The 2026 MLB Playoffs begin Tuesday, September 29, and the field is set. Twelve teams remain after a 162-game regular season, and the road to the World Series starts with a four-series opening round. Here is everything you need to know: when the games start, who is playing, where to watch, and which teams enter October as favorites.
Playoff Field Breakdown
Twelve teams made the postseason. The format splits the 30-team league into two tiers: division winners and Wild Card teams. The two division winners with the best records in each league earn the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds. They skip the opening round entirely.
Seeding for the remaining teams comes from their regular-season record. The No. 3 seed is the division winner with the weakest record among the three division winners, and that team plays against the No. 6 seed, which is the Wild Card team with the third-best record, in a best-of-three series. Meanwhile, the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds, the two best non-division winners, face each other in the other best-of-three matchup.
Here is how the American League and National League stacks up:
| 1 Seed | 2 Seed | 3 Seed | 4 Seed | 5 Seed | 6 Seed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AL | Tampa Bay Rays | Cleveland Guardians | Houston Astros | New York Yankees | Boston Red Sox | Chicago White Sox |
| NL | Milwaukee Brewers | Los Angeles Dodgers | Atlanta Braves | San Diego Padres | Chicago Cubs | Philadelphia Phillies |
Schedule At A Glance
Game 1 of the Wild Card Series begins on Tuesday, September 29, with all eight teams taking part. Game 3s would follow on Thursday, October 1, should any series need them. The start times shown below hold only if all four series call for a Game 3; MLB reserves the right to alter Thursday’s schedule if fewer games are required.
- AL Wild Card Series #1: Houston Astros vs. Chicago White Sox, hosted by Houston at Daikin Park, Game 1 Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. ET
- AL Wild Card Series #2: New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox, hosted by New York at Yankee Stadium, Game 1 Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. ET
- NL Wild Card Series #1: Atlanta Braves vs. Philadelphia Phillies, hosted by Atlanta at Truist Park, Game 1 Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. ET
- NL Wild Card Series #2: San Diego Padres vs. Chicago Cubs, hosted by San Diego at Petco Park, Game 1 Tuesday at 10:00 p.m. ET
Game 2s follow on Wednesday, September 30, at the same times. Game 3s, if needed, are Thursday, October 1.
Saturday, October 3, marks the start of the Division Series. In each league, the 1-seed takes on the Wild Card winner from the 4/5-seed matchup, while the 2-seed faces the Wild Card winner from the 3/6-seed pairing, in two best-of-five contests.
Broadcast And Streaming
Once you get the streams and networks sorted, the broadcast setup is straightforward. The Wild Card Series air on Peacock, with NBC or NBCSN handling the games on linear TV.
HBO Max carries the American League Division Series and Championship Series, while TBS or truTV handles the linear broadcasts. FOX One covers the National League Division Series and Championship Series, with FOX or FS1 providing the linear coverage.
FOX broadcasts the World Series, which starts Friday, October 23, with Game 7 potentially taking place on Saturday, October 31.
Here is the full breakdown:
- Wild Card Series: Stream: Peacock, Network: NBC or NBCSN
- ALDS: Stream: HBO Max, Network: TBS or truTV
- NLDS: Stream: FOX One, Network: FOX or FS1
- ALCS: Stream: HBO Max, Network: TBS or truTV
- NLCS: Stream: FOX One, Network: FOX or FS1
- World Series: Stream: FOX One, Network: FOX
To see every game, you must hold both an HBO Max and a FOX One subscription, along with access to either NBC or TBS, which depends on your cable setup. The streaming platforms manage the timing, letting you keep up even when your local channel shows a different set of games.
Favorites To Watch
The Los Angeles Dodgers are pursuing back-to-back championships for a third straight season. Just two teams in Major League Baseball history have claimed the World Series title three years running, and the Dodgers are now aiming to become the third franchise ever to accomplish that feat.
Other clubs stand ready to halt their progress. The Tampa Bay Rays occupy the No. 1 spot in the American League, while the Cleveland Guardians sit at the No. 2 position. Each boasts a pitching staff with strength and lineups that run deep.
Both the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres sit atop their league’s Wild Card standings. The Yankees will play host to the Red Sox in the AL Wild Card Series, with the Padres meeting the Cubs in the NL Wild Card Series. Each team has already shown it can triumph in October.
Both the Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Phillies hold the third Wild Card spot. The White Sox will host the Astros in the AL Wild Card Series, while the Phillies take on the Braves in the NL Wild Card Series. Neither franchise has captured a World Series title in recent memory, yet both teams possess the talent needed to produce an unexpected run.
In the National League, the Chicago Cubs rank as the second-best Wild Card team. They will meet the Padres in the NL Wild Card Series, and if they emerge victorious, they advance to the NLDS, where they would face the Dodgers.
In the American League, the Boston Red Sox are the number two seed among the teams competing for a spot through the Wild Card. A victory over the Yankees in the AL Wild Card Series would send them to the ALDS, where they would meet the Rays.
Road To The Fall Classic
Endurance is what postseason play demands. Seven games must be won across nine days merely to reach the Division Series, with no room for rest. The format has teams playing Game 1 and Game 2 on Tuesday and Wednesday, with Game 3 following on Thursday should it come down to it.
Saturday, October 3, brings the beginning of the Division Series. The NLCS gets underway on Sunday, October 11. Then comes the ALCS, which starts on Monday, October 12. The World Series opens on Friday, October 23.
The Dodgers head into October as the team with the best claim to winning it all, though the road ahead is anything but simple. Four other teams — the Rays, Guardians, Yankees, and Padres — can make a case for being called the favorites too. The Wild Card round exists to cut half of those five teams from contention entirely, before the Division Series begin.
The postseason is enjoyable to take in, yet the championship in baseball ultimately rests on one best-of-seven matchup. That is what October is all about. The campaign leading up to it serves as the foundation, while the World Series delivers the conclusion.
“The playoffs are fun to watch, but winning a baseball championship comes down to one best-of-seven series.”
Beginning Friday, October 23, the 2026 World Series will be broadcast on FOX, with Game 7 potentially taking place on Saturday, October 31. The Dodgers aim to join an exclusive club in Major League Baseball history: they want to become the third franchise ever to win three straight championships. Every other team in the league will be working against that goal.
Source material: “How To Watch The 2026 MLB Playoffs,” TVLine.
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