World Series 2026 Opens: Rays vs. Brewers Both Chasing First Championship

The 2026 MLB World Series opens on Friday, October 23, at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the Tampa Bay Rays face the Milwaukee Brewers in a historic Fall Classic that will produce baseball's first new champion in years — because neither franchise has ever won a World Series. The Brewers send young ace Jacob Misiorowski to the mound for Game 1; Tampa Bay counter with veteran Nick Martinez. The Rays advanced through a dominant American League Championship Series, while Milwaukee clinched home-field advantage after winning the National League. The matchup has been celebrated across the sport as a triumph of small-market baseball: neither city fields one of the league's highest payrolls, and both have built through player development rather than marquee free-agent spending. First pitch is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET on FOX. Games 1 and 2 are in Milwaukee, with Games 3 through 5 moving to Tropicana Field in St Petersburg, Florida.