The 2026 World Series begins Friday, October 23, and the field is nearly set. The Milwaukee Brewers had a 3-0 lead over the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series, and the Cleveland Guardians led the Tampa Bay Rays 2-1 in the American League Championship Series.
Both series continue this week, so this guide will be updated. Here is where each series stands, the full World Series schedule, how to watch in the US, Canada and beyond, and the storylines to follow.
League Championship Series: where things stand
Series | Status | Game results | Next game |
|---|---|---|---|
NLCS: Brewers vs Dodgers | Brewers lead 3-0 | G1 Brewers 2-1, G2 Brewers 7-4, G3 Brewers 6-2 | Game 4, Thursday, October 15, at Dodger Stadium |
ALCS: Guardians vs Rays | Guardians lead 2-1 | G1 Guardians 7-3, G2 Rays 3-1, G3 Guardians 3-2 | Game 4, Friday, October 16, in Cleveland |
This table shows the latest results I could confirm before Game 4 of the NLCS. Milwaukee needs one more win, and only one team in baseball history has come back from a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series, the 2004 Red Sox.
If needed: NLCS Games 5, 6 and 7 are on October 16, 18 and 19. ALCS Games 5, 6 and 7 are on October 17, 19 and 20. The ALCS is on TBS and the NLCS on FOX and FS1.
2026 World Series schedule
Game 1 is at the home of the league champion with the better 2026 regular-season record, and the series can end as early as October 27 or run to a Game 7 on Halloween weekend.
Game | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Game 1 | Friday, October 23 | Hosted by the team with the better regular-season record |
Game 2 | Saturday, October 24 | Same park |
Off day | Sunday, October 25 | |
Game 3 | Monday, October 26 | Moves to the other team's park |
Game 4 | Tuesday, October 27 | |
Game 5* | Wednesday, October 28 | If necessary |
Off day | Thursday, October 29 | |
Game 6* | Friday, October 30 | If necessary; back to the first park |
Game 7* | Saturday, October 31 | If necessary |
The World Series is a best-of-seven, so the first team to win four games is champion. The 2025 World Series ended with the Dodgers beating the Toronto Blue Jays in seven games, winning Game 7 in 11 innings.
How to watch the World Series
Region | Where to watch |
|---|---|
United States | FOX for every game, FOX Deportes in Spanish, FOX One for streaming, and the FOX Sports app with a TV provider login; ESPN Radio for radio |
Canada | Sportsnet and Sportsnet+, MLB's English-language broadcaster in Canada |
UK and Australia | Check your local sports broadcaster's listings, because rights and streaming services vary |
The League Championship Series are on different channels: the NLCS on FOX, FS1 and FOX One, and the ALCS on TBS, truTV and HBO Max. The World Series is on FOX only, not FS1.
Streaming outside your home country may be restricted by the broadcaster, so check the terms of any service you use.
Storylines to watch
- Brewers on the brink. Jake Bauers and Garrett Mitchell hit back-to-back home runs off Blake Snell in the seventh inning of Game 3, and Jackson Chourio also homered, as Milwaukee beat the Dodgers 6-2. The Dodgers' offense has struggled all series.
- Can the Dodgers come back? The Dodgers are the back-to-back defending champions, and a third straight title would be baseball's first three-peat since the Yankees won three in a row from 1998 to 2000.
- Guardians in a tight ALCS. Cleveland won Game 3 3-2 to lead 2-1 after a draining five-game Division Series win over the White Sox, in which they set a postseason record with 21 strikeouts in the clincher. The franchise has not won a World Series since 1948.
- Rays chasing a first title. Tampa Bay won the season series with Cleveland 5-1, and Drew Rasmussen took a no-hit bid into the eighth inning against the Yankees earlier in the playoffs. The Rays have never won a World Series.
- Pitching depth. The Guardians used only three starters in the Division Series, so how their rotation holds up may decide the ALCS.
What is at stake in each possible World Series
Possible matchup | The story |
|---|---|
Dodgers vs Guardians | A chance at a three-peat versus Cleveland's search for its first title since 1948 |
Dodgers vs Rays | A three-peat versus Tampa Bay's first-ever championship |
Brewers vs Guardians | Milwaukee seeking its first title against Cleveland seeking its first since 1948 |
Brewers vs Rays | Neither franchise has won a World Series, so a first championship is guaranteed |
The ALCS winner and NLCS winner will be set no later than October 20, so check back for a full matchup preview.
World Series 2026 FAQ
When does the 2026 World Series start? Friday, October 23, 2026, with a possible Game 7 on Saturday, October 31.
Who is in the World Series? To be decided. The NLCS is Brewers vs Dodgers and the ALCS is Guardians vs Rays, and the winners meet in the World Series.
Who has home-field advantage? The league champion with the better regular-season record hosts Game 1.
What channel is the World Series on? FOX in the US, with streaming on FOX One, and Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ in Canada.
How many games are in the World Series? Up to seven. The first team to win four games is champion.
Who won the 2025 World Series? The Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays in seven games, winning Game 7 5-4 in 11 innings.
Can the Dodgers still win the pennant? Yes, but they trail the Brewers 3-0 in the NLCS, and only one team in MLB history has come back from that deficit.
Sources
Reporting based on game results and broadcast schedules as of October 16, 2026.
- MLB: 2026 postseason schedule announcement
- Fox Sports: 2026 MLB playoff schedule
- ESPN: Brewers beat Dodgers 6-2 in NLCS Game 3
- Fox Sports: NLCS Game 3 highlights
- Yahoo Sports: Brewers take 3-0 NLCS lead
- CBS Sports: 2026 MLB playoff schedule
- Wikipedia: 2026 World Series
- Wikipedia: 2025 World Series
- MLB.com: ALCS rotation matchup
- Fox 13: Rays open ALCS against Guardians
- Cybernews: how to watch the 2026 NLCS
- NBC Sports: how to watch the ALCS