MLB Division Series 2026: All Four Matchups and What the Wild Card Round Got Wrong
Four wild-card series, four winners, and two of them were the teams we picked. The division series opens Saturday 3 October with four Game 1s — here is every matchup, the full schedule, and an honest look at what we got right.
Division series: quick answers
- Who is left in the playoffs? Eight clubs: four who had byes and four who came through the wild card round.
- When does the division series start? Saturday 3 October, with four Game 1s.
- How long is a division series? Best of five, in a 2-2-1 format.
- Who starts Game 1 for the Yankees? Not announced — Gerrit Cole or Carlos Rodón.
- Who starts Game 1 for the Rays? Drew Rasmussen, who has a 1.81 career ERA against New York.
- How did our wild card picks do? Two out of four.
Key takeaways
- All four wild-card series are decided: two sweeps, one three-game series and one two-game finish.
- Our picks went 2-for-4. We had the Braves and the Yankees; we missed on the Cubs and the Astros.
- The division series opens Saturday 3 October with four Game 1s in four cities.
- The Yankees have not named a Game 1 starter — it is Gerrit Cole or Carlos Rodón — but the Rays have: Drew Rasmussen, who has a 1.81 career ERA against New York.
- Tampa Bay went 7-6 against the Yankees in the regular season and 55-26 at home.
What the wild card round did
| Series | Winner | Series | Game scores |
|---|---|---|---|
| AL · 4 v 5 | Yankees beat Red Sox | 2-0 | 9-0, 9-2 |
| AL · 3 v 6 | White Sox beat Astros | 2-0 | 6-3, 7-3 |
| NL · 3 v 6 | Braves beat Phillies | 2-1 | 5-3, 3-4 (10), 6-2 |
| NL · 4 v 5 | Padres beat Cubs | 2-0 | 8-0, 4-1 |
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Our wild-card picks, final
We picked the Braves, Cubs, Yankees and Astros to advance. Two of them are in the division series, two of them are out, and one of the two that are out — Houston — never led a game in their series. That is 2-for-4, and it is worth being clear about which half of it was luck.
| Team | We said | What happened | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | Advance | Won 2-1 over Philadelphia | Correct |
| Yankees | Advance | Swept Boston 2-0 | Correct |
| Cubs | Advance | Swept by San Diego 0-2 | Wrong |
| Astros | Advance | Swept by Chicago 0-2 | Wrong |
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The four division series
| Round | Match-up | Game 1 | Who hosts |
|---|---|---|---|
| ALDS | Yankees at Rays | Sat 3 Oct, 6:30 p.m. ET | Tampa Bay (No. 1) host; New York the No. 4 |
| ALDS | White Sox at Guardians | Sat 3 Oct, 1:00 p.m. ET | Cleveland (No. 2) host; Chicago the No. 6 |
| NLDS | Braves at Dodgers | Sat 3 Oct, 4:00 p.m. ET | Los Angeles (No. 2) host; Atlanta the No. 3 |
| NLDS | Padres at Brewers | Sat 3 Oct, 8:30 p.m. ET | Milwaukee (No. 1) host; San Diego the No. 4 |
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The full schedule
All times Eastern. The 2-2-1 format means the first two games are at the higher seed, games three and four at the lower seed, and a deciding game five back at the higher seed.
| Date | Round | Games |
|---|---|---|
| Sat 3 Oct | Game 1 × 4 | White Sox at Guardians 1:00 · Braves at Dodgers 4:00 · Yankees at Rays 6:30 · Padres at Brewers 8:30 |
| Sun 4 Oct | NLDS Game 2 × 2 | Padres at Brewers 4:00 · Braves at Dodgers 8:00 |
| Mon 5 Oct | ALDS Game 2 × 2 | White Sox at Guardians 5:00 · Yankees at Rays 8:00 |
| Tue 6 Oct | NLDS Game 3 × 2 | Dodgers at Braves 6:00 · Brewers at Padres 9:30 |
| Wed 7 Oct | ALDS Game 3 × 2 + NLDS Game 4 × 2 | Guardians at White Sox 4:00 · Rays at Yankees 8:00 · plus both NLDS Game 4s |
| Thu 8 Oct | ALDS Game 4 × 2 | Guardians at White Sox 5:00 · Rays at Yankees 8:00 |
| Fri 9 Oct | NLDS Game 5 × 2, if needed | Padres at Brewers 4:30 · Braves at Dodgers 8:00 |
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The four series, series by series
Yankees at Rays: the best pitching matchup of the round
Tampa Bay have named Drew Rasmussen for Game 1, and the case is obvious: he went 16-5 with a 2.67 ERA, led the league in WHIP and strikeout-to-walk ratio, and has a 1.81 ERA in ten career starts against New York. The individual numbers are worse than that for the Yankees — Aaron Judge is 2-for-16 with eight strikeouts against him, Anthony Volpe is 0-for-11, Ben Rice is 1-for-16. New York have not named a starter: it is Gerrit Cole or Carlos Rodón. Cam Schlittler, who posted a 1.95 ERA and shut Boston out in Game 1, is lined up for Games 2 and 5, and Max Fried for Game 3. The Rays were 55-26 at Tropicana Field this season and the Yankees 46-34 at home, but Tampa Bay went just 2-4 in the Bronx during the regular season. These two clubs have met in the postseason once, in 2020, at a neutral site.
