2026 ALCS & NLCS: League Championship Series schedule and bullpens
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The 2026 League Championship Series decide the American and National League pennants. The NLCS starts Sunday, October 11 and the ALCS Monday, October 12; both are best of seven. Matchups fill in as the Division Series end; until then this page shows every possible pairing, who would have home field, how those teams did against each other in the regular season, and how their bullpens compare.
Data as of October 2, 2026 at 3:37 AM ET, from the official MLB Stats API. The page is published once a day and checks the API again after it loads. For scores during games see the live scoreboard.
Who can still reach the 2026 ALCS and NLCS
Possible ALCS matchups
| Matchup | Home field | Regular-season meetings |
|---|---|---|
| (1) TB vs (2) CLE | Tampa Bay Rays | TB 5-1 (runs 20-8) |
| (1) TB vs (6) CWS | Tampa Bay Rays | TB 4-2 (runs 24-26) |
| (2) CLE vs (4) NYY | Cleveland Guardians | CLE 2-4 (runs 26-28) |
| (4) NYY vs (6) CWS | New York Yankees | NYY 4-3 (runs 41-27) |
| Regular season | Tampa Bay Rays | Cleveland Guardians | New York Yankees | Chicago White Sox |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seed | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Record | 98-64 | 85-77 | 93-68 | 84-78 |
| Run differential | +86 | +11 | +138 | +56 |
| Home / road | 55-26 / 43-38 | 41-40 / 44-37 | 46-34 / 47-34 | 48-33 / 36-45 |
| Last 10 games | 5-5 | 8-2 | 5-5 | 7-3 |
| One-run games | 25-14 | 27-22 | 17-22 | 25-22 |
| Starters' ERA | 3.51 | 3.93 | 3.30 | 4.60 |
| Relief ERA | 3.99 | 3.54 | 3.13 | 3.70 |
| Relief WHIP | 1.20 | 1.25 | 1.22 | 1.29 |
| Relief K/9 · BB/9 | 8.40 · 3.13 | 10.21 · 3.60 | 8.49 · 3.42 | 8.41 · 3.81 |
| Saves / chances | 58/77 | 46/64 | 45/73 | 41/71 |
| Bullpen share of innings | 44% | 40% | 40% | 53% |
| Postseason relief ERA (IP) | No games yet | No games yet | 1.59 (5.2) | 1.64 (11.0) |
Possible NLCS matchups
| Matchup | Home field | Regular-season meetings |
|---|---|---|
| (1) MIL vs (2) LAD | Milwaukee Brewers | MIL 4-3 (runs 25-27) |
| (1) MIL vs (3) ATL | Milwaukee Brewers | MIL 3-3 (runs 22-17) |
| (2) LAD vs (4) SD | Los Angeles Dodgers | LAD 8-5 (runs 60-41) |
| (3) ATL vs (4) SD | Atlanta Braves | ATL 3-4 (runs 27-34) |
| Regular season | Milwaukee Brewers | Los Angeles Dodgers | Atlanta Braves | San Diego Padres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seed | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Record | 103-59 | 100-62 | 94-68 | 91-71 |
| Run differential | +214 | +201 | +116 | +41 |
| Home / road | 55-26 / 48-33 | 51-30 / 49-32 | 52-29 / 42-39 | 51-30 / 40-41 |
| Last 10 games | 8-2 | 8-2 | 5-5 | 8-2 |
| One-run games | 27-20 | 31-23 | 27-21 | 26-22 |
| Starters' ERA | 3.61 | 3.43 | 3.76 | 4.42 |
| Relief ERA | 3.40 | 3.74 | 3.44 | 3.53 |
| Relief WHIP | 1.23 | 1.23 | 1.19 | 1.25 |
| Relief K/9 · BB/9 | 8.95 · 3.64 | 9.99 · 3.77 | 8.81 · 3.22 | 9.35 · 3.44 |
| Saves / chances | 55/76 | 46/69 | 49/69 | 48/68 |
| Bullpen share of innings | 44% | 39% | 42% | 48% |
| Postseason relief ERA (IP) | No games yet | No games yet | 3.97 (11.1) | 0.00 (7.2) |
Late-inning relievers of every team still alive
Each team's five relievers with the most saves and holds in the 2026 regular season (MLB Stats API). In October these arms pitch a larger share of the innings.
