The essentials
Milwaukee and Tampa Bay will meet in the 2026 World Series, guaranteeing a first-time champion.
The Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays will meet in the 2026 World Series, guaranteeing that a first-time champion will be crowned. Milwaukee finished the regular season with a franchise-record 103 wins, while Tampa Bay finished with 98 wins. The Brewers advanced by sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series. The Rays defeated the Cleveland Guardians in six games to win the American League pennant.
This is the Brewers' second World Series appearance and their first since 1982. The Rays reach the championship round for the third time, following losses in 2008 and 2020.
Game 1 is scheduled at American Family Field in Milwaukee, and Game 3 is set for Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. Neither franchise has won a World Series title, so the series will produce a new champion.
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Brewers' record-setting season meets Rays' AL pennant run
The series pairs the Brewers, who won a franchise-record 103 games, with the Rays, who won 98 and then eliminated the Guardians in six games. Milwaukee's path to the final ran through a sweep of the Dodgers, while Tampa Bay needed the full six games to clinch the American League pennant. The two routes to the final reflect different patterns of postseason results.
Brewers' first Series since 1982 meets Rays' third trip
For Milwaukee, this is its second World Series and its first since 1982, a return to the sport's final stage after more than four decades. For Tampa Bay, it is a third appearance, following defeats in 2008 and 2020. Whichever club prevails will secure its first championship and add a new name to the list of World Series champions.