2026 MLB postseason schedule & playoff bracket
The full 2026 MLB postseason schedule and bracket: every Wild Card, Division Series, League Championship Series and World Series game with its date, first-pitch time (Eastern), ballpark and national TV, plus results and probable starters as they are announced. Schedule data from the MLB Stats API, updated September 30 at 11:47 PM ET.
2026 MLB playoff bracket
- AL Wild Card Series A: Houston Astros vs Chicago White Sox (Houston Astros 0, Chicago White Sox 2) — Chicago White Sox advance
- AL Wild Card Series B: New York Yankees vs Boston Red Sox (New York Yankees 2, Boston Red Sox 0) — New York Yankees advance
- NL Wild Card Series A: Atlanta Braves vs Philadelphia Phillies (Atlanta Braves 1, Philadelphia Phillies 1)
- NL Wild Card Series B: San Diego Padres vs Chicago Cubs (San Diego Padres 1, Chicago Cubs 0)
- AL Division Series A: Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees (Tampa Bay Rays 0, New York Yankees 0)
- AL Division Series B: Cleveland Guardians vs Chicago White Sox (Cleveland Guardians 0, Chicago White Sox 0)
- NL Division Series A: Milwaukee Brewers vs SD/CHC
- NL Division Series B: Los Angeles Dodgers vs ATL/PHI
- AL Championship Series: AL Higher Seed vs AL Lower Seed
- NL Championship Series: NL Higher Seed vs NL Lower Seed
- World Series: Higher Seed League Champion vs Lower Seed League Champion
2026 MLB postseason schedule
Wild Card Series
AL Wild Card Series A
| Game | Date | First pitch | Matchup | Ballpark | TV | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Tue, Sep 29 | 5:00 PM ET | Chicago White Sox at Houston Astros | Daikin Park | Peacock / NBCSN | Final: CWS 6, HOU 3 |
| Game 2 | Wed, Sep 30 | 5:00 PM ET | Chicago White Sox at Houston Astros | Daikin Park | Peacock / NBCSN | Final: CWS 7, HOU 3 |
AL Wild Card Series B
| Game | Date | First pitch | Matchup | Ballpark | TV | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Tue, Sep 29 | 8:00 PM ET | Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees | Yankee Stadium | NBC / Peacock | Final: BOS 0, NYY 9 |
| Game 2 | Wed, Sep 30 | 8:00 PM ET | Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees | Yankee Stadium | NBC / Peacock | Final: BOS 2, NYY 9 |
NL Wild Card Series A
| Game | Date | First pitch | Matchup | Ballpark | TV | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Tue, Sep 29 | 2:00 PM ET | Philadelphia Phillies at Atlanta Braves | Truist Park | NBC / Peacock | Final: PHI 3, ATL 5 |
| Game 2 | Wed, Sep 30 | 2:00 PM ET | Philadelphia Phillies at Atlanta Braves | Truist Park | NBC / Peacock | Final: PHI 4, ATL 3 |
| Game 3 | Thu, Oct 1 | 2:00 PM ET | Philadelphia Phillies at Atlanta Braves | Truist Park | NBC / Peacock | Scheduled |
NL Wild Card Series B
| Game | Date | First pitch | Matchup | Ballpark | TV | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Tue, Sep 29 | 10:00 PM ET | Chicago Cubs at San Diego Padres | Petco Park | Peacock / NBCSN | Final: CHC 0, SD 8 |
| Game 2 | Wed, Sep 30 | 10:00 PM ET | Chicago Cubs at San Diego Padres | Petco Park | Peacock / NBCSN | Probables: Kevin Gausman vs Nick Pivetta |
| Game 3* | Thu, Oct 1 | 10:00 PM ET | Chicago Cubs at San Diego Padres | Petco Park | Peacock / NBCSN | Scheduled |
Division Series
AL Division Series A
| Game | Date | First pitch | Matchup | Ballpark | TV | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Sat, Oct 3 | 6:30 PM ET | New York Yankees at Tampa Bay Rays | Tropicana Field | TBS / HBO MAX, TruTV | Probables: TBD vs Drew Rasmussen |
| Game 2 | Mon, Oct 5 | 8:00 PM ET | New York Yankees at Tampa Bay Rays | Tropicana Field | TBS / HBO MAX, TruTV | Scheduled |
| Game 3 | Wed, Oct 7 | TBD | Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees | Yankee Stadium | TBS / HBO MAX, TruTV | Scheduled |
| Game 4* | Thu, Oct 8 | TBD | Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees | Yankee Stadium | TBS / HBO MAX, TruTV | Scheduled |
| Game 5* | Sat, Oct 10 | TBD | New York Yankees at Tampa Bay Rays | Tropicana Field | TBS / HBO MAX, TruTV | Scheduled |
