MLB 2026 Postseason Bracket: Every Series, Every Seed and Every Start Time
The bracket is set. Twelve teams, four wild-card series, two byes in each league — and the last spot went to a team that finished .500. Here is every series, every seed and every start time, with the shirts for all twelve clubs.
2026 postseason: quick answers
- How many teams? Twelve — six per league.
- When does it start? Wild-card series from 29 September 2026.
- Who gets a bye? The two division winners with the best record in each league.
- How long are the series? Wild card: best-of-three. Division series: best-of-five. LCS and World Series: best-of-seven.
- Who is the favourite? The Brewers, on a majors-best 103-59. The Dodgers (100-62) and the Rays (98-64) are next in line, and Los Angeles is chasing a third straight title.
- Where are the shirts? All twelve playoff clubs, in stock now.
The bracket: every wild-card series
Best-of-three, all hosted by the higher seed. Lose twice and the season is over.
| League | Series | Dates | The story |
|---|---|---|---|
| AL | No. 6 White Sox at No. 3 Astros | 29 Sep – 1 Oct | Houston won the West on the final day, beating the Athletics 9-0 while Texas lost 6-4; Chicago finished one game behind Cleveland in the Central. |
| AL | No. 5 Red Sox at No. 4 Yankees | 29 Sep – 1 Oct | The Yankees finished 93-68 — the best record of any wild-card team in either league. |
| NL | No. 6 Phillies at No. 3 Braves | 29 Sep – 1 Oct | Philadelphia took the last NL spot with a 7-3 win over the Rays on the final day, holding off Arizona by one game. |
| NL | No. 5 Cubs at No. 4 Padres | 29 Sep – 1 Oct | San Diego finished 91-71, two games clear of the Cubs, and hosts the whole series. |
Every seed, and what it buys
| League | Seed | Team | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| AL | 1 | Tampa Bay Rays (98-64) | AL East champions · bye to the division series |
| AL | 2 | Cleveland Guardians (85-77) | AL Central champions · bye to the division series |
| AL | 3 | Houston Astros (81-81) | AL West champions · host the White Sox |
| AL | 4 | New York Yankees (93-68) | Wild card · host the Red Sox |
| AL | 5 | Boston Red Sox (87-75) | Wild card · on the road at the Yankees |
| AL | 6 | Chicago White Sox (84-78) | Wild card · on the road at the Astros |
| NL | 1 | Milwaukee Brewers (103-59) | NL Central champions · best record in baseball · bye |
| NL | 2 | Los Angeles Dodgers (100-62) | NL West champions · bye to the division series |
| NL | 3 | Atlanta Braves (94-68) | NL East champions · host the Phillies |
| NL | 4 | San Diego Padres (91-71) | Wild card · host the Cubs |
| NL | 5 | Chicago Cubs (89-73) | Wild card · on the road at the Padres |
| NL | 6 | Philadelphia Phillies (88-74) | Wild card · on the road at the Braves |
Key dates
| Round | Dates |
|---|---|
| Wild card series (best-of-three) | 29 September – 1 October |
| Division series · AL (best-of-five) | 3–10 October |
| Division series · NL (best-of-five) | 3–9 October |
| Championship series · NL (best-of-seven) | 11–19 October |
| Championship series · AL (best-of-seven) | 12–20 October |
| World Series (best-of-seven) | 23–31 October |
| Regular season ended | 27 September 2026 |
How the bracket works
- Seeds 1 and 2 get a bye into the division series, with their rotation lined up.
- No. 3 hosts No. 6, and No. 4 hosts No. 5 in the wild-card round — every game at the higher seed.
- The higher seed keeps home-field advantage through the championship series.
- Ties were already broken by head-to-head record, then intradivision record: there is no Game 163.
Our bracket picks
- Wild card: the Yankees over the Red Sox in three. New York's 93 wins were the most of any wild-card team in either league, and the whole series is in the Bronx.
- Division series: the Rays over the White Sox or Astros winner. Tampa Bay's 98-64 was the best record in the American League — 13 games ahead of the Guardians, the only other AL team with a bye.
- World Series: the Brewers over the Rays. Milwaukee's 103 wins led the majors, the No. 1 seed in the National League gets the softer side of the bracket, and the Brewers' rotation is lined up for a Game 1 at home.
Shirt demand index: playoff edition
Built from our own order flow and range depth, not from a poll. October moves it overnight.
Yankees, Dodgers and Red Sox — the three biggest fan bases in the field, and the three ranges that move first once the wild-card round starts.
Rays, Brewers and Braves. Milwaukee's 103 wins made it the best team in baseball, and its City Connect run is the one most likely to thin out first.
Astros, Guardians and Phillies. A .500 division winner, an 85-77 Central champion and the club that needed the final day — the value sits here while everyone else buys the favourites.
Playoff shirts
All twelve clubs in the bracket, in fan and player editions. Printed names add a few days — order before the wild-card round starts.
Freddie Freeman Los Angeles Dodgers 2026 Gold…
Brice Turang Milwaukee Brewers 2026 City Conn…
Anthony Rizzo New York Yankees Home Official…
Garrett Crochet Boston Red Sox 2025 City Conn…
2026 All-Star Game Tampa Bay Rays Junior Cami…
Travis Bazzana Cleveland Guardians Alternate…
Yordan Alvarez Houston Astros Home Limited Pl…
Dansby Swanson Chicago Cubs Alternate Limited…
Nick Castellanos Philadelphia Phillies Player…
San Diego Padres 2026 City Connect Custom Shi…