Tampa Bay Rays late-inning relievers
| Pitcher | G | IP | ERA | WHIP | K/9 | SV | HLD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryan Baker | 65 | 62.1 | 1.44 | 0.91 | 9.10 | 41 | 2 |
| Kevin Kelly | 71 | 73.2 | 2.44 | 0.90 | 7.70 | 4 | 33 |
| Garrett Cleavinger | 51 | 41.1 | 4.79 | 1.43 | 11.76 | 2 | 23 |
| Cole Sulser | 51 | 56.1 | 4.31 | 1.24 | 8.95 | 3 | 12 |
| Cam Booser | 42 | 41.0 | 1.98 | 0.76 | 9.88 | 0 | 13 |
Cleveland Guardians late-inning relievers
| Pitcher | G | IP | ERA | WHIP | K/9 | SV | HLD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cade Smith | 69 | 74.0 | 1.95 | 0.96 | 13.01 | 41 | 1 |
| Hunter Gaddis | 68 | 60.1 | 2.98 | 1.28 | 8.50 | 1 | 32 |
| Erik Sabrowski | 60 | 48.1 | 2.61 | 1.18 | 14.15 | 1 | 28 |
| Tim Herrin | 67 | 56.2 | 3.02 | 1.31 | 8.58 | 0 | 16 |
| Colin Holderman | 54 | 52.2 | 2.73 | 1.04 | 8.54 | 1 | 11 |
New York Yankees late-inning relievers
| Pitcher | G | IP | ERA | WHIP | K/9 | SV | HLD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Bednar | 64 | 69.1 | 2.47 | 1.04 | 9.87 | 35 | 0 |
| Brent Headrick | 81 | 78.1 | 2.18 | 1.21 | 11.26 | 0 | 29 |
| Fernando Cruz | 61 | 54.2 | 3.13 | 1.34 | 11.03 | 2 | 19 |
| Tim Hill | 67 | 58.2 | 4.60 | 1.14 | 3.84 | 2 | 10 |
| Paul Blackburn | 62 | 85.0 | 1.59 | 1.08 | 7.31 | 1 | 11 |
Chicago White Sox late-inning relievers
| Pitcher | G | IP | ERA | WHIP | K/9 | SV | HLD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seranthony Domínguez | 43 | 38.1 | 3.99 | 1.33 | 11.03 | 12 | 4 |
| Jordan Hicks | 53 | 48.0 | 3.94 | 1.54 | 12.00 | 1 | 10 |
| Trevor Richards | 52 | 78.2 | 3.78 | 1.13 | 7.78 | 2 | 1 |
| Tyler Schweitzer | 18 | 37.1 | 3.13 | 1.31 | 4.34 | 1 | 2 |
| Chris Murphy | 33 | 33.2 | 4.81 | 1.43 | 9.36 | 1 | 2 |
Milwaukee Brewers late-inning relievers
| Pitcher | G | IP | ERA | WHIP | K/9 | SV | HLD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trevor Megill | 63 | 61.2 | 2.63 | 0.89 | 10.07 | 30 | 7 |
| Abner Uribe | 61 | 59.1 | 1.97 | 1.03 | 9.40 | 6 | 23 |
| Aaron Ashby | 75 | 89.1 | 3.12 | 1.31 | 11.69 | 4 | 15 |
| Antonio Senzatela | 23 | 21.0 | 5.14 | 1.48 | 6.00 | 1 | 7 |
| DL Hall | 47 | 61.1 | 1.91 | 1.04 | 9.39 | 0 | 6 |
Los Angeles Dodgers late-inning relievers
| Pitcher | G | IP | ERA | WHIP | K/9 | SV | HLD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tanner Scott | 69 | 63.2 | 2.69 | 0.99 | 11.59 | 25 | 13 |
| Alex Vesia | 72 | 58.0 | 2.64 | 1.07 | 11.48 | 3 | 20 |
| Will Klein | 36 | 41.2 | 3.67 | 1.56 | 10.58 | 2 | 12 |
| Jack Dreyer | 67 | 64.2 | 3.20 | 1.10 | 10.16 | 2 | 11 |
| Edgardo Henriquez | 61 | 60.0 | 2.85 | 1.03 | 10.65 | 2 | 11 |
Atlanta Braves late-inning relievers
| Pitcher | G | IP | ERA | WHIP | K/9 | SV | HLD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raisel Iglesias | 59 | 60.0 | 2.55 | 1.08 | 9.60 | 34 | 0 |
| Dylan Lee | 71 | 67.0 | 3.09 | 0.97 | 10.34 | 0 | 31 |
| Didier Fuentes | 58 | 73.1 | 2.45 | 1.10 | 11.29 | 3 | 18 |
