The final day of the 2026 MLB regular season is set for Sunday, after which the 12 qualifying teams will be honed in on preparations for the postseason. The playoffs will get underway quickly after the conclusion of the season, with the wild-card round set to begin just two days later, on Tuesday, Sept. 29.
The wild-card round consists of four series––two in the American League and two in the National League, each of which are played in a best-of-three format. The first team to win two games advances to the divisional round. The team with the better regular-season record will have home-field advantage throughout the entire round, with each game set to be played at that club’s home stadium.
The final wild-card team will take on the division winner with the worst record in the wild-card round. Meanwhile, the top two wild-card teams from each league will face off in the same round.
MLB Playoff seeding (as of Monday, Sept. 21)
American League
No. 1: Tampa Bay Rays (95–60) No. 2: Cleveland Guardians (81–75) No. 3: Texas Rangers (78–78) No. 4: New York Yankees (89–66) No. 5: Boston Red Sox (84–72) No. 6: Chicago White Sox (80–76)
National League
No. 1: Milwaukee Brewers (98–58) No. 2: Los Angeles Dodgers (96–60) No. 3: Atlanta Braves (92–64) No. 4: Chicago Cubs (87–69) No. 5: San Diego Padres (87–69) No. 6: Philadelphia Phillies (86–70)
MLB Wild-Card Series schedule
Tuesday, Sept. 29
Matchup
Game
Start Time
TV/Streaming Info
NL 5 vs. NL 4
Game 1
TBD
NBC/Peacock
NL 6 vs. NL 3
Game 1
TBD
NBC/Peacock
AL 5 vs. AL 4
Game 1
TBD
NBC/Peacock
AL 6 vs. AL 3
Game 1
TBD
NBC/Peacock
Wednesday, Sept. 30
Matchup
Game
Start Time
TV/Streaming Info
NL 5 vs. NL 4
Game 2
TBD
NBC/Peacock
NL 6 vs. NL 3
Game 2
TBD
NBC/Peacock
AL 5 vs. AL 4
Game 2
TBD
NBC/Peacock
AL 6 vs. AL 3
Game 2
TBD
NBC/Peacock
Thursday, Oct. 1
Matchup
Game
Start Time
TV/Streaming Info
NL 5 vs. NL 4
Game 3
TBD
NBC/Peacock
NL 6 vs. NL 3
Game 3
TBD
NBC/Peacock
AL 5 vs. AL 4
Game 3
TBD
NBC/Peacock
AL 6 vs. AL 3
Game 3
TBD
NBC/Peacock
MLB Division Series schedule
Victors of the wild card series will get one day of rest before the divisional series get underway on Saturday, Oct. 3. The division series format is a best-of-five series, so the first team to win three games advances to the championship series. The better-seeded team will have home-field advantage in Games 1, 2 and 5 of the series.
