October starts in September. The 2026 MLB postseason opens Tuesday, Sept. 29, with four Wild Card games, beginning with Philadelphia at Atlanta. The World Series opens Oct. 23 and could run through Oct. 31.
Checked Sept. 27, 2026. First-pitch times below are Eastern and Mountain (Edmonton). Central is one hour behind Eastern; Pacific is three hours behind. An asterisk (*) means the game is played only if necessary. Later-round dates are announced; their first-pitch times are still TBA. All schedules remain subject to change. On a phone, swipe wide tables sideways to see every column.
Start here: the first two days
The same four matchups fill the same slots on Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday is Game 1 in each series; Wednesday is Game 2. Every Wild Card game is played at the higher seed’s home park. The first team to two wins advances.
Tuesday, Sept. 29 — Game 1
Philadelphia #6Phillies
Atlanta #3Braves
Chicago #6White Sox
Houston #3Astros
Boston #5Red Sox
New York #4Yankees
Chicago #5Cubs
San Diego #4PadresWednesday, Sept. 30 — Game 2
Philadelphia #6PhilliesAtlanta #3BravesChicago #6White SoxHouston #3AstrosBoston #5Red SoxNew York #4YankeesChicago #5CubsSan Diego #4PadresCanada: Sportsnet+ lists every postseason game in its Standard package. Canadian television channel assignments should be checked in the Sportsnet listings; the NBC/NBCSN labels above identify the U.S. broadcasts.
Plan for overlap. The last two games start only two hours apart. Viewers following Boston–New York and Chicago–San Diego should expect the late game to begin before the earlier one has finished. The listed times are game times, not a promise of a clean television handoff.
Schedule: MLB’s official postseason calendar. Streaming: Peacock’s Wild Card guide; Sportsnet+ coverage.
Thursday, Oct. 1: the schedule depends on who survives
Game 3 is necessary only when a series is tied 1–1. Do not carry Tuesday’s times into Thursday automatically: MLB changes the slots when fewer than four series need a deciding game. All remaining games stream on Peacock in the U.S. The tables below show every combination.
If all four series need Game 3
| Series | Eastern | Mountain | U.S. coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia #6PhilliesAtlanta #3Braves | 2 p.m. | Noon | NBC + Peacock |
| Chicago #6White SoxHouston #3Astros | 5 p.m. | 3 p.m. | NBCSN + Peacock |
| Boston #5Red SoxNew York #4Yankees | 8 p.m. | 6 p.m. | NBC + Peacock |
| Chicago #5CubsSan Diego #4Padres | 10 p.m. | 8 p.m. | NBCSN + Peacock |
If three series need Game 3
| Series already finished | Remaining Game 3 schedule (ET / MT) |
|---|---|
| Phillies–Braves | White Sox–Astros: 2 p.m. / noon; Red Sox–Yankees: 8 / 6 p.m.; Cubs–Padres: 10 / 8 p.m. |
| White Sox–Astros | Phillies–Braves: 2 p.m. / noon; Red Sox–Yankees: 8 / 6 p.m.; Cubs–Padres: 10 / 8 p.m. |
| Red Sox–Yankees | Phillies–Braves: 2 p.m. / noon; White Sox–Astros: 5 / 3 p.m.; Cubs–Padres: 8 / 6 p.m. |
| Cubs–Padres | Phillies–Braves: 2 p.m. / noon; White Sox–Astros: 5 / 3 p.m.; Red Sox–Yankees: 8 / 6 p.m. |
In these three-game schedules, the 2 p.m. ET game and Red Sox–Yankees air on NBC and Peacock; 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. ET games air on NBCSN and Peacock. One assignment needs clarification: if only Red Sox–Yankees is finished, MLB’s two schedule pages disagree on the television channel for Cubs–Padres at 8 p.m. ET. Both list Peacock. Check the final NBC/NBCSN assignment before Thursday.
If two series need Game 3
| Two series still playing | Earlier game (ET / MT) | Later game (ET / MT) |
|---|---|---|
| Phillies–Braves and Cubs–Padres | Phillies–Braves: 2 p.m. / noon | Cubs–Padres: 8 / 6 p.m. |
| White Sox–Astros and Red Sox–Yankees | White Sox–Astros: 2 p.m. / noon | Red Sox–Yankees: 8 / 6 p.m. |
| White Sox–Astros and Cubs–Padres | White Sox–Astros: 2 p.m. / noon | Cubs–Padres: 8 / 6 p.m. |
| White Sox–Astros and Phillies–Braves | White Sox–Astros: 2 p.m. / noon | Phillies–Braves: 8 / 6 p.m. |
| Red Sox–Yankees and Cubs–Padres | Red Sox–Yankees: 7 / 5 p.m. | Cubs–Padres: 9:30 / 7:30 p.m. |
| Phillies–Braves and Red Sox–Yankees | Phillies–Braves: 2 p.m. / noon | Red Sox–Yankees: 8 / 6 p.m. |
Both games air on NBC and Peacock in every two-series scenario.
One series left: its deciding game starts at 8 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. MT on NBC and Peacock. All four series swept: there are no games Thursday.
Scenarios: MLB’s full schedule and Wild Card time assignments.
The bracket: who waits for each winner
Boston #5Red SoxNew York #4Yankees
Tampa Bay #1RaysChicago #6White SoxHouston #3Astros
Cleveland #2GuardiansChicago #5CubsSan Diego #4Padres
Milwaukee #1BrewersPhiladelphia #6PhilliesAtlanta #3Braves
Los Angeles #2DodgersThe four teams with byes enter on Saturday, Oct. 3. There is no reseeding. Division Series winners meet for their league’s pennant; the two pennant winners meet in the World Series.
