The 2020 World Series will begin on Tuesday, Oct. 20, with Game 1 of a best-of-seven competition between the champions of the American League and National League.

• 2020 postseason schedule

Here is the full schedule for the 116th Fall Classic, which will be played entirely at Globe Life Field, the home of the Texas Rangers. The ballpark, which opened this season, will host a limited number of fans for each game.

Game 1: Tuesday, Oct. 20
Game 2: Wednesday, Oct. 21
Game 3: Friday, Oct. 23
Game 4: Saturday, Oct. 24
Game 5^: Sunday, Oct. 25
Game 6^: Tuesday, Oct. 27
Game 7^: Wednesday, Oct. 28
^If necessary

Typically, the first two games and the last two games (if necessary) would be played at the stadium of the team with home-field advantage, with travel days after Game 2 and Game 5. However, due to the precautions being taken during a pandemic, the 2020 Division Series, League Championship Series, and World Series all are taking place at neutral sites. Even so, the team with the better record will be considered the home team for Games 1, 2, 6 and 7 and bat last.

Despite the fact that the postseason field was expanded from 10 to 16 teams in 2020 -- replacing the two Wild Card Games with eight best-of-three Wild Card Series -- this is actually the earliest start to a Fall Classic since 2011, when the Cardinals and Rangers played Game 1 on Oct. 19.

Originally, the World Series started much earlier, due to the fact that it was the only postseason round up until 1969, when the League Championship Series was added. The first World Series, in 1903, began on Oct. 1 of that year. There were eight seasons in which the event began in September, the last in 1955. The earliest start date (Sept. 5) came in 1918, when the Series was moved up due to World War I.

The latest a World Series started was on Oct. 28, 2009, when the Phillies and Yankees met in the Bronx. That was one of six times that MLB’s championship extended into the month of November. All six have been since 2001, when the September 11 attacks caused a delay in the regular season. The 2001 and ‘09 World Series are tied for the latest end date (Nov. 4), with the Yankees losing to the D-backs in Game 7 in ‘01 but beating the Phillies in Game 6 in ‘09.