2026 ALDS & NLDS: Division Series schedule, matchups and bullpens
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The 2026 Division Series start Saturday, October 3. The American League Division Series (ALDS) and National League Division Series (NLDS) are both best of five, and the four winners meet in the League Championship Series. Below: every game's date, first pitch, ballpark and TV, each matchup's regular-season records and head-to-head results, and the numbers that decide October baseball, starting with the bullpens.
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.
2026 Division Series matchups
ALDS: (1) Tampa Bay Rays vs (4) New York Yankees
Regular-season meetings: TB 7-6 (runs 45-54). The Tampa Bay Rays have home field as the higher seed.
| Regular season | Tampa Bay Rays | New York Yankees |
|---|---|---|
| Seed | 1 | 4 |
| Record | 98-64 | 93-68 |
| Run differential | +86 | +138 |
| Home / road | 55-26 / 43-38 | 46-34 / 47-34 |
| Last 10 games | 5-5 | 5-5 |
| One-run games | 25-14 | 17-22 |
| Starters' ERA | 3.51 | 3.30 |
| Relief ERA | 3.99 | 3.13 |
| Relief WHIP | 1.20 | 1.22 |
| Relief K/9 · BB/9 | 8.40 · 3.13 | 8.49 · 3.42 |
| Saves / chances | 58/77 | 45/73 |
| Bullpen share of innings | 44% | 40% |
| Postseason relief ERA (IP) | No games yet | 1.59 (5.2) |
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 |
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 |
| 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 | Probables: Cam Schlittler vs TBD |
| Game 3 | Wed, Oct 7 | 8:00 PM ET | Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees | Yankee Stadium | TBS / HBO MAX, TruTV | Scheduled |
| Game 4* | Thu, Oct 8 | 8:00 PM ET | Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees | Yankee Stadium | TBS / HBO MAX, TruTV | Scheduled |
| Game 5* | Sat, Oct 10 | 8:00 PM ET | New York Yankees at Tampa Bay Rays | Tropicana Field | TBS / HBO MAX, TruTV | Scheduled |
ALDS: (2) Cleveland Guardians vs (6) Chicago White Sox
Regular-season meetings: CLE 6-7 (runs 57-58). The Cleveland Guardians have home field as the higher seed.
| Regular season | Cleveland Guardians | Chicago White Sox |
|---|---|---|
| Seed | 2 | 6 |
| Record | 85-77 | 84-78 |
| Run differential | +11 | +56 |
| Home / road | 41-40 / 44-37 | 48-33 / 36-45 |
| Last 10 games | 8-2 | 7-3 |
| One-run games | 27-22 | 25-22 |
| Starters' ERA | 3.93 | 4.60 |
| Relief ERA | 3.54 | 3.70 |
| Relief WHIP | 1.25 | 1.29 |
| Relief K/9 · BB/9 | 10.21 · 3.60 | 8.41 · 3.81 |
| Saves / chances | 46/64 | 41/71 |
| Bullpen share of innings | 40% | 53% |
| Postseason relief ERA (IP) | No games yet | 1.64 (11.0) |
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 |
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 |
| 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 | Probables: TBD vs Parker Messick |
| Game 2 | Mon, Oct 5 | 5:00 PM ET | Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Guardians | Progressive Field | TBS / HBO MAX, TruTV | Probables: TBD vs Gavin Williams |
| Game 3 | Wed, Oct 7 | 4:00 PM ET | Cleveland Guardians at Chicago White Sox | Rate Field | TBS / HBO MAX, TruTV | Scheduled |
| Game 4* | Thu, Oct 8 | 5:00 PM ET | Cleveland Guardians at Chicago White Sox | Rate Field | TBS / HBO MAX, TruTV | Scheduled |
| Game 5* | Sat, Oct 10 | 5:00 PM ET | Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Guardians | Progressive Field | TBS / HBO MAX, TruTV | Scheduled |
NLDS: (1) Milwaukee Brewers vs (4) San Diego Padres
Regular-season meetings: MIL 2-4 (runs 21-26). The Milwaukee Brewers have home field as the higher seed.
| Regular season | Milwaukee Brewers | San Diego Padres |
|---|---|---|
| Seed | 1 | 4 |
| Record | 103-59 | 91-71 |
| Run differential | +214 | +41 |
| Home / road | 55-26 / 48-33 | 51-30 / 40-41 |
| Last 10 games | 8-2 | 8-2 |
| One-run games | 27-20 | 26-22 |
| Starters' ERA | 3.61 | 4.42 |
| Relief ERA | 3.40 | 3.53 |
| Relief WHIP | 1.23 | 1.25 |
| Relief K/9 · BB/9 | 8.95 · 3.64 | 9.35 · 3.44 |
| Saves / chances | 55/76 | 48/68 |
| Bullpen share of innings | 44% | 48% |
| Postseason relief ERA (IP) | No games yet | 0.00 (7.2) |
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 |
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 |
| Game | Date | First pitch | Matchup | Ballpark | TV | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Sat, Oct 3 | 8:30 PM ET | San Diego Padres at Milwaukee Brewers | American Family Field | FS1 / FOX ONE | Probables: TBD vs Jacob Misiorowski |
| Game 2 | Sun, Oct 4 | 4:00 PM ET | San Diego Padres at Milwaukee Brewers | American Family Field | FS1 / FOX ONE | Probables: TBD vs Logan Henderson |
| Game 3 | Tue, Oct 6 | 9:30 PM ET | Milwaukee Brewers at San Diego Padres | Petco Park | FS1 / FOX ONE | Scheduled |
| Game 4* | Wed, Oct 7 | 10:00 PM ET | Milwaukee Brewers at San Diego Padres | Petco Park | FS1 / FOX ONE | Scheduled |
| Game 5* | Fri, Oct 9 | 4:30 PM ET | San Diego Padres at Milwaukee Brewers | American Family Field | FS1 / FOX ONE | Scheduled |
NLDS: (2) Los Angeles Dodgers vs (3) Atlanta Braves
Regular-season meetings: LAD 1-5 (runs 15-26). The Los Angeles Dodgers have home field as the higher seed.