Bracket: MLB’s final 12-team field. For how the last places were settled, read our reports on Philadelphia’s clincher and Houston’s AL West title.
Every October date, through the World Series
First pitch: TBA for every game in this section. ALDS and NLDS each contain two separate series; “both” means the same game number is scheduled in each. Conditional games disappear once a series has been decided.
| Date | Scheduled games |
|---|---|
| Fri, Oct. 2 | No games scheduled |
| Sat, Oct. 3 | Both ALDS Game 1s; both NLDS Game 1s |
| Sun, Oct. 4 | Both NLDS Game 2s |
| Mon, Oct. 5 | Both ALDS Game 2s |
| Tue, Oct. 6 | Both NLDS Game 3s |
| Wed, Oct. 7 | Both ALDS Game 3s; both NLDS Game 4s* |
| Thu, Oct. 8 | Both ALDS Game 4s* |
| Fri, Oct. 9 | Both NLDS Game 5s* |
| Sat, Oct. 10 | Both ALDS Game 5s* |
| Sun, Oct. 11 | NLCS Game 1 |
| Mon, Oct. 12 | ALCS Game 1; NLCS Game 2 |
| Tue, Oct. 13 | ALCS Game 2 |
| Wed, Oct. 14 | NLCS Game 3 |
| Thu, Oct. 15 | ALCS Game 3; NLCS Game 4 |
| Fri, Oct. 16 | ALCS Game 4; NLCS Game 5* |
| Sat, Oct. 17 | ALCS Game 5* |
| Sun, Oct. 18 | NLCS Game 6* |
| Mon, Oct. 19 | ALCS Game 6*; NLCS Game 7* |
| Tue, Oct. 20 | ALCS Game 7* |
| Wed, Oct. 21 | No games scheduled |
| Thu, Oct. 22 | No games scheduled |
| Fri, Oct. 23 | World Series Game 1 |
| Sat, Oct. 24 | World Series Game 2 |
| Sun, Oct. 25 | World Series travel day |
| Mon, Oct. 26 | World Series Game 3 |
| Tue, Oct. 27 | World Series Game 4 |
| Wed, Oct. 28 | World Series Game 5* |
| Thu, Oct. 29 | World Series travel day |
| Fri, Oct. 30 | World Series Game 6* |
| Sat, Oct. 31 | World Series Game 7* |
Dates: MLB’s announced postseason schedule. Postponements or subsequent league changes can alter this calendar.
Where to watch
| Round | U.S. TV group | U.S. streaming |
|---|---|---|
| Wild Card — Sept. 29–Oct. 1 | NBC / NBCSN | Peacock |
| ALDS — Oct. 3–10 | TBS / truTV | HBO Max |
| NLDS — Oct. 3–9 | FOX / FS1 | FOX One |
| ALCS — Oct. 12–20 | TBS / truTV | HBO Max |
| NLCS — Oct. 11–19 | FOX / FS1 | FOX One |
| World Series — Oct. 23–31 | FOX | FOX One |
These are round-level broadcast groups. Exact FOX-versus-FS1 and TBS/truTV assignments for later games have not been added to this guide; use the final per-game listings when they are announced.
United States, streaming: Peacock Premium carries the entire Wild Card round. HBO Max includes live sports with Standard and Premium. FOX One carries the FOX/FS1 postseason games. Check your existing television package before adding a separate subscription.
Canada: Sportsnet+ Standard includes the entire MLB postseason and World Series; Premium includes the Standard offering. Check Sportsnet’s television schedule for the channel carrying each game. U.S. service assignments are not Canadian subscription instructions.
MLB.TV: U.S. postseason access has separate authentication requirements. NBC/Peacock Wild Card games are unavailable live through MLB.TV. Check the postseason access rules before relying on a regular-season subscription.
Spanish and radio: MLB lists Universo for Spanish-language Wild Card coverage and FOX Deportes for the NL rounds and World Series. ESPN Radio carries national English-language postseason coverage; Univision Radio carries Spanish-language Wild Card audio. See the league’s broadcast announcement for those assignments.
How each series works
| Round | Wins needed | Home-game pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Wild Card | 2 — best of 3 | All games at the higher seed |
| Division Series | 3 — best of 5 | Higher seed: Games 1, 2, 5*; opponent: Games 3, 4* |
| League Championship Series | 4 — best of 7 | Higher seed: Games 1, 2, 6*, 7*; opponent: Games 3, 4, 5* |
| World Series | 4 — best of 7 | Home-field team: Games 1, 2, 6*, 7*; opponent: Games 3, 4, 5* |
World Series home field goes to the club with the better regular-season record, with MLB’s tiebreaking rules used if necessary. Sources: MLB’s format guide and NBC’s postseason format explainer.
The dates to keep clear
Tuesday and Wednesday bring four-game opening slates. Thursday can deliver as many as four elimination games. Saturday, Oct. 3 brings all four Division Series openers, while Wednesday, Oct. 7 could contain four games if both National League series need Game 4.
For the final week, reserve Friday, Oct. 23 for the World Series opener and keep Saturday, Oct. 31 open for a possible Game 7. The scheduled travel days are Oct. 25 and Oct. 29. A sweep would finish the series on Oct. 27.
Before setting a recording, check the day’s final assignment, especially on Oct. 1. This guide reflects the announced schedule as of Sept. 27; it is not a live scoreboard. Follow The Sporting Page’s MLB coverage for the reporting around the games.
