Time/Place: 8:00 p.m. ET, American Family Field, Milwaukee, WI
Broadcast: FOX
SB Nation Sites: DRaysBay/Brew Crew Ball
Pitching Matchup: RHP Nick Martinez vs. RHP Jacob Misiorowski
Yandy Diaz – DH
Jonathan Aranda – 1B
Chandler Simpson – LF
Junior Caminero – 3B
Liam Hicks – C
Jonny DeLuca – CF
Victor Mesa – RF
Ben Williamson – 2B
Taylor Walls – SS
SP: Nick Martinez – RHP
Jackson Chourio – LF
Jake Bauers – 1B
Christian Yelich – DH
William Contreras – C
Brice Turang – 2B
Garrett Mitchell – CF
Cooper Pratt – SS
Sal Frelick – RF
David Hamilton – 3B
SP: Jacob Misiorowski – RHP
Time: 8:00 PM EDT
TV: FOX / FOX ONE, Fox Deportes
Radio: ESPN Radio
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It’s Game 1 of the final series of the season, the World Series. At the end of it, possibly on Halloween Night, one of these teams will hoist the World Series Championship Trophy for the first time in Franchise history. This is the first time since 1980 that that could be said at the start of the World Series. Pretty cool stuff.
The Brewers have decided to make the obvious choice and start NL Cy Young Award presumptive Jacob Misiorowski in the opener. The Rays have decided to buck tradition and go with their third- or fourth-best starter in Nick Martinez. Now Martinez was spectacular in his start against the Guardians last week, but he’s clearly not the best pitcher on the team. Is this a clever ploy by the Rays to try and sneak an advantage by having their best two pitchers – Drew Rasmussen and Freddy Peralta – get to start against pitchers other than The Mis? If so, it’s a bold strategy, Cotton. We’ll see if it pays off.
I just really, really hope it’s not some kind of indication that Rasmussen is hurt.
Robin Yount will throw out the ceremonial first pitch before Game 1 of the World Series on Friday night in Milwaukee. The last time the Brewers played in the Fall Classic, in 1982, the Hall of Famer was their star shortstop. They lost Game 7 in St. Louis.
Forty-four years later, Milwaukee gets another chance to celebrate and possibly forever remove the Brewers from a list that nobody in baseball wants to be a part of. The Brewers are facing off against the Tampa Bay Rays, another of those teams that have never won a World Series championship. It's the first World Series between franchises that are vying for their first title since 1980 when the Philadelphia Phillies and Kansas City Royals faced off.
Five MLB franchises have never won a World Series, but by Halloween it will be an exclusive group of four. So who's closest? Here's how the five rank, from furthest to the closest to a first championship:
The Rockies have something to build on. Colorado scored 752 runs – its most since 2019 – and ranked in the top seven in MLB in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging.
But their pitching has always been the issue. The staff finished last in baseball with a 6.28 ERA, and the Rockies went 58-104 for their fourth consecutive season with at least 100 loses.
Paul DePodesta, heading into his first full offseason as president of baseball operations, says the club will act early to find starting pitching. That's if he can find pitchers willing to pitch at that altitude. The franchise's only World Series trip ended in a sweep by the Boston Red Sox in 2007, and any route back goes through the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres in that National League West.
A year ago, Seattle was just outs from reaching its first World Series before George Springer's three-run homer in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series sent Toronto instead. The Mariners entered 2026 with the best World Series odds in the AL, according to FanGraphs. They finished 76-86.
Nearly everything broke bad for them. Brendan Donovan missed 84 games with a groin strain. Relievers Matt Brash, Cooper Criswell and Carlos Vargas missed 311 games combined. Julio Rodriguez hit .250 with a .718 OPS – both career lows. Cal Raleigh was batting .156 in August. They fired manager Dan Wilson at the end of the season.
The good news for them is that the Astros won the division with a .500 record, so the lane is open for them to get back into position.
The Padres won 91 games and made the playoffs for the third consecutive year – a first for the franchise. In the eighth inning of Game 4 of the National League Division Series in Milwaukee, Manny Machado drove a ball 406 feet. Garrett Mitchell caught it at the wall, and San Diego went home.
Machado is 34. He just posted a .711 OPS, the lowest of his career, and he's owed more than $39 million a year through 2033. Xander Bogaerts, also 34, hit for a .676 OPS and is signed through 2033, too.
Most of the rotation is about to hit free agency. New owners Kwanza Jones and Jose E. Feliciano paid $3.9 billion for the team this year, and nobody knows yet how much they'll spend to keep the Padres at the top.