| Regular season | Los Angeles Dodgers | Atlanta Braves |
|---|---|---|
| Seed | 2 | 3 |
| Record | 100-62 | 94-68 |
| Run differential | +201 | +116 |
| Home / road | 51-30 / 49-32 | 52-29 / 42-39 |
| Last 10 games | 8-2 | 5-5 |
| One-run games | 31-23 | 27-21 |
| Starters' ERA | 3.43 | 3.76 |
| Relief ERA | 3.74 | 3.44 |
| Relief WHIP | 1.23 | 1.19 |
| Relief K/9 · BB/9 | 9.99 · 3.77 | 8.81 · 3.22 |
| Saves / chances | 46/69 | 49/69 |
| Bullpen share of innings | 39% | 42% |
| Postseason relief ERA (IP) | No games yet | 3.97 (11.1) |
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 |
| Game | Date | First pitch | Matchup | Ballpark | TV | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Sat, Oct 3 | 4:00 PM ET | Atlanta Braves at Los Angeles Dodgers | UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium | FOX / FOX ONE | Scheduled |
| Game 2 | Sun, Oct 4 | 8:00 PM ET | Atlanta Braves at Los Angeles Dodgers | UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium | FS1 / FOX ONE | Scheduled |
| Game 3 | Tue, Oct 6 | 6:00 PM ET | Los Angeles Dodgers at Atlanta Braves | Truist Park | FS1 / FOX ONE | Scheduled |
| Game 4* | Wed, Oct 7 | 6:00 PM ET | Los Angeles Dodgers at Atlanta Braves | Truist Park | FS1 / FOX ONE | Scheduled |
| Game 5* | Fri, Oct 9 | 8:00 PM ET | Atlanta Braves at Los Angeles Dodgers | UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium | FOX / FOX ONE | Scheduled |
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.
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).
FAQ
How many games are in the ALDS and NLDS?
Both Division Series are best of five: the first team to win three games advances to its League Championship Series. The higher seed hosts Games 1, 2 and 5 and the lower seed hosts Games 3 and 4 (2-2-1), and Games 4 and 5 are played only if needed. They are not best of seven; that format starts with the ALCS and NLCS.
When does the 2026 ALDS start?
The 2026 ALDS starts Saturday, October 3. A deciding Game 5, if needed, is Saturday, October 10. The NLDS starts Saturday, October 3 and its Game 5 would be Friday, October 9.
Who is playing in the 2026 ALDS?
The Tampa Bay Rays (1 seed, 98-64) host the New York Yankees (4 seed, 93-68). The Tampa Bay Rays won the regular-season meetings 7-6, though the New York Yankees outscored them 54-45. Game 1 is Saturday, October 3. The Cleveland Guardians (2 seed, 85-77) host the Chicago White Sox (6 seed, 84-78). The Chicago White Sox won the regular-season meetings 7-6, outscoring the Cleveland Guardians 58-57. Game 1 is Saturday, October 3.
Who is playing in the 2026 NLDS?
The Milwaukee Brewers (1 seed, 103-59) host the San Diego Padres (4 seed, 91-71). The San Diego Padres won the regular-season meetings 4-2, outscoring the Milwaukee Brewers 26-21. Game 1 is Saturday, October 3. The Los Angeles Dodgers (2 seed, 100-62) host the Atlanta Braves (3 seed, 94-68). The Atlanta Braves won the regular-season meetings 5-1, outscoring the Los Angeles Dodgers 26-15. Game 1 is Saturday, October 3.
What channel is the 2026 ALDS and NLDS on?
ALDS games: TBS / HBO MAX and TruTV. NLDS games: FS1 / FOX ONE and FOX / FOX ONE. National TV assignments come from the MLB Stats API schedule and can change as series are decided.
What do ALDS and NLDS stand for?
American League Division Series and National League Division Series: the second round of the MLB playoffs, between the two seeds that had a first-round bye and the two Wild Card Series winners in each league.
Who plays who in the Division Series?
The bracket is fixed. The 1 seed plays the winner of the 4 vs 5 Wild Card Series, and the 2 seed plays the winner of 3 vs 6. Teams are not re-seeded, so the 1 seed can meet a wild card with a better record than the 3 seed.
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