MILWAUKEE, WI — Major League Baseball will crown a first-time World Series champion when the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays meet in the 2026 Fall Classic, beginning Friday at 7 p.m. at American Family Field in Milwaukee.
Neither franchise has won a World Series title. The Brewers and Rays are among five current MLB franchises without a championship, joining the Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies.
How to watch Game 1:
- Matchup: Tampa Bay Rays at Milwaukee Brewers
- Date: Friday, Oct. 23
- Time: 7 p.m.
- Location: American Family Field, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- TV: FOX and FOX Deportes
- Streaming: FOX One; MLB.TV with authentication through a participating pay-TV provider
- Probable starting pitchers: Drew Rasmussen (Rays) vs. Jacob Misiorowski (Brewers)
The matchup features the teams with the best regular-season records in their respective leagues. Milwaukee finished with a franchise-record 103 victories, while Tampa Bay won 98 games
Milwaukee enters the series after sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers in four games in the National League Championship Series. Tampa Bay advanced after defeating Cleveland in the American League Championship Series, 4-2.
The Brewers are expected to start right-hander Jacob Misiorowski in Game 1, while the Rays are likely to counter with Drew Rasmussen.
Misiorowski led the majors during the regular season with a 1.80 ERA, 252 strikeouts, a 0.80 WHIP and a .157 opponents' batting average. He will enter Game 1 with 11 days of rest following Milwaukee's sweep of the Dodgers.
Rasmussen, meanwhile, has been one of baseball's most effective pitchers since the All-Star break, posting an 11-0 record with a 1.73 ERA in 15 starts. Tampa Bay has won 14 of Rasmussen's last 15 starts.
Both teams enter the World Series with strong bullpens.
Milwaukee's relievers have compiled a 7-1 record and a 1.33 ERA across 40 2/3 postseason innings.
Tampa Bay closer Bryan Baker has finished all seven of the Rays' postseason victories, throwing seven scoreless innings.
Offensively, Milwaukee has received significant production from first baseman Jake Bauers, who earned NLCS MVP honors after driving in six runs against the Dodgers.
Bauers delivered several key at-bats during the series, including an 11-pitch home run in Game 3 that gave Milwaukee the lead in the seventh inning.
Catcher William Contreras is batting .367 with five RBIs through eight postseason games.
Outfielder Jackson Chourio leads Milwaukee with seven postseason RBIs despite batting .171.
Chourio also made postseason history with a leadoff home run against Blake Snell in Game 3 of the NLCS, giving him 18 career postseason RBIs, the most by any player before his 23rd birthday.
Tampa Bay's offense has been led by Yandy Díaz, who hit .333 with four doubles, two home runs, four RBIs and a 1.061 OPS in the ALCS.
Díaz leads the league with six extra-base hits this postseason.
Junior Caminero added a two-run home run in Game 6 of the ALCS, while Richie Palacios went 6-for-12 during the series.
Chandler Simpson has also provided speed and offensive production near the top of the Rays' lineup.
Injuries could affect Milwaukee's pitching depth.
Right-hander Brandon Woodruff has been working toward a possible return after shoulder problems threatened to end his season. Woodruff recently threw 31 pitches off a mound during a workout at Dodger Stadium.
Tampa Bay will be without starting pitcher Shane McClanahan, who has been ruled out for the postseason.
The series marks the first World Series played at American Family Field and the first in Milwaukee since 1982.
The Milwaukee Braves played in the Fall Classic at County Stadium in 1957.
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