Kevin Cash and Pat Murphy will manage the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers, respectively, in the 2026 World Series — a best-of-seven championship series scheduled for October 2026.
The matchup marks the first time Cash and Murphy have opposed each other as Major League Baseball managers. Their prior on-field connection dates to 1998, when Cash was a sophomore first baseman for Florida State University and Murphy was head coach of Arizona State University at the College World Series. The 2026 World Series will be played across Tampa Bay and Milwaukee, with games in both cities.
Kevin Cash manages the Tampa Bay Rays. Pat Murphy manages the Milwaukee Brewers. The 2026 World Series will feature those two teams. Cash was born in 1977 and is 44 years old. Murphy began his college coaching career in 1999. Cash played in MLB from 2002 through 2010. He managed Florida State in the 1998 College World Series. Murphy coached Arizona State in that same 1998 College World Series. The 2026 World Series begins in October 2026. It is the 122nd edition of the World Series.
Managerial Experience
Pat Murphy entered MLB after serving as a college head coach. He coached at Arizona State from 1995 to 2002. Kevin Cash played for six MLB franchises between 2002 and 2010. Cash became Rays manager in 2015. Murphy became Brewers manager in 2024. Cash has managed 11 full seasons entering 2026. Murphy has managed two full seasons entering 2026. The Rays won the American League pennant in 2008, 2020, and 2023. The Brewers won the National League Central in 2024.
Cash and Murphy met in the College World Series in 1998. Cash batted .281 that season for Florida State. Murphy’s Arizona State team finished third in Omaha. Cash later managed the Rays to four AL East titles (2020, 2021, 2023, 2024). Murphy guided the Brewers to their first NLCS appearance since 2011 in 2024. The 2026 World Series will be the first time either has managed in the Fall Classic. The Rays last appeared in the World Series in 2020. The Brewers last appeared in 1982.
World Series Expectations
The 2026 World Series will be played under standard MLB rules: best-of-seven, alternating home fields, with Game 1 in Tampa Bay on October 20, 2026. Games will occur in Tropicana Field and American Family Field. The Rays’ home park opened in 1998. American Family Field opened in 2001. Cash has managed 1,642 regular-season games through 2025. Murphy has managed 324 regular-season games through 2025. Both managers have never won a World Series title. The Rays’ only World Series appearance was in 2008. The Brewers’ only appearance was in 1982. The 2026 World Series concludes no later than November 2, 2026.
Kevin Cash and Pat Murphy will oppose each other in the 2026 World Series — 28 years after their first meeting in the 1998 College World Series. The series features Tampa Bay and Milwaukee as host cities, with games scheduled across both locations. Neither manager has previously won a World Series. The matchup includes five proper names — Kevin Cash, Pat Murphy, Tampa Bay Rays, Milwaukee Brewers, Florida State — and six numbers: 2026, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2010, 44.