Milwaukee, Tampa Bay set for first World Series title clash in 46 years

The Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays will meet in the World Series with both clubs chasing their first championship. Whichever team wins will set a new milestone in franchise history.

The two teams will open the World Series on Saturday at 9 a.m. Korean Standard Time at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

It is the first time two franchises without a World Series title have met in the Fall Classic since the Philadelphia Phillies faced the Kansas City Royals in 1980 — a gap of 46 years. Philadelphia won that series four games to two to claim its first championship.

Milwaukee is making its first World Series appearance since 1982, a span of 44 years. The Brewers fell to the St. Louis Cardinals three games to four that year, falling just short of the title. They failed to return to the Fall Classic until now.

Tampa Bay is appearing in the World Series for the third time in franchise history, having previously reached the Fall Classic in 2008 and 2020. The Rays lost to Philadelphia in 2008 and to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020, finishing as runner-up both times.

Both teams posted the best records in their respective leagues during the regular season. Milwaukee finished 103-59, the best winning percentage in the National League, while Tampa Bay went 98-64 to lead the American League. It is the sixth time since the wild-card system was introduced in 1995 that the two teams with the best records in each league have met in the World Series.

Milwaukee swept past the San Diego Padres three games to one in the Division Series before sweeping the Dodgers four games to none in the Championship Series. The Brewers denied Los Angeles a third consecutive World Series title after the Dodgers had won back-to-back championships in 2024 and 2025, and avenged a four-game sweep by the Dodgers in last year's Championship Series.

Tampa Bay swept the New York Yankees three games to none in the Division Series, then eliminated the Cleveland Guardians four games to two in the American League Championship Series. In Game 6 on Tuesday, the Rays beat Cleveland 7-3 to seal their berth. Junior Caminero extended the lead with a two-run home run in the seventh inning, and Yandy Diaz added a two-run shot in the eighth to put the game out of reach.

The World Series also draws attention as a matchup between two clubs that have built competitive rosters on relatively modest budgets.

According to the AP, Milwaukee ranks 19th among MLB's 30 franchises in total payroll, while Tampa Bay ranks 25th. Both teams fall in the bottom half of the league in payroll spending.

Their runs to the World Series reflect a commitment to player development and efficient roster construction, in contrast to the big-market clubs that pour vast resources into their rosters.

Milwaukee held a 2-1 edge over Tampa Bay in their regular-season meetings this year. However, the World Series is a best-of-seven format, making it difficult to draw conclusions from the regular-season head-to-head record alone.

Games 1 and 2 will be played at American Family Field in Milwaukee. Games 3 through 5 will shift to Tampa Bay's home park, and if the series extends, Games 6 and 7 will return to Milwaukee.