A little more than two years after they lost their home stadium to a hurricane, the Tampa Bay Rays celebrated inside the rebuilt Tropicana Field as they punched their ticket to the 2026 World Series.
The Trop was bouncing when catcher Liam Hicks squeezed a foul pop-up off the bat of the Cleveland Guardians' Chase DeLauter to clinch the American League pennant. Much maligned for empty sections in the first two games of the ALCS, Rays fans packed the house and only left their seats to cheer when Junior Caminero and Yandy Diaz hit a pair of clutch home runs in the late innings to seal the 7-3 win on Monday, Oct. 19.
Tampa's six-game series win follows an incredible season in which they won their fifth AL East division title with a record of 98-64,
the third-best record in the franchise's 29-year history. They're off to their third World Series and just the second that will be played in their home dome on Florida's Gulf Coast (they played two games there in the 2008 Fall Classic but had to play the entire 2020 series in the Texas Rangers' stadium because of the COVID pandemic).
The Rays are used to being seen as underdogs, but they'll be up against the Milwaukee Brewers, another small-market team that features a collective salary close to what a few stars on the biggest teams baseball are making. Fans can look forward to a throwback style of baserunning, stringing together timely hits and masterful uses of a full pitching staff (plus NL Cy Young favorite Jacob Misiorowski and his 104 mph fastball). It will also be the first time both teams are playing for their first championship since 1980.
Here's what to know about the 2026 World Series, including dates, start times, TV schedule, streaming info and betting odds:
What teams are in the World Series?
Glamor franchises like the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees can watch from home: The 2026 World Series is for the little guys. The Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers will square off in the Fall Classic, but don't let their small footprints fool you. These have been two of the best teams in baseball all season. The Brewers put together the best record in MLB at 103-59, the second straight year they've done so. Tampa had the best record in the AL at 98-64, the third-best record overall.
The Brewers tied for the second fewest home runs in baseball this year but still had the second-best scoring offense in the majors behind second baseman Brice Turang, catcher William Contreras and left fielder Jackson Chourio. Fueled by Misiorowski — who led MLB with a 1.80 ERA, 252 strikeouts and an 0.802 WHIP — their pitchers finished with the second lowest ERA and with the second most strikeouts in baseball.
The Rays counter with the seventh best team ERA behind ace Drew Rasmussen, who took a no-hitter into the eighth inning of Game 1 of the ALDS. The teams feature two of the best bullpens in the sport, with Tampa closer Bryan Baker tying the lead with 41 saves and Milwaukee's Trevor Megill finishing with 30. Those two, along with the Brewers' Aaron Ashby, have yet to allow a run in the playoffs.
When is the next Rays game?
Tampa Bay heads to Milwaukee for Games 1 and 2 of the World Series. The series starts Friday, Oct. 23 with first pitch scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on Fox.
World Series schedule 2026
The World Series is best-of-seven, so the first team to win four games will be the champion. Here's a look at the schedule, including TV, streaming info and location of each game. Those marked with an asterisk will be played only if necessary. All times Eastern.
- Game 1: 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23 | American Family Field (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) | Fox | Fubo (free trial)
- Game 2: 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24 | American Family Field (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) | Fox | Fubo (free trial)
- Game 3: 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 26 | Tropicana Field (St. Petersburg, Florida) | Fox | Fubo (free trial)
- Game 4: 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27 | Tropicana Field (St. Petersburg, Florida) | Fox | Fubo (free trial)
- Game 5*: 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28 | Tropicana Field (St. Petersburg, Florida) | Fox | Fubo (free trial)
- Game 6*: 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30 | American Family Field (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) | Fox | Fubo (free trial)
- Game 7*: 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31 | American Family Field (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) | Fox | Fubo (free trial)
Who is favored in the World Series?
According to odds by BetMGM, Milwaukee is a slight favorite to win the World Series in six or seven games. Here's a closer look at the odds as of Tuesday, Oct. 20:
- World Series winner: Brewers (-165) | Rays (+145)
- Games in World Series: 4 (+600) | 5 (+250) | 6 (+200) | 7 (+200)
World Series 2026 bracket
Here's a look at how the MLB playoffs have led to this unique World Series matchup, with each team's seeds included:
NL wild-card series (best of three)
- Atlanta (3) def. Philadelphia (6) 2-1
- San Diego (4) def. Chicago Cubs (5) 2-0
AL wild-card series (best of three)
- Chicago White Sox (6) def. Houston (3) 2-0
- New York Yankees (4) def. Boston (5) 2-0
NL Division Series (best of five)
- Milwaukee (1) def. San Diego 3-1
- Los Angeles Dodgers (2) def. Atlanta 3-1
AL Division Series (best of five)
- Tampa Bay (1) def. New York Yankees 3-0
- Cleveland (2) def. Chicago White Sox 3-2
NL Championship Series (best of seven)
- Milwaukee def. Los Angeles Dodgers 4-0
AL Championship Series (best of seven)
- Tampa Bay def. Cleveland 4-2
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: When does the 2026 World Series start? Rays vs Brewers dates, TV info
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