Now that both pennants are decided, the 2026 World Series is set, and it is the matchup the regular season said we should get. The Milwaukee Brewers had the best record in baseball at 103-59. The Tampa Bay Rays had the best record in the American League at 98-64. Two No. 1 seeds, two franchises that have never won a World Series, and the first time these two teams have ever met in the postseason. Game 1 is tomorrow night in Milwaukee.
The Series at a Glance
| Game | Date | Location | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Fri., Oct. 23 | American Family Field, Milwaukee | 8:03 p.m. | FOX |
| Game 2 | Sat., Oct. 24 | American Family Field, Milwaukee | 8:03 p.m. | FOX |
| Game 3 | Mon., Oct. 26 | Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg | 8:03 p.m. | FOX |
| Game 4 | Tue., Oct. 27 | Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg | 8:03 p.m. | FOX |
| Game 5* | Wed., Oct. 28 | Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg | 8:03 p.m. | FOX |
| Game 6* | Fri., Oct. 30 | American Family Field, Milwaukee | 8:03 p.m. | FOX |
| Game 7* | Sat., Oct. 31 | American Family Field, Milwaukee | 8:03 p.m. | FOX |
*If necessary
How They Got Here
Brewers: Beat the Padres 3-1 in the Division Series, then swept the two-time defending champion Dodgers in the NLCS. Milwaukee has lost one game in the postseason. Jake Bauers was the NLCS MVP and has been the breakout star of October.
Rays: Swept the Yankees in the Division Series, then fell behind the Guardians 2-1 in the ALCS before winning three straight and outscoring Cleveland 17-7 along the way. I covered how they closed it out here.
Game 1: Misiorowski vs. Rasmussen
Game 1 gives us the best pitching matchup of the series. Jacob Misiorowski, the likely NL Cy Young winner, goes for Milwaukee. He averaged over 100 mph on his fastball as a starter this season and led the majors in ERA and strikeouts. The one concern: he has not finished five innings in either of his postseason starts.
Drew Rasmussen goes for Tampa Bay, and he has been the opposite of that. He has thrown 8, 6, and 7 innings in his three postseason starts and allowed just three runs over 21 innings. Rasmussen clinched the AL East at Yankee Stadium in September and set up the pennant with seven strong innings in ALCS Game 5. He does not rattle.
The Game 1 total is just six runs. Runs are going to be hard to come by.
Where the Brewers Have the Edge
The bullpen. Milwaukee’s bullpen has allowed six earned runs in 40⅔ postseason innings. The top four relievers, Trevor Megill, Abner Uribe, Aaron Ashby, and DL Hall, have been close to untouchable, with a 0.61 ERA over nearly 30 innings. If the Brewers have a lead after six, the game is probably over.
The lineup’s depth. William Contreras leads all LCS hitters with a 1.157 OPS, Bauers has been on fire, and Brice Turang does everything well. Jackson Chourio has struggled at the plate this October, but he hit one of the biggest homers of the NLCS.
Home field. Milwaukee would host Games 6 and 7 if needed.
Where the Rays Have the Edge
The rotation. Rasmussen, Freddy Peralta, and Nick Martinez give Tampa Bay a deeper group of starters who can go deep into games. That matters in a seven-game series where bullpens get tired.
Defense. Taylor Walls at shortstop is one of the best gloves in the game, and the Rays win with the little things: hit-and-runs, bunts, and taking the extra base.
Freddy Peralta. You cannot write this story any better. Peralta pitched for the Brewers last season. They traded him to the Mets over the winter, but it didn’t work out in New York, and the Rays picked him up at the deadline. Now he is the ALCS MVP, he has allowed two runs in 16⅔ postseason innings, and he gets a chance to beat the team that traded him on the biggest stage in the sport. Yes, those Brewers.
The Managers
Kevin Cash is the longest-tenured manager in baseball and has been here before, leading the Rays to the 2020 World Series. Pat Murphy has won NL Manager of the Year in each of his first two full seasons and has pushed all the right buttons this October against the Padres and Dodgers. Both are as good as it gets at managing a bullpen.
The Odds
The Brewers opened as -155 favorites to win the series, with the Rays at +135. That is a closer series than the records suggest, and I agree with the books. This one should be tight.
My Pick (I Already Made It)
When the Rays clinched the pennant, I said Brewers in six, and I am sticking with it. Milwaukee’s bullpen is the best unit on either roster, and Misiorowski can win two games by himself. But I also said that if Peralta beats his old team, I reserve the right to change my mind. Hold me to both.
Ready for Tomorrow
Milwaukee has not been to the World Series since 1982. Tampa Bay came up short in 2008 and 2020. One of these cities is going to celebrate a World Series title for the first time in franchise history, and Game 7, if we get one, lands on Halloween. I am ready for tomorrow.
Featured photo: American Family Field, Milwaukee by DiscoA340, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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