| Robert Suarez | 33 | 34.0 | 1.06 | 0.88 | 6.88 | 4 | 12 |
| Dylan Dodd | 48 | 49.2 | 2.54 | 0.91 | 9.60 | 2 | 14 |
San Diego Padres late-inning relievers
| Pitcher | G | IP | ERA | WHIP | K/9 | SV | HLD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mason Miller | 66 | 70.0 | 1.67 | 0.90 | 16.59 | 38 | 0 |
| Adrian Morejon | 76 | 86.0 | 2.83 | 1.08 | 11.20 | 3 | 28 |
| Jason Adam | 38 | 34.1 | 2.62 | 1.17 | 5.77 | 2 | 18 |
| Jeremiah Estrada | 33 | 31.0 | 3.48 | 1.16 | 11.03 | 1 | 12 |
| Yuki Matsui | 54 | 64.0 | 1.83 | 1.14 | 9.56 | 1 | 11 |
2026 ALCS and NLCS schedule
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 |
* If necessary. Times are Eastern; MLB sets them once each matchup is known.
Format
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.
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).
FAQ
How many games are in the ALCS and NLCS?
Both League Championship Series are best of seven: the first team to four wins takes the pennant and goes to the World Series. The higher seed hosts Games 1, 2, 6 and 7 and the lower seed hosts Games 3, 4 and 5 (2-3-2). Games 5, 6 and 7 are played only if needed.
When does the 2026 ALCS and NLCS start?
The 2026 NLCS starts Sunday, October 11, with a possible Game 7 on Monday, October 19. The ALCS starts Monday, October 12, with a possible Game 7 on Tuesday, October 20. First-pitch times are set once the matchups are known.
Who can still reach the 2026 ALCS?
The Tampa Bay Rays, the Cleveland Guardians, the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees are still alive. The ALCS is between the winners of the two ALDS series, and the higher seed has home field.
Who can still reach the 2026 NLCS?
The Milwaukee Brewers, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Atlanta Braves and the San Diego Padres are still alive. The NLCS is between the winners of the two NLDS series, and the higher seed has home field.
What channel is the 2026 ALCS and NLCS on?
ALCS: TBS / HBO MAX and TruTV. NLCS: FOX / FS1. From the MLB Stats API schedule; assignments can change as series are decided.
What do ALCS and NLCS stand for?
American League Championship Series and National League Championship Series. The winners are the league champions (the pennant winners) and meet in the World Series.
Who has home field in the ALCS and NLCS?
The higher seed, whatever the regular-season records. Because the 1 and 2 seeds are the two best division winners, a wild card team that reaches the LCS is always the lower seed against a division winner, even with a better record.
More: full 2026 MLB playoff schedule & bracket · ALDS & NLDS · World Series · model series projections · standings
All figures are regular-season or postseason statistics, not projections. Model projections, clearly labelled as such, are on the playoff predictions and World Series predictions pages.
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