scoreless innings in the postseason, which sets an MLB record for the longest scoreless streak in a single postseason by a reliever. That is not a small detail. It is the kind of number that separates a useful bullpen arm from one a manager trusts in every critical spot.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy has leaned on him often. With big games arriving in quick succession, Murphy has called on Ashby repeatedly this postseason, and Ashby has answered every time.

How Ashby keeps up with the workload

The demands of pitching day after day in October are relentless. Ashby recently spoke to reporter Anthony DiComo about how he handles that load while staying as sharp as ever. His answer was simple.

’I feel like we’ve built a solid foundation over the course of this season to have that volume to go out every night and do that. I don’t necessarily feel tired or fatigued in the postseason. When the crowd’s in it how they are, it’s pretty easy to feel loose.’

That explanation points to the work Milwaukee did long before the playoffs. Ashby credits the season-long foundation for his ability to take the ball night after night. He also credits the atmosphere. In a postseason setting, he says, the noise of the crowd helps him stay relaxed rather than tight.

Where the Brewers stand

Milwaukee’s path to this point has been impressive on its own. The Brewers swept the reigning champion LA Dodgers in the NLCS, and that series sent them to the World Series. Now they are one win away from winning the first championship in franchise history.

Game 3 against the Rays is the latest step in that run. The Brewers have built their October around a bullpen that has been asked to do a great deal, and Ashby has been the arm that stands out most in the eyes of one of the game’s greatest closers.

Why Rivera’s comment matters to fans

Fans tend to remember comparisons like this one. When a player of Rivera’s stature says another pitcher reminds him of himself, it changes how people look at that reliever. It is not just a compliment from a former teammate of the game’s history. It is a direct statement from a man who spent his career defining what a late-inning reliever could be.

Rivera did not hedge. He called Ashby nasty, said the game feels over when Ashby is on the mound, and framed the performance as something that makes him appreciate baseball more. For a pitcher still writing his postseason story, that is a rare kind of endorsement.

The Brewers now have a chance to finish the job that Ashby and the rest of the pitching staff have carried them toward. The record, the praise, and the workload all point to the same place. The question for Milwaukee is whether the bullpen can keep delivering with a championship one win away.