Game 1 is on tonight, which means this is the one day of the year a World Series preview actually matters. Tomorrow the same information is a recap. So: the pairings, the seven-game schedule, the home-field rotation that decides where each game happens, and a colour guide for both clubs.
We are not going to pick a winner. That part is up to October.
The two teams, and how they got here
The American League is settled: the Tampa Bay Rays, who swept the Yankees 3-0 in the ALDS with games on October 3, 5 and 6. There is nothing to project there. They are in, and the only question left is whether they can win four games in October.
The National League is a different story, and an unusual one. Two clubs survived it. The Dodgers beat the Braves 3-1, closing that series out 4-1 on October 7. The Brewers beat the Padres 3-1, finishing 3-1 on October 7 as well. The NLCS opened on October 11 with the Dodgers on the road in Milwaukee, which tells you where that series was headed almost immediately.
One of those two is playing for the trophy. Which one is not something we will guess in a preview written on the morning of Game 1.
The Brewers are the harder story to write a line about, so here is the honest version: they won a franchise-record 103 games, went 18-6 in September, and won the NL Central for the fourth straight season. Then there is the part that gets left out of the wins column — they were swept by the Padres in August. A team that gets swept in August and then wins 103 is a team that answered the worst month with the best, and that is a harder thing to do than simply being good all year.
Eight clubs are already out of this, including the Red Sox, Astros, Yankees, Phillies, Padres, Cubs and Braves. Nobody in this series had to survive an October surprise to get here.
The seven games, and where each one is played
This is the part most previews get wrong, so it is worth stating plainly. The World Series is not seven games at one park. The rotation is fixed by seed, and it is the single most useful thing to know before you plan anything around the series.
Game 1 — Friday, October 23
Game 2 — Saturday, October 24
Game 3 — Monday, October 26
Game 4 — Tuesday, October 27
Game 5 — Wednesday, October 28
Game 6 — Friday, October 30
Game 7 — Saturday, October 31
The pattern: the higher seed hosts Games 1, 2, 6 and 7. The lower seed hosts Games 3, 4 and 5.
That gives you three consecutive games in one park in the middle, and it means a team that drops the first two at home is playing Game 3 somewhere else. It also means a Game 7 only happens if the series is level going into it — which is the entire reason the schedule is built this way.
Practical note if you are planning to watch: there is an off day between Game 2 and Game 3, and again between Game 5 and Game 6. Travel days belong to the clubs, not to you.
The colour guide, team by team
For a series where the broadcast cuts to the stands constantly, contrast is the thing worth thinking about. Two teams that look alike on camera make for a worse watch, and make it harder to tell a replay from a live shot.
Tampa Bay Rays. Navy and light blue, with white as the clean base. Their home look reads dark against the infield dirt, which is exactly why it works on television. If you are buying one Tampa Bay jersey to wear to a game, the navy home version is the one that disappears least in a wide shot.
Los Angeles Dodgers. White at home, with the blue lettering. White against a brown infield is the highest-contrast combination in baseball, and it is why a Dodgers home jersey is legible from the back row of any park.
Milwaukee Brewers. Deep navy with gold. Gold is the differentiator here — it is a warm colour against the cool navy, and it separates cleanly from both the Rays' light blue and the Dodgers' white on a wide shot.
If you are covering both clubs in person, navy and white is the safest combination to travel in. It is worth checking the baseball collection for both home and away options, and it covers every team in one place.
Home, away, or both
The choice people get wrong is buying a jersey for a team without checking which park they are in. If a club switches to its alternate at home — and both clubs here have alternates worth knowing about — a home jersey can look wrong in the stands on a night game.
The safer approach for a fan attending a game: buy the jersey that matches the team's home look. The road look is the one built for travelling, and it is the one that gets swapped out most.
If you want the full detail rather than a summary, the 2026 MLB season page is the reference to check before you commit, and the size guide is worth opening before you pick a cut.
Names and numbers, and one warning
If you want a name on the back, order it now rather than later. A player name and number means a custom order, and a custom order means production time before it ships.
Our numbers and lettering are printed, not heat-pressed. Printing lasts longer through washing and wear, which matters more on a jersey you keep than on one you wear twice. The trade-off is honest and simple: custom takes longer, and it cannot be changed once it starts.
Once production begins on a named jersey, the name and number cannot be edited. Changing them means starting over, and starting over resets the clock on the whole order. Get the spelling right the first time. That warning is not unique to October, but October is when people panic and order at the last minute.
Common questions, answered plainly
When is World Series Game 1?
Friday, October 23. Game 2 is Saturday the 24th, Game 3 Monday the 26th, Game 4 Tuesday the 27th, Game 5 Wednesday the 28th, Game 6 Friday the 30th and Game 7 Saturday the 31st, if it is needed.
Who is in the World Series?
The Tampa Bay Rays are the American League side. The National League side is one of the Dodgers or the Brewers, and that series is still being played. We will not guess.
Who hosts which games?
The higher seed hosts Games 1, 2, 6 and 7. The lower seed hosts Games 3, 4 and 5.
Which teams have already been eliminated?
The Red Sox, Astros, Yankees, Phillies, Padres, Cubs and Braves. Cleveland and Chicago are also out of the finals picture.
Can I order a name and number this week and have it for the series?
Probably not, and we would rather say so than take the order and explain later. Custom production runs 7 to 21 working days before shipping starts. For something to arrive before Game 1, an in-stock jersey is the realistic choice.
How long does a custom order take end to end?
7 to 21 working days of production plus 7 to 21 working days of delivery — so 14 to 42 working days in total. That is a range, not a promised date. In-stock items ship in 1 to 7 working days.
Can I change the name after ordering?
No. Once production starts it cannot be edited, and changing it restarts the order. Check the spelling before you confirm.
Do you ship outside the US?
Yes, and the range above is wider internationally. Full terms are in the shipping policy.
Ready to order
Pick your colours now, while the matchup is still being decided — the baseball collection covers both clubs in home, away and alternate cuts, and the player range is where the named and numbered options live.
If you want it before the series, stay with in-stock. If you want a name on the back and do not need it until later in November, custom is the better buy and the printing will outlast anything else you find. Either way, measure first — the size guide takes a minute and returns are a nuisance.