AL Division Series B
| Game | Date | First pitch | Matchup | Ballpark | TV | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Sat, Oct 3 | 1:00 PM ET | Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Guardians | Progressive Field | TBS / HBO MAX, TruTV | Scheduled |
| Game 2 | Mon, Oct 5 | 5:00 PM ET | Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Guardians | Progressive Field | TBS / HBO MAX, TruTV | Scheduled |
| Game 3 | Wed, Oct 7 | TBD | Cleveland Guardians at Chicago White Sox | Rate Field | TBS / HBO MAX, TruTV | Scheduled |
| Game 4* | Thu, Oct 8 | TBD | Cleveland Guardians at Chicago White Sox | Rate Field | TBS / HBO MAX, TruTV | Scheduled |
| Game 5* | Sat, Oct 10 | TBD | Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Guardians | Progressive Field | TBS / HBO MAX, TruTV | Scheduled |
NL Division Series A
| Game | Date | First pitch | Matchup | Ballpark | TV | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Sat, Oct 3 | TBD | SD/CHC at Milwaukee Brewers | American Family Field | FOX / FS1 | Probables: TBD vs Jacob Misiorowski |
| Game 2 | Sun, Oct 4 | 4:00 PM ET | SD/CHC at Milwaukee Brewers | American Family Field | FS1 / FOX ONE | Probables: TBD vs Logan Henderson |
| Game 3 | Tue, Oct 6 | TBD | Milwaukee Brewers at SD/CHC | TBD | FOX / FS1 | Scheduled |
| Game 4* | Wed, Oct 7 | TBD | Milwaukee Brewers at SD/CHC | TBD | FOX / FS1 | Scheduled |
| Game 5* | Fri, Oct 9 | TBD | SD/CHC at Milwaukee Brewers | American Family Field | FOX / FS1 | Scheduled |
NL Division Series B
| Game | Date | First pitch | Matchup | Ballpark | TV | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Sat, Oct 3 | TBD | ATL/PHI at Los Angeles Dodgers | UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium | FOX / FS1 | Scheduled |
| Game 2 | Sun, Oct 4 | 8:00 PM ET | ATL/PHI at Los Angeles Dodgers | UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium | FS1 / FOX ONE | Scheduled |
| Game 3 | Tue, Oct 6 | TBD | Los Angeles Dodgers at ATL/PHI | TBD | FOX / FS1 | Scheduled |
| Game 4* | Wed, Oct 7 | TBD | Los Angeles Dodgers at ATL/PHI | TBD | FOX / FS1 | Scheduled |
| Game 5* | Fri, Oct 9 | TBD | ATL/PHI at Los Angeles Dodgers | UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium | FOX / FS1 | Scheduled |
League Championship Series
AL Championship Series
| Game | Date | First pitch | Matchup | Ballpark | TV | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Mon, Oct 12 | TBD | AL Lower Seed at AL Higher Seed | TBD | TBS / HBO MAX, TruTV | Scheduled |
| Game 2 | Tue, Oct 13 | TBD | AL Lower Seed at AL Higher Seed | TBD | TBS / HBO MAX, TruTV | Scheduled |
| Game 3 | Thu, Oct 15 | TBD | AL Higher Seed at AL Lower Seed | TBD | TBS / HBO MAX, TruTV | Scheduled |
| Game 4 | Fri, Oct 16 | TBD | AL Higher Seed at AL Lower Seed | TBD | TBS / HBO MAX, TruTV | Scheduled |
| Game 5* | Sat, Oct 17 | TBD | AL Higher Seed at AL Lower Seed | TBD | TBS / HBO MAX, TruTV | Scheduled |
| Game 6* | Mon, Oct 19 | TBD | AL Lower Seed at AL Higher Seed | TBD | TBS / HBO MAX, TruTV | Scheduled |
| Game 7* | Tue, Oct 20 | TBD | AL Lower Seed at AL Higher Seed | TBD | TBS / HBO MAX, TruTV | Scheduled |
NL Championship Series
| Game | Date | First pitch | Matchup | Ballpark | TV | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Sun, Oct 11 | TBD | NL Lower Seed at NL Higher Seed | TBD | FOX / FS1 | Scheduled |
| Game 2 | Mon, Oct 12 | TBD | NL Lower Seed at NL Higher Seed | TBD | FOX / FS1 | Scheduled |
| Game 3 | Wed, Oct 14 | TBD | NL Higher Seed at NL Lower Seed | TBD | FOX / FS1 | Scheduled |
| Game 4 | Thu, Oct 15 | TBD | NL Higher Seed at NL Lower Seed | TBD | FOX / FS1 | Scheduled |
| Game 5* | Fri, Oct 16 | TBD | NL Higher Seed at NL Lower Seed | TBD | FOX / FS1 | Scheduled |
| Game 6* | Sun, Oct 18 | TBD | NL Lower Seed at NL Higher Seed | TBD | FOX / FS1 | Scheduled |
| Game 7* | Mon, Oct 19 | TBD | NL Lower Seed at NL Higher Seed | TBD | FOX / FS1 | Scheduled |
World Series
World Series
