MLB Playoff Bracket Set: 2026 Postseason Matchups and TV Schedule
The short version
- Houston took the AL West from Texas on the final day of the regular season; Philadelphia grabbed the last NL berth.
- Tampa Bay and Milwaukee are the No. 1 seeds; the Wild Card Series run Sept. 29 through Oct. 1.
- The ALDS and NLDS begin Oct. 3, with the Rays and Brewers hosting wild-card winners.
- Both League Championship Series are best-of-seven 2-3-2 on TBS and HBO Max; the World Series airs on Fox with dates still to be announced.
The Astros wrapped up the AL West on the season's final day and the Phillies took the last National League spot, setting a 12-team bracket that opens Sept. 29.
Major League Baseball's regular season has wrapped, and the 12-team playoff field is locked in. On the closing day of the schedule, the Houston Astros wrapped up the American League West ahead of the Texas Rangers, while the Philadelphia Phillies claimed the last available National League berth. The postseason opens Sept. 29 with four Wild Card Series.
The American League bracket is led by the No. 1 seed Tampa Bay Rays, with the Cleveland Guardians second and the AL West champion Astros third. The New York Yankees hold the fourth seed, the Boston Red Sox are fifth and the Chicago White Sox complete the field at No. 6.
In the National League, the Milwaukee Brewers earned the top seed, ahead of the No. 2 Los Angeles Dodgers and the No. 3 Atlanta Braves. The San Diego Padres sit fourth, the Chicago Cubs fifth and the Phillies, the last team into the bracket, sixth.
Each Wild Card Series is scheduled for Sept. 29 through Oct. 1, with all times Eastern. Philadelphia visits Atlanta at 2 p.m. on NBC and Peacock, and the Cubs play at San Diego at 10 p.m. on Peacock and NBCSN. In the American League, the White Sox are at Houston for a 5 p.m. game on Peacock and NBCSN, and Boston visits the Yankees for an 8 p.m. start on NBC and Peacock.
The Division Series get underway Oct. 3. Tampa Bay hosts the Yankees-Red Sox winner in Games 1 and 2 on Oct. 3 and Oct. 5, goes on the road for Games 3 and 4 on Oct. 7 and Oct. 8, and would host Game 5 on Oct. 10, with TBS and HBO Max carrying the series. Cleveland faces the Astros-White Sox winner on the same dates and home-road structure, with listings showing HBO Max and the television outlet still to be determined.
Both National League Division Series run Oct. 3, 4, 6, 7 and 9 on Fox and FS1. Milwaukee hosts the Padres-Cubs winner in the opener, and the Dodgers welcome the Braves-Phillies winner, with the series shifting to the lower seed for Games 3 and 4 before a potential Game 5 at the higher seed.
The American League Championship Series and National League Championship Series are best-of-seven under a 2-3-2 format, with dates yet to be announced. The higher seed hosts Games 1, 2, 6 and 7, while the lower seed takes Games 3, 4 and 5. TBS and HBO Max hold the rights to both league finals.
The World Series follows the same 2-3-2 structure, meaning the higher seed hosts Games 1, 2, 6 and 7. Fox will carry the entire Fall Classic, though dates and start times have not been released.
Up next on the calendar: the Phillies open at the Braves on Tuesday, Sept. 29 at 2 p.m. EDT from Truist Park, with the game on NBC. The White Sox then visit the Astros at 5 p.m. EDT from Daikin Park on Peacock and NBCSN.
Games to watch
