The 2026 World Series is set: the Milwaukee Brewers will host the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 on Friday, October 23, at 8 p.m. ET.
FOX Sports updated the confirmed schedule Tuesday, setting up a matchup that guarantees the first World Series championship in either franchise’s history.
The FOX Sports schedule has Milwaukee hosting Games 1 and 2 before the series shifts to Tropicana Field for Games 3, 4 and, if necessary, Game 5.
If the best-of-seven series requires Games 6 or 7, it will return to American Family Field on October 30 and October 31.
Every game is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. FOX will televise the series, with streaming options available through FOX One and authenticated FOX platforms.
Milwaukee earned home-field advantage after finishing 103-59, the best record in Major League Baseball. Tampa Bay finished 98-64 and led the American League.
The Brewers reached the Fall Classic by beating the San Diego Padres in the NL Division Series and sweeping the two-time defending champion Dodgers in the NLCS.
That sweep sent Milwaukee to its first World Series since 1982, when the Brewers lost a seven-game series to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Tampa Bay advanced by defeating the New York Yankees in the ALDS and the Cleveland Guardians in six games in the ALCS.
The Rays are making their third World Series appearance. Their earlier trips ended with losses to Philadelphia in 2008 and Los Angeles in 2020.
The matchup carries unusual historical weight beyond the guaranteed first-time champion.
The Associated Press reported that it is only the sixth World Series of the wild-card era matching each league’s top regular-season team.
AP also noted that Milwaukee ranked 19th in payroll as of August 31, while Tampa Bay ranked 25th, putting both pennant winners in MLB’s lower spending half.
The series will also feature several of the season’s most prominent young players and pitchers, including Milwaukee outfielder Jackson Chourio and Tampa Bay third baseman Junior Caminero.
Milwaukee’s rotation is led by hard-throwing Jacob Misiorowski, while the Rays enter the series with Drew Rasmussen and ALCS MVP Freddy Peralta among their key arms.
Peralta adds another connection between the finalists because he previously pitched for Milwaukee before eventually joining Tampa Bay and helping the Rays win the American League pennant.
The MLB World Series schedule lists Game 1 for Friday in Milwaukee, followed by Game 2 Saturday and a travel day Sunday.
Regardless of how long the series lasts, the final outcome will add a new champion to MLB history while ending one franchise’s wait for its first title.
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