Saturday, Oct. 3
Matchup
Game
Start Time
TV/Streaming Info
NL 3/6 vs. NL 2
Game 1
TBD
Fox/FS1
AL 3/6 vs. AL 2
Game 1
TBD
TBS/HBO Max
NL 4/5 vs. NL 1
Game 1
TBD
Fox/FS1
AL 4/5 vs. AL 1
Game 1
TBD
TBS/HBO Max
Sunday, Oct. 4
Matchup
Game
Start Time
TV/Streaming Info
NL 3/6 vs. NL 2
Game 2
TBD
Fox/FS1
NL 4/5 vs. NL 1
Game 2
TBD
Fox/FS1
Monday, Oct. 5
Matchup
Game
Start Time
TV/Streaming Info
AL 3/6 vs. AL 2
Game 2
TBD
TBS/HBO Max
AL 4/5 vs. AL 1
Game 2
TBD
TBS/HBO Max
Tuesday, Oct. 6
Matchup
Game
Start Time
TV/Streaming Info
NL 2 vs. NL 3/6
Game 3
TBD
Fox/FS1
NL 1 vs. NL 4/5
Game 3
TBD
Fox/FS1
Wednesday, Oct. 7
Matchup
Game
Start Time
TV/Streaming Info
NL 2 vs. NL 3/6
Game 4
TBD
Fox/FS1
NL 1 vs. NL 4/5
Game 4
TBD
Fox/FS1
AL 2 vs. AL 3/6
Game 3
TBD
TBS/HBO Max
AL 1 vs. AL 4/5
Game 3
TBD
TBS/HBO Max
Thursday, Oct. 8
Matchup
Game
Start Time
TV/Streaming Info
AL 2 vs. AL 3/6
Game 4
TBD
TBS/HBO Max
AL 1 vs. AL 4/5
Game 4
TBD
TBS/HBO Max
Friday, Oct. 9
Matchup
Game
Start Time
TV/Streaming Info
NL 3/6 vs. NL 2
Game 5
TBD
Fox/FS1
NL 4/5 vs. NL 1
Game 5
TBD
Fox/FS1
Saturday, Oct. 10
Matchup
Game
Start Time
TV/Streaming Info
AL 3/6 vs. AL 2
Game 5
TBD
TBS/HBO Max
AL 4/5 vs. AL 1
Game 5
TBD
TBS/HBO Max
MLB Championship Series schedule
The championship series will begin on Sunday, Oct. 11, with the National League set to take the field first. The series will be a best-of-seven format, with the better-seeded team playing at home in Games 1, 2, 6 and 7. The championship series will be wrapped up no later than Oct. 20, which is the scheduled date for Game 7 of the ALCS. Regardless of the outcome of the championship series, the World Series will begin on Friday, Oct. 23. If both championship series end in just four games, there would be a week-long break until the start of the World Series.
Sunday, Oct. 11
Matchup
Game
Start Time
TV/Streaming Info
NL 2 vs. NL 1
Game 1
TBD
Fox/FS1
Monday, Oct. 12
Matchup
Game
Start Time
TV/Streaming Info
NL 2 vs. NL 1
Game 2
TBD
Fox/FS1
AL 2 vs. AL 1
Game 1
TBD
TBS/HBO Max
Tuesday, Oct. 13
Matchup
Game
Start Time
TV/Streaming Info
AL 2 vs. AL 1
Game 2
TBD
TBS/HBO Max
Wednesday, Oct. 14
Matchup
Game
Start Time
TV/Streaming Info
NL 1 vs. NL 2
Game 3
TBD
Fox/FS1
Thursday, Oct. 15
Matchup
Game
Start Time
TV/Streaming Info
NL 1 vs. NL 2
Game 4
TBD
Fox/FS1
AL 1 vs. AL 2
Game 3
TBD
TBS/HBO Max
Friday, Oct. 16
Matchup
Game
Start Time
TV/Streaming Info
NL 1 vs. NL 2
Game 5
TBD
Fox/FS1
AL 1 vs. AL 2
Game 4
TBD
TBS/HBO Max
Saturday, Oct. 17
Matchup
Game
Start Time
TV/Streaming Info
AL 1 vs. AL 2
Game 5
TBD
TBS/HBO Max
Sunday, Oct. 18
Matchup
Game
Start Time
TV/Streaming Info
NL 2 vs. NL 1
Game 6
TBD
Fox/FS1
Monday, Oct. 19
Matchup
Game
Start Time
TV/Streaming Info
NL 2 vs. NL 1
Game 7
TBD
Fox/FS1
AL 2 vs. AL 1
Game 6
TBD
TBS/HBO Max
Tuesday, Oct. 20
Matchup
Game
Start Time
TV/Streaming Info
AL 2 vs. AL 1
Game 7
TBD
TBS/HBO Max
World Series schedule
Of the two teams that qualify for the Fall Classic, the team with the better regular-season record will get home-field advantage in Games 1, 2, 6 and 7. For clarity’s sake, we’re going to label the team with the better regular-season record as “WS1” for the schedule.
