Milwaukee Brewers captain Christian Yelich expects an electric atmosphere when his team hosts the Tampa Bay Rays for Game 1 of the 2026 World Series on Friday night.
Yelich discussed the anticipation surrounding the opening game, explaining that the atmosphere at American Family Field should reach another level with the roof closed and Milwaukee hosting its first World Series game in years. Bob Nightengale shared the veteran outfielder's comments ahead of the matchup.
“It's going to be awesome tonight and tomorrow night. Just looking forward — like I said, the atmosphere has been really good this postseason here, but I think tonight is going to be another level with the roof closed and just how long people have been waiting to come to this game,” Yelich said. “I think they're going to just like — I think they're going to be going crazy. So it's going to be awesome.”
The Brewers enter the World Series after sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers to secure their place in the Fall Classic. Milwaukee has put together an impressive postseason run, and the team will look to carry that momentum into a matchup against a Rays squad that advanced by defeating the Cleveland Guardians in Game 6.
As captain, Yelich has been an important leader for Milwaukee, which will need to handle the pressure of the World Series while playing in front of an energized home crowd.
Article Continues BelowThe opening matchup will feature Nick Martinez starting for Tampa Bay against Jacob Misiorowski for Milwaukee. Both teams will be looking to establish an early advantage in a series featuring two of the league's top clubs.
Yelich expects the crowd to be ready, and the Brewers will aim to give their fans a performance worthy of the occasion.