White Sox at Guardians: the first time these two have ever met in October
Chicago and Cleveland have never played each other in the postseason, and the regular season could not have separated them much less: one win between them, and the White Sox took the season series 7-6. The Guardians' problem is the offence — their .696 OPS is the lowest of any team in this postseason. Chicago, two years removed from consecutive 100-loss seasons, are the ones arriving with momentum.
Braves at Dodgers: a fifth meeting, and a rest advantage
Los Angeles are chasing a third straight title and have not played since the regular season ended. Atlanta won a three-game series against Philadelphia in which Chris Sale started twice, which may keep him out of the early part of this one. The two clubs have met four times in the postseason: the Dodgers won in 2013, 2018 and 2020, and Atlanta won the 2021 NLCS.
Padres at Brewers: the hottest team against the best record
San Diego have been the best team in baseball for a month, and they took the Cubs apart in two games: Michael King carried a no-hitter into the seventh in Game 1, and the bullpen threw 5 2/3 shutout innings in Game 2. Milwaukee won the NL Central again and scored the second-most runs in the majors, despite ranking second-to-last in home runs. Jacob Misiorowski, their ace, is the likely National League Cy Young winner.
The division series by the numbers
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Clubs remaining | 8 |
| Series | 4, all best-of-five |
| First pitches on Saturday | 1:00, 4:00, 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. ET |
| Wild-card series that went to a third game | 1 of 4 |
| Wild-card sweeps | 3 of 4 |
| Our wild-card picks | 2 of 4 correct |
| Rasmussen’s career ERA vs the Yankees | 1.81 in 10 starts |
| Guardians’ team OPS | .696 — lowest of any club in this postseason |
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Sources: match-ups, Game 1 starters and season series per MLB.com; schedule calculated from the official postseason calendar; injuries and form per the Associated Press and league media.
Shirt demand index: the division series
Built from our own order flow and range depth the day after the wild card round closed.
Yankees, Padres, Braves and White Sox. Every club that survived the wild card round gets a measurable lift the week the next round opens — and two of these four did it by sweep, which is the better half of that lift.
Rays, Dodgers, Brewers and Guardians. A bye week means no fresh highlight reel, so the demand here tracks the fixture list rather than a result — the four Game 1s on Saturday are the trigger.
A note on the four clubs that went out: Red Sox, Astros, Phillies and Cubs. Their ranges do not turn over with the bracket, so October is when their stock is deepest and their prices are lowest. If that is who you support, this is the month.
Division series shirts
All eight clubs still playing, in fan and player editions. Printed names add a few days — order before Game 3.
Atlanta Braves Home Custom Shirt in White
Bryce Harper Philadelphia Phillies Road Shirt…
Aaron Judge New York Yankees Road Shirt - Gray
Houston Astros Home Custom Shirt White
Chicago White Sox Home Team Shirt - White
Pete Crow-Armstrong Chicago Cubs Home Shirt…
Fernando Tatis Jr. San Diego Padres Alternate…
Garrett Crochet Boston Red Sox 2025 City Conn…
Our verdict
The wild card round rewarded the two clubs that could pitch and punished the two that could not hit. Boston scored twice in two games; Houston never led. That is the useful lesson going into the division series, where every remaining series is best-of-five and the rotation depth matters more than it did in a two-game sprint. Our own record was 2-for-4, and the two we missed on were both swept — which is a reminder that in a three-game format, the difference between a pick and a miss is usually one starting pitcher. For the four series starting Saturday, the two where the pitching gap looks widest are these: Tampa Bay's Game 1 starter has a 1.81 ERA against New York, and Milwaukee's likely Cy Young winner has not pitched since the regular season ended.
Who is left in the 2026 MLB playoffs?
When does the division series start?
How many games is a division series?
Who starts Game 1 for the Yankees?
Who starts Game 1 for the Rays?
How did the Rays do against the Yankees this season?
How did our wild card predictions do?
Have the Yankees and Rays met in the playoffs before?
When would a deciding Game 5 be played?
Where can I buy division series shirts?
What is the difference between the wild card round and the division series?
Shirts for October
All eight clubs still playing, in stock, with custom printing. Free worldwide shipping over $49.9.
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