Brewers and Rays Open 2026 World Series With First Title at Stake

The Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays will begin the 2026 World Series on Friday, October 23, at American Family Field in Milwaukee, with both franchises pursuing their first Major League Baseball championship. The best-of-seven series brings together the teams with the best regular-season records in their respective leagues and features two clubs that have built competitive rosters without ranking among baseball's biggest spenders.

According to MLB.com, Milwaukee established a franchise record with 103 regular-season victories, the most in the majors, while Tampa Bay led the American League with 97 wins. Sportsnet reported that both teams also recorded 55 home victories, tying for the highest total in MLB.

The Brewers secured their first National League pennant since 1982 by sweeping the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Championship Series. Milwaukee had previously eliminated the San Diego Padres in the NL Division Series. The Rays swept the New York Yankees in the AL Division Series before defeating the Cleveland Guardians in six games to claim the American League pennant.

Game 1 is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on October 23, with the opening two games in Milwaukee. The series moves to Tampa Bay for Games 3 through 5, scheduled for October 26-28. If necessary, Games 6 and 7 are scheduled for October 30 and 31, with the final two games in Milwaukee.

The matchup will produce a first-time World Series champion. Milwaukee's only previous appearance came in 1982, when the Brewers lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games while competing in the American League. Tampa Bay has reached the championship series twice, losing to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008 and the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020.

According to Sportsnet, this will be only the second World Series featuring two teams whose home stadiums have roofs, following the 2023 matchup between the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks. Tampa Bay plays at Tropicana Field, which has a fixed roof, while Milwaukee's American Family Field has a retractable roof.

The Rays' return to Tropicana Field this season followed damage caused by Hurricane Milton in 2024. The stadium's roof also featured in the postseason when a fly ball hit a catwalk during Tampa Bay's division series against the Yankees, resulting in an out for New York rookie Spencer Jones.

Milwaukee's retractable roof also became part of the postseason action. During the Brewers' 3-2 victory over San Diego in Game 1 of the NL Division Series, Ty France hit a high drive that struck a roof cable before it could potentially clear the left-field wall.

The clubs share several connections through players and front-office personnel. Rays starter Drew Rasmussen was selected by Tampa Bay in the 2017 draft but later joined Milwaukee, which drafted him in the sixth round in 2018. After making his major league debut with the Brewers in 2020, Rasmussen was traded to Tampa Bay in a deal involving shortstop Willy Adames.

Freddy Peralta also connects the franchises. He spent eight seasons with Milwaukee from 2018 through 2025, compiling a 70-42 record, a 3.59 ERA and 1,153 strikeouts before moving to the New York Mets and subsequently joining Tampa Bay at this year's trade deadline. Peralta was named ALCS MVP, according to MLB.com.

Jake Bauers, Milwaukee's 2026 NLCS MVP, began his major league career with Tampa Bay in 2018 before moving among several organizations and eventually establishing himself with the Brewers. Milwaukee's president of baseball operations, Matt Arnold, also previously spent nine seasons in Tampa Bay's front office before joining the Brewers in 2015.

Other notable players associated with both organizations include Adames and Matt Garza. Greg Vaughn, who played 15 major league seasons from 1989 to 2003, accumulated 30.8 career wins above replacement, hit 355 home runs and earned four All-Star selections, including appearances associated with both franchises, according to Sportsnet and MLB.com.

Milwaukee's lineup features 22-year-old Jackson Chourio, while Tampa Bay relies on fellow 22-year-old Junior Caminero. The Brewers also enter the series with Jacob Misiorowski, whose fastball exceeds 100 mph, and a bullpen that helped the team complete its postseason sweep of Los Angeles.

Sportsnet reported that the matchup marks the first World Series since the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Kansas City Royals in 1980 to feature two teams that had never won the championship. It is also the first time in 35 years that both pennant winners entered the series among the bottom half of MLB teams in player payroll, with Milwaukee ranked 19th and Tampa Bay 25th as of August 31.

Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy, who won the last two NL Manager of the Year awards, will lead the Brewers into the opening game at American Family Field before the series shifts to Tampa Bay on October 26.