The 2026 World Series opens tonight as the Milwaukee Brewers host the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 (FOX, 8 p.m. ET), guaranteeing a first-time champion and marking the first Fall Classic between two teams in the bottom half of MLB payrolls since 1991.
Neither franchise has ever won a World Series title. Milwaukee, seeking its first championship since its only previous appearance in 1982, and Tampa Bay, appearing for the third time after losses in 2008 and 2020, will face off in a best-of-seven series that begins at American Family Field. The matchup pits two of the league’s most efficient, small-market clubs against each other after both entered the postseason as top seeds.
Out of 30 teams, the Brewers ranked 19th in player salaries and the Rays ranked 28th. Their combined payrolls were less than the individual rosters of the Los Angeles Dodgers or the New York Yankees, underscoring the gap between big-market spending and the success of these lower-payroll squads. The series highlights a rare postseason outcome in which on-field performance and roster construction overcame the usual advantages of higher payrolls.
Milwaukee reached the World Series by amassing a franchise-record 103 regular-season wins, then sweeping the two-time defending champion Dodgers in the National League Championship Series. The Brewers’ run ended the Dodgers’ bid for a three-peat and returned the franchise to the Fall Classic for the first time in 44 years. Tampa Bay won 98 games during the regular season before defeating the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Championship Series to advance for the third time in franchise history.
The series continues with Game 2 on Saturday in Milwaukee, followed by Games 3 and 4 in Tampa Bay next week. A first-time World Series winner is assured.
Milwaukee reached the World Series by amassing a franchise-record 103 regular-season wins, then sweeping the two-time defending champion Dodgers in the National League Championship Series. The Brewers’ run ended the Dodgers’ bid for a three-peat and returned the franchise to the Fall Classic for the first time in 44 years. Tampa Bay won 98 games during the regular season before defeating the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Championship Series to advance for the third time in franchise history.
The series continues with Game 2 on Saturday in Milwaukee, followed by Games 3 and 4 in Tampa Bay next week. A first-time World Series winner is assured.