Fernando Tatis Jr., 27, and Jackson Merrill, 23, give manager Craig Stammen something to work with. San Diego has been to two World Series. It lost to Detroit in five games in 1984 and got swept by the Yankees in 1998.
Junior Caminero hit 42 homers this season. He is just 23 years old.
The Rays won 98 games and the American League pennant with a $95.6 million payroll – ranked 28th in baseball. Their starters have a 1.98 ERA this postseason, best among the 12 playoff teams. Their hitters struck out just 18.8% of the time in the regular season, the lowest rate in MLB.
Contact hitting now meets Jacob Misiorowski, whose fastball averaged 100.6 mph this season. Tampa Bay ranked 29th in OPS against pitches 98 mph or faster.
A loss would be their third in a World Series in 18 years, and ALCS MVP Freddy Peralta can be a free agent this winter. But Caminero is back and Kevin Cash, the longest-tenured manager in baseball with his current club, just keeps getting the Rays back to October.
Last October the Dodgers swept the Brewers in the NLCS. This October, Milwaukee returned the favor.
The Brewers won 103 games – a franchise record and the most in baseball this season – and they're the favorites to win this series. Their best players are kids. Misiorowski, 24, led the majors with a 1.80 ERA and 252 strikeouts. Jackson Churios is 22. Shortstop Cooper Pratt made his debut this June.
Pat Murphy has won NL Manager of the Year twice in a row, and Milwaukee has made the playoffs in eight of the last nine seasons. Losing this World Series would hurt a franchise that has waited 57 years.
But it wouldn't knock the Brewers off this spot as most the likely to win a World Series of the five franchises that have never won one.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ranking the five MLB teams that have never won a World Series: Who's next?
The Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays met during the opening week of the 2026 season. Now, nearly seven months later, they’ll meet again with both franchises chasing their first World Series championship.
Milwaukee hosts its first Fall Classic game since 1982 after sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS. The Brewers have won seven of their eight postseason games, powered by a roster assembled through shrewd acquisitions and player development.
Tampa Bay, meanwhile, returns to the World Series for the third time in franchise history after defeating Cleveland in the ALCS. The Rays have relied on a mix of star power and complementary players, with Chandler Simpson bringing elite speed and Junior Caminero supplying top-shelf power.
Taking the mound for Milwaukee in Game 1 is Jacob Misiorowski, the presumptive National League Cy Young Award winner. The 24-year-old posted a 1.80 ERA with 252 strikeouts in 174.2 innings during the regular season, relying heavily on a four-seam fastball that averaged 100.6 mph. Misiorowski faced Tampa Bay on April 1, allowing two runs over six innings while striking out seven.
Misiorowski’s four-seam fastball has seen its whiff rate drop from roughly 40% during the regular season to just 16% this postseason, leaving his breaking pitches to do more of the work. Still, he has recorded 11 strikeouts in 8.1 innings across two starts.
The Rays counter with veteran right-hander Nick Martinez, who posted a 3.10 ERA over 180 regular-season innings while walking just 3.6% of opposing hitters. Martinez relies on a six-pitch mix and exceptional command. He also faced the Brewers during the opening week, allowing two runs over six innings on March 30.
Martinez has leaned more heavily on his cutter this postseason, his most effective pitch by run value during the regular season. Unfortunately for him, it’s also a pitch that two of Milwaukee’s most dangerous hitters, Brice Turang and William Contreras, have handled especially well.
Neither starter has pitched particularly deep into games this postseason, and both offenses have a way of making pitchers work. That means the two teams’ very different bullpens could play a major role in the series.
Pitching Matchup: RHP Nick Martinez (1-0, 3.00 postseason ERA) vs. RHP Jacob Misiorowski (0-0, 3.24 postseason ERA)
SB Nation sites:DRaysBay | Brew Crew Ball
Radio: ESPN Radio
TV: FOX
Lineups:
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The Pittsburgh Pirates are back on the couch once again for the start of the World Series, featuring two teams searching for their first title in franchise history.
The Tampa Bay Rays will travel to American Family Field to take on the Milwaukee Brewers in a Fall Classic that will celebrate the small market.
Both teams finished atop their respective leagues and made it through the first two rounds of the postseason. The Brewers took care of the San Diego Padres in four games before sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS to get payback for last year.
Meanwhile, the Rays swept their division rival, the New York Yankees, before dismantling the Cleveland Guardians in six games in the ALCS.
Both teams have slight connections to the Pirates, as the Brewers are a division rival of theirs. The Pirates won the season series against the Brewers 7-6, so that should say something about Pittsburgh and their slow, meteoric rise in the NL Central.
The Rays made a big trade with the Pirates in the offseason, where Tampa sent relief pitcher Mason Montgomery to the Bucs.