| Game | Date | First pitch | Matchup | Ballpark | TV | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Fri, Oct 23 | TBD | Lower Seed League Champion at Higher Seed League Champion | TBD | FOX / FOX ONE | Scheduled |
| Game 2 | Sat, Oct 24 | TBD | Lower Seed League Champion at Higher Seed League Champion | TBD | FOX / FOX ONE | Scheduled |
| Game 3 | Mon, Oct 26 | TBD | Higher Seed League Champion at Lower Seed League Champion | TBD | FOX / FOX ONE | Scheduled |
| Game 4 | Tue, Oct 27 | TBD | Higher Seed League Champion at Lower Seed League Champion | TBD | FOX / FOX ONE | Scheduled |
| Game 5* | Wed, Oct 28 | TBD | Higher Seed League Champion at Lower Seed League Champion | TBD | FOX / FOX ONE | Scheduled |
| Game 6* | Fri, Oct 30 | TBD | Lower Seed League Champion at Higher Seed League Champion | TBD | FOX / FOX ONE | Scheduled |
| Game 7* | Sat, Oct 31 | TBD | Lower Seed League Champion at Higher Seed League Champion | TBD | FOX / FOX ONE | Scheduled |
* If necessary. Times are Eastern; TBD times are set by MLB once the matchup is known.
Playoff team bullpens and starting pitching
Regular-season 2026 pitching splits for all twelve playoff teams from the MLB Stats API: relievers and starters separately.
American League bullpens
| Seed | Team | Record | Relief ERA | WHIP | K/9 | BB/9 | HR/9 | Saves / chances | Holds | Bullpen share of innings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tampa Bay Rays | 98-64 | 3.99 | 1.20 | 8.40 | 3.13 | 1.35 | 58/77 (75%) | 116 | 44% |
| 2 | Cleveland Guardians | 85-77 | 3.54 | 1.25 | 10.21 | 3.60 | 0.99 | 46/64 (72%) | 117 | 40% |
| 3 | Houston Astros | 81-81 | 4.08 | 1.27 | 9.00 | 3.70 | 1.24 | 49/63 (78%) | 88 | 46% |
| 4 | New York Yankees | 93-68 | 3.13 | 1.22 | 8.49 | 3.42 | 0.99 | 45/73 (62%) | 86 | 40% |
| 5 | Boston Red Sox | 87-75 | 3.00 | 1.17 | 8.74 | 3.08 | 0.82 | 46/60 (77%) | 94 | 42% |
| 6 | Chicago White Sox | 84-78 | 3.70 | 1.29 | 8.41 | 3.81 | 1.02 | 41/71 (58%) | 64 | 53% |
National League bullpens
| Seed | Team | Record | Relief ERA | WHIP | K/9 | BB/9 | HR/9 | Saves / chances | Holds | Bullpen share of innings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milwaukee Brewers | 103-59 | 3.40 | 1.23 | 8.95 | 3.64 | 0.89 | 55/76 (72%) | 87 | 44% |
| 2 | Los Angeles Dodgers | 100-62 | 3.74 | 1.23 | 9.99 | 3.77 | 0.96 | 46/69 (67%) | 102 | 39% |
| 3 | Atlanta Braves | 94-68 | 3.44 | 1.19 | 8.81 | 3.22 | 1.11 | 49/69 (71%) | 106 | 42% |
| 4 | San Diego Padres | 91-71 | 3.53 | 1.25 | 9.35 | 3.44 | 0.92 | 48/68 (71%) | 107 | 48% |
| 5 | Chicago Cubs | 89-73 | 3.90 | 1.28 | 7.90 | 3.41 | 1.34 | 36/64 (56%) | 57 | 41% |
| 6 | Philadelphia Phillies | 88-74 | 4.43 | 1.36 | 9.84 | 3.47 | 1.14 | 42/65 (65%) | 73 | 39% |
Starting pitching
| Team | Starters' ERA | WHIP | K/9 | BB/9 | HR/9 | Innings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Rays | 3.51 | 1.09 | 8.12 | 2.10 | 1.18 | 811.0 |
| Cleveland Guardians | 3.93 | 1.27 | 9.16 | 3.13 | 1.17 | 863.0 |
| Houston Astros | 4.81 | 1.40 | 8.70 | 4.39 | 1.31 | 774.2 |
| New York Yankees | 3.30 | 1.14 | 9.43 | 2.80 | 1.06 | 867.0 |
| Boston Red Sox | 3.92 | 1.28 | 8.73 | 2.83 | 1.05 | 837.2 |
| Chicago White Sox | 4.60 | 1.34 | 8.28 | 3.29 | 1.24 | 674.2 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 3.61 | 1.14 | 10.13 | 2.89 | 1.21 | 806.0 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 3.43 | 1.08 | 9.25 | 2.53 | 1.16 | 879.2 |
| Atlanta Braves | 3.76 | 1.28 | 8.19 | 3.38 | 1.19 | 839.1 |
| San Diego Padres | 4.42 | 1.33 | 7.23 | 3.50 | 1.32 | 752.2 |
| Chicago Cubs | 4.27 | 1.25 | 7.79 | 2.90 | 1.51 | 848.2 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 3.80 | 1.24 | 9.88 | 2.75 | 1.23 | 883.1 |
How the MLB postseason format works
Who qualifies
Twelve teams reach the MLB postseason, six from each league: the three division winners and the three teams with the best records among the rest (the wild cards). There is no tiebreaker game; ties in the standings are settled by formula, starting with head-to-head record.
