Major League Baseball is guaranteed to crown a first-time champion this year as the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays prepare to battle in the 2026 World Series, starting Friday night at American Family Field.
The matchup represents the first time since 1980 that both pennant winners enter the Fall Classic seeking their maiden title, according to ABC News. In that historic 1980 meeting, the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Kansas City Royals. Before that, such a duel had not happened since 1910.
Contrasting paths to the pennant
The Brewers earned a lengthy break after completing a four-game sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers on Oct. 15 to capture the National League pennant. Milwaukee first baseman Jake Bauers took home NLCS Most Valuable Player honors. The Brewers enter the series seeking the franchise’s first crown since joining the league as the Seattle Pilots in 1969 before moving to Wisconsin in 1970.
Tampa Bay punched its ticket on Monday night, defeating the Cleveland Guardians 7-3 in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series. Yandy Díaz and Junior Caminero each hit two-run homers to back pitcher Freddy Peralta, who earned ALCS MVP honors, NPR reported. The Rays entered MLB as an expansion team in 1998 and previously lost the World Series in 2008 and 2020.
“We got one more bite!” Rays manager Kevin Cash told his squad during their clubhouse celebration, according to NPR.
Peralta, who was acquired by Tampa Bay from the New York Mets in early August, previously pitched for Milwaukee. Rays reliever Drew Rasmussen also previously played for the Brewers, ABC News noted.
Low payrolls, top records and indoor baseball
Despite their mid-market status, both teams paced their respective leagues during the regular season. ABC News reported that this marks only the sixth time since baseball introduced the wild-card format in 1995 that the clubs with the best regular-season records in each league clash for the title.
The matchup also showcases frugal roster building. As of Aug. 31, the Brewers ranked 19th in player payroll and the Rays ranked 25th, according to ABC News. It is the first World Series since 1991 where both pennant winners ranked in the lower half of major league payroll spending.
The series will also likely become baseball’s first all-indoor Fall Classic. Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg features a fixed domed roof, while American Family Field possesses a retractable roof that will probably remain closed with local game-time temperatures forecast in the upper 40s or low 50s, according to ABC News.
Schedule and what comes next
Because Milwaukee holds home-field advantage, Game 1 and Game 2 will take place in Milwaukee on Friday, Oct. 23, and Saturday, Oct. 24, with both starting at 8 p.m. Eastern time. The series then shifts to Tropicana Field for Game 3 on Monday, Oct. 26, and Game 4 on Tuesday, Oct. 27.
If necessary, Game 5 will be held in St. Petersburg on Wednesday, Oct. 28. If the series extends to six or seven games, action returns to Milwaukee on Oct. 30 and Oct. 31. Fans face steep ticket prices on secondary ticket markets, with standing-room entry in Milwaukee starting above $2,000, USA TODAY and the New York Post reported.
