The road to the 2026 World Series is officially in motion. With the regular season ending on September 27, the battle for the 12 postseason spots has intensified as we pass the quarter-mark of the season. High-performing starts from the Atlanta Braves, Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Chicago Cubs have set an early baseline for the playoff picture. Below is the projected 2026 MLB Playoff Schedule, current “In the Hunt” standings as of May 18, and your signature low-ink printable 2026 MLB Playoff Bracket (PDF). Once MLB confirms final dates, etc for us, we’ll update you here (normally in August).
🗓️ 2026 MLB Postseason Key Dates
The 2026 MLB Playoffs begin on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, with the Wild Card Series after the 2026 MLB regular season schedule wraps up. The postseason concludes with Game 1 of the World Series scheduled for Friday, October 23, 2026, on FOX. All dates are tentative until confirmed by MLB (typically in August each season).
| Round | Start Date | Format | TV Partner |
| Wild Card Series | Sept. 29, 2026 | Best-of-3 | ESPN / ABC |
| Division Series (LDS) | Oct. 3, 2026 | Best-of-5 | FOX, FS1, TBS, Max |
| League Championship (LCS) | Oct. 11, 2026 | Best-of-7 | FOX, FS1, TBS, Max |
| World Series | Oct. 23, 2026 | Best-of-7 | FOX |
How Many MLB Teams will Make the 2026 Playoffs?
There is no change to the number of teams that earn a sport in the 2026 MLB Playoffs. We will see 12 teams earn a spot in the 2026 MLB postseason. MLB expanded the playoffs in 2022 to the format that we see today. Three divisional winners and three Wild Card teams earn spots from both the American and National League respectfully this year.
2026 MLB Playoff Picture (May 18 Update)
While the season is a 162-game marathon, the first 45 games have created clear separation in the standings.
- Leading the Pack (Projected First-Round Bye): Atlanta Braves (NL), Tampa Bay Rays (AL), Chicago Cubs (NL), Cleveland Guardians (AL). (Note: Due to MLB rules, only the top two division winners in each league receive a bye. Strong wild card teams like the Yankees and Padres must play in the opening round despite their high win percentages).
- In the Hunt (Projected Wild Card Seeds): New Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, Athletics, and Texas Rangers.
- On the Bubble (Within 2 Games): Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Nationals, Arizona Diamondbacks, Minnesota Twins, and Seattle Mariners.
How Does the 2026 MLB Playoff Schedule Work?
- Regular Season Ends: Sunday, September 27, 2026
- Wild Card Series Starts: Tuesday, September 29, 2026 (Projected)
- Division Series (ALDS/NLDS) Starts: Saturday, October 3, 2026 (Projected)
- League Championship Series (ALCS/NLCS) Starts: Mid-October 2026
- 2026 World Series Starts: Friday, October 23, 2026 (Projected)
How Many Rounds are in the 2026 MLB Playoffs?
The 2026 MLB Playoffs have four rounds of play. Each round is a series between two teams playing a “best of”single elimination formatted matchup. The number of games increases the deeper into the playoffs we go.
- Wild Card Round: Best-of-Three series (Higher seed hosts all games)
- Division Series (ALDS/NLDS): Best-of-Five series (2-2-1 home-field format)
- League Championship Series (ALCS/NLCS): Best-of-Seven series (2-3-2 home-field format)
- World Series: Best-of-Seven series (2-3-2 home-field format)
How Does the MLB Wild Card Series Work?
First, MLB uses this seeding format for both the American and National League. The #1 seed in each league has the best record period. The #2 seed has the second best record and is a division winner. The #3 seed is the third best record for a division winner. #4, #5, and the #6 seeds are the best records of the non-divisional winners. Then, in the Wild Card Series, #3 plays #6, and #4 plays #5. There are no off-days or travel in the Wild Card round of play. The higher seed hosts up to three games.
How is Home-Field Advantage Determined for the World Series?
The team with the best regular season record gets the World Series home field advantage. They will host the first game regardless of seeding. If there is a game 7, it will also be played on their field. If both teams have the same regular season records, then the standard MLB divisional tiebreaker rule set is used to determine who has the advantage.
Where Can I get a 2026 MLB Playoff Bracket?
Here’s the blank 2026 MLB Playoff bracket for you.
How Does the MLB Division Tiebreaker Work?
With the change in the MLB Playoff format, there is no longer the possibility for a 163rd game to determine a tiebreaker. Instead, MLB first uses the two teams’ head-head records. If they are still tied, then the following metrics are used: record against other teams in their division, record against other teams in their league but outside their division. Then, the record of their last half of intraleague games. Sounds simple right?
2026 MLB Playoff Picture
Note: Early-season standings are volatile. We update this tracker weekly starting in June.
- In the Hunt: [Tigers Schedule] [Yankees Schedule] [Cubs Schedule]
2026 MLB Playoff Schedule: Matchups and TV Broadcasts
All times and matchups are projected based on the official 2026 MLB calendar.
Wild Card Series (Sept 29 – Oct 1)
Broadcast: ESPN, ABC, and ESPN2
- Tuesday, Sept. 29: Game 1 of all four series.
- Wednesday, Sept. 30: Game 2 of all four series.
- Thursday, Oct. 1: Game 3 (if necessary) for all four series.
Division Series (Oct 3 – Oct 10)
Broadcast: ALDS (TBS/Max), NLDS (FOX/FS1)
- Oct 3: Game 1 for all series.
- Oct 5-6: Game 2 for all series.
- Oct 7-8: Game 3 (Travel days typically occur between Games 2 and 3).
League Championship Series (Oct 11 – Oct 20)
Broadcast: ALCS (TBS/Max), NLCS (FOX/FS1)
- Oct 11: NLCS Game 1 starts.
- Oct 12: ALCS Game 1 starts.
2026 World Series Schedule (Oct 23 – Oct 31)
Broadcast: FOX
- Game 1: Friday, Oct. 23 (At home of team with best record)
- Game 2: Saturday, Oct. 24
- Game 3: Monday, Oct. 26
- Game 4: Tuesday, Oct. 27
- Game 5:* Wednesday, Oct. 28
- Game 6:* Friday, Oct. 30
- Game 7:* Saturday, Oct. 31 (Halloween)
2026 MLB Playoff FAQ
How is home-field advantage determined for the 2026 World Series? Unlike the All-Star game rules of the past, home-field advantage is determined by the team with the best regular-season winning percentage.
What happens if two teams are tied for a playoff spot? There are no “Game 163” tiebreakers in 2026. MLB uses a mathematical tiebreaker system starting with head-to-head record, followed by intradivisional record, and finally, interdivisional record.
Will the World Cup affect the MLB Playoffs? No. While the FIFA World Cup affects the June and July regular-season schedule for cities like Philadelphia and Seattle, the tournament will be concluded long before the MLB postseason begins in late September.
MLB has projected dates for the World series? Really? When will they decide the actual dates?
Hi Steven. Dates are projected based on the MLB schedule patterns for the past several seasons. We normally see the playoff date confirmation in August.