Seeding and byes
The two division winners with the best records are seeds 1 and 2 and skip the first round. The third division winner is seed 3 and the wild cards are seeds 4, 5 and 6 in order of record, so a wild card team can have a better record than the 3 seed and still be seeded below it.
Wild Card Series (best of three)
Seed 3 plays seed 6 and seed 4 plays seed 5. All three games are played at the higher seed's ballpark, on consecutive days, and the first team to two wins advances.
Division Series (best of five)
Seed 1 plays the winner of 4 vs 5 and seed 2 plays the winner of 3 vs 6. The bracket is fixed, so teams are not re-seeded after the first round. The higher seed hosts games 1, 2 and 5 (a 2-2-1 format).
League Championship Series (best of seven)
The two Division Series winners in each league meet for the pennant. The higher seed hosts games 1, 2, 6 and 7 (2-3-2).
World Series (best of seven)
The American League and National League champions meet. Home field goes to the team with the better regular-season record, not to a league, and the series is also played 2-3-2.
MLB postseason FAQ
When does the 2026 MLB postseason start?
The 2026 postseason started on Tuesday, September 29 with the Wild Card Series. The Division Series begins Saturday, October 3, the League Championship Series Sunday, October 11 and the World Series Friday, October 23, with a possible Game 7 on Saturday, October 31.
How many games are in the MLB Wild Card Series?
The Wild Card Series is a best-of-three: the first team to win two games advances. All three games are played at the higher seed's ballpark, and Game 3 is only played if the series is tied 1-1.
How many teams make the MLB playoffs?
Twelve: six from the American League and six from the National League. Each league sends its three division winners and three wild card teams.
Which teams have a first-round bye in 2026?
The 1 and 2 seeds in each league skip the Wild Card Series and go straight to the Division Series. In 2026 they are the Tampa Bay Rays (98-64), the Cleveland Guardians (85-77), the Milwaukee Brewers (103-59) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (100-62).
Does MLB re-seed the playoffs after the Wild Card round?
No. The bracket is fixed: the 1 seed always plays the winner of 4 vs 5, and the 2 seed plays the winner of 3 vs 6, whichever teams win.
How long is each round of the MLB playoffs?
The Wild Card Series is best of three, the Division Series best of five, and the League Championship Series and World Series are best of seven. A team that starts in the Wild Card round needs 13 wins to take the title; a team with a bye needs 11.
When is the 2026 World Series?
Game 1 of the 2026 World Series is scheduled for Friday, October 23. Games 5, 6 and 7 are played only if needed, and Game 7 would be on Saturday, October 31. Home field goes to the pennant winner with the better regular-season record.
What channel are the 2026 MLB playoffs on?
Wild Card Series: Peacock / NBCSN and NBC / Peacock. American League Division and Championship Series: TBS / HBO MAX and TruTV. National League Division and Championship Series: FOX / FS1 and FS1 / FOX ONE. World Series: FOX / FOX ONE. National TV listings come from the MLB Stats API schedule and can change as series are decided.
Why does bullpen depth matter more in October?
Off days between games let managers use their best relievers more often and pull starters earlier, so a larger share of postseason innings goes to the top of the bullpen. The tables on this page show each playoff team's regular-season relief ERA, WHIP, strikeout and walk rates, and save conversions.
More: final regular-season standings · model series probabilities · World Series projection · team ratings · bullpen and pitching articles