Major League Baseball has released the tentative schedule for the 2026 postseason, which is set to begin on Tuesday, September 29, with the Wild Card Series. The playoffs will extend through Saturday, October 31, with the conclusion of a potential Game 7 of the World Series. Specific matchups and game times will be announced at a later date.
2026 MLB Playoff Structure and Broadcasts
The playoff format will include twelve teams, six from the American League and six from the National League. The top two division winners in each league will receive byes to the Division Series round, while the remaining four teams will compete in best-of-three Wild Card Series.
NBC will broadcast the Wild Card Series. The American League Division Series (ALDS) and American League Championship Series (ALCS) will be aired on TBS. For the National League, the National League Division Series (NLDS) and National League Championship Series (NLCS) will be broadcast across FOX, FS1, and FOX One. All games of the World Series will be available on FOX and can be streamed via FOX One.
Key Dates and Series Information
Wild Card Series
The Wild Card Series is scheduled to begin on September 29 and conclude by October 1, with a potential Game 3 if necessary. NBC will carry these games.
Division Series
The ALDS is slated to start on Saturday, October 3, with potential games extending to October 10. TBS will broadcast the ALDS. The NLDS will also begin on October 3, with games potentially running until October 9, airing on FOX, FS1, and FOX One.
Championship Series
The NLCS is scheduled to begin on Sunday, October 11, with the possibility of games through October 19. These games will be broadcast on FOX, FS1, and FOX One. The ALCS is set to commence on Monday, October 12, and could extend to October 20, airing on TBS.
World Series
The 2026 World Series is scheduled to begin on Friday, October 23, with all games broadcast on FOX and available for streaming on FOX One. The series could run until Saturday, October 31.