Be sure to check out our sister sites for coverage of the World Series: DRaysBay and Brew Crew Ball.
Location: American Family Field, Milwaukee, WI
Broadcast: FOX, FOX One app
Pitching Matchup: Nick Marinez vs. Jacob Misiorowski
BD community, this is your gameday thread for Game 1 of the 2026 World Series. Chime off in the comments section below.
It is World Series time!
The Rays play in Milwaukee against the Brewers. Jacob Misiorowski pitches for the Brewers, while our old friend Nick Martinez pitches for the Rays.
It is a 7:00 p.m. start on Fox.
Talk about it here.
This article published here earlier this week contains my thoughts about this World Series and who I’m rooting for. You can also read more about these teams and this matchup at Sara Sancbez’s World Series preview for Cubs fans.
Can’t really add anything to that other than I’m hoping for a seven-game series because, well, more baseball is always good and after it’s over, we don’t know when we will next see MLB players on the field because of the looming owners’ lockout.
Enjoy the games.
TV: Fox-TV. Announcers: Joe Davis, John Smoltz, Ken Rosenthal and Tom Verducci.
Nick Martinez, RHP vs. Jacob Misiorowski, RHP
A game 44 years in the making. At long last, Game 1 of the World Series is finally here. The Milwaukee Brewers will face the Tampa Bay Rays to determine who will be the champion in 2026.
Both teams are seeking their first World Series title. The Rays have been here twice before, in 2008 and again in 2020. The Brewers have been just once before, all the way back in 1982.
Both teams were the best in their league this year. The Brewers ran through the National League with a 103-59 record, winning the NL Central by 14 games. The Rays won the AL East by 4.5 games. In the LDS, the Brewers dispatched the San Diego Padres in four games, while the Rays swept the New York Yankees in three. Then in the LCS, the Brewers swept the Dodgers in four games while the Rays fell behind to the Cleveland Guardians 2-1 through three games, but then rattled off three wins in a row to beat Cleveland in six.
The Rays have had three full days off since their last game. The Brewers have had a week off. Finally, after all the anticipation, we are back to baseball.
Also back to baseball is Brewers veteran ace Brandon Woodruff. Woodruff hasn’t pitched in a game since the 4th of July, but he has recovered from a shoulder injury and after throwing live BP to the Brewers top hitters during the week, Woodruff was put on the 26 man roster for the World Series.
“I expressed how I felt about things and kind of where I was and I was very truthful and very open. It came down to I want one thing, whether I was on the roster or not, and that’s to win. So whatever was decided, I was good with.” Woodruff said.
“We feel like there’s a window where he can help us. That was the whole decision. This isn’t a wow, we love Woody, he’s great for the organization, because he already said to us, I don’t want to be a sympathy pick. I want to be a pick because I can help the team. Then you go through all the things and say, can he help us? The answer is yes, he can definitely help us.” Pat Murphy said.
The Brewers removed Chad Patrick to make room for Woodruff. Patrick had not pitched in either the NLDS or NLCS.
Woodruff will not be starting Game 1, however. That honor, unsurprisingly, belongs to Jacob Misiorowski. Misiorowski has started each Game 1 of the postseason for the Brewers. He hasn’t been his usual sharp self that he was during the regular season, which can partially be attributed to fatigue after a long year with more innings than he’s ever thrown in his life. Even though he hasn’t pitched as deep into games or been as sharp, he’s still kept the Brewers in those games and the Brewers have won both of his starts.
On the flip side, the Rays will have Nick Martinez on the mound, allowing an extra day of rest for Tampa’s aces Drew Rasmussen and Freddy Peralta. Martinez had a 3.10 ERA in the regular season. In his two starts in the postseason, Martinez went 3.2 IP and allowed two earned runs in his start against the Yankees. Then in the ALCS, Martinez went 5.1 IP, allowing just two hits and one run.
The Brewers are shaking things up a little with their lineup. Jackson Chourio remains in the leadoff spot, that’s unchanged. But following him is Jake Bauers batting second and Christian Yelich batting third. Then William Contreras is batting cleanup, followed by Brice Turang and Garrett Mitchell. Cooper Pratt is at shortstop batting seventh while Sal Frelick and David Hamilton round out the bottom of the order. That’s three righties in the lineup each with two lefties in between them.
The Rays lineup is also intriguing. Yandy Diaz and Jonathan Aranda are batting 1-2 atop the order. That’s not new. But Chandler Simpson, the speedster, with a whopping zero career home runs in his two years in the league, is batting 3rd, a traditional power spot. His role is to get on base for the real power hitter batting cleanup, Junior Caminero. Liam Hicks and Jonny Deluca fill out the rest of the middle of the order. Then Victor Mesa Jr, Ben Williamson, and Taylor Walls round out the bottom of the lineup.
It’s the Brewers and the Rays in the 122nd World Series. Here we go.
Here we go everyone! The moment all baseball fans have been waiting for. The World Series! It all begins tonight as the Tampa Bay Rays arrive in Milwaukee for the first game of the Fall Classic. One of these teams is going to win their first World Series. Who wants it more?
The Rays have right-hander Nick Martinez (15-6, 3.10 ERA) on the mound tonight for Game 1. The one-year deal they dished out to him last offseason has more than paid off, but now they’ll up the stakes asking him to help the squad go up 1-0 in the World Series. It’s easily the biggest start of his career. How will the veteran do on the biggest stage in the sport?
Here’s how the Rays are lining up for this one:
The Brew Crew meanwhile have ace right-hander Jacob Misiorowski (16-5, 1.80 ERA) getting the call for this epic contest. Considered the overwhelming favorite to win this year’s NL Cy Young, Misiorowski is the best pitcher in the sport today and you literally can not ask for a better starter to take the ball for the first game of the World Series. The Brewers have to feel confident with their starter today.
And the Brewers’ starting nine:
One of these teams is going to be a game closer to their first championship. Who takes Game 1 of the World Series tonight?
For the first time since 1980, two teams who have never won the World Series are about to face off in the fall classic. The winner gets to celebrate the greatest moment in franchise history, and the loser gets stuck on a shrinking and increasingly ignominious list with the Rockies, Padres and Mariners.
Despite these teams not being associated with historical success, they were clearly the class of the field this year, with the Rays winning an AL leading 98 games, and the Brewers winning an MLB leading 103. This, along with the brand of baseball typically displayed whenever these squads take the field, gives us hope that the World Series will produce something far more compelling than anything else we’ve seen to this point in a postseason that’s lacked the top shelf drama we often see in October.
Out of the gate, the flame throwing Jacob Misiorowski will be the big topic of conversation, but as it always the case in the World Series, many other storylines we can’t even imagine are about to unfold. So let’s get to the lineups and the game thread where we can watch them unfold together below.
⚾️ First Pitch: 8:00pm — American Family Field, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
📺 TV: FOX
📻 Radio: ESPN Radio, SiriusXM, iHeartRadio
Join us in the game thread below!
The 2026 World Series commences on Friday night in Milwaukee as the Brewers play host to the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 at American Family Field. It’s still Miller Park, but you get it.
The hosts will turn again to fireballing Jacob Misiorowski as their starter for the evening, so be prepared for the adrenaline to push over some 105 mph heaters to begin the Top of the 1st. Tampa, meanwhile, will counter with former Cincinnati Reds pitcher Nick Martinez, who’s fresh off a year that would’ve been very, very nice to still have on the Reds roster.
The roof will apparently be closed for this one. First pitch is set for shortly after 8:00 PM ET, as it will be for each and every game of the series. FOX will be doing the broadcasting, unfortunately, meaning you’ll be forced to listen to John Smoltz throughout.
One of these generations it would be nice to see the Reds again on this stage. Alas.
Here’s how both clubs will line up to start Game 1:
It begins tonight. Game 1 is in Milwaukee and both teams are ready.
Let’s talk about it.
It's just two games, but LeBron James looks comfortable in a Philadelphia uniform. He's playing a facilitator role and has averaged 15.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and six assists a game, and the team is 2-0, having beaten each of last season's Eastern Conference Finalists.
The second of those wins, a 29-point comeback to knock off Cleveland, pitted LeBron and the 76ers against a team many around the league expected him to choose this summer, the Cavaliers. LeBron said he seriously considered it, as Tony Jones at The Athletic reported.
"The nature of the meeting, I probably won't discuss much," James said on Thursday night. "But it was in consideration for sure. I mean, obviously, as a team trying to build towards a championship and things of that nature, I was trying to decide where I wanted to go with the rest of my career, to finish my career, or the next step. So, they had a lot of consideration for sure."
LeBron's choice stung a little in Cleveland, something Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson laid out before the teams met, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
"We were anticipating and excited [to land James] and then you have that [news]," Atkinson said pregame when asked about James going to Philadelphia. "Having gone through free agency a lot, when you're expecting something to happen and it doesn't happen, that first day or two, you're just like, you're depressed, quite honestly. That's the emotions of it."
Whether he thought the 76ers were closer to contention, wanted to live in New York (part-time, and commute by helicopter), or for some other reason, LeBron chose Philadelphia and isn't looking back now.
Greetings, Panthers fans. Welcome to the weekend.
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