Sports · Explainer
2026 World Series: Brewers vs. Rays — Schedule, TV and Why This One Is Historic
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The 2026 World Series is set, and it comes with a guarantee baseball rarely offers: a first-time champion. The Milwaukee Brewers face the Tampa Bay Rays, and neither franchise has ever won the Fall Classic.
The schedule
Every game starts at 8:00 PM ET and airs on FOX, with Spanish coverage on FOX Deportes and streaming on FOX One.
| Game | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Friday, October 23 | Milwaukee — American Family Field |
| Game 2 | Saturday, October 24 | Milwaukee — American Family Field |
| Game 3 | Monday, October 26 | Tampa Bay |
| Game 4 | Tuesday, October 27 | Tampa Bay |
| Game 5 (if necessary) | Wednesday, October 28 | Tampa Bay |
| Game 6 (if necessary) | Friday, October 30 | Milwaukee — American Family Field |
| Game 7 (if necessary) | Saturday, October 31 | Milwaukee — American Family Field |
Live scores & upcoming games
How they got here
Milwaukee Brewers (103–59). The best record in baseball. The Brewers beat the San Diego Padres in the Division Series, then swept the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS. This is Milwaukee's first World Series appearance since 1982 — a 44-year wait.
Tampa Bay Rays (98–64). The Rays knocked out the New York Yankees in the ALDS and beat the Cleveland Guardians in six games in the ALCS. This is Tampa Bay's third World Series appearance; the first two, in 2008 and 2020, both ended in losses.
Why this one is historic
Start with the guarantee: whichever team wins, a city celebrates its first championship. Then look at the payrolls. Per the Associated Press's opening-day figures, Milwaukee ranked 19th in payroll and Tampa Bay 25th — proof that the two front offices in the sport most famous for doing more with less have both reached the final series in the same year.
Demand reflects it. Get-in prices reported this week started around $993 for games in Tampa Bay and roughly $3,107 for standing room at Game 1 in Milwaukee — the kind of numbers a four-decade wait produces.
Sources: USA Today (schedule and broadcast details), NBC Sports (postseason results and series history), Associated Press (payroll rankings). Ticket prices as reported at time of publication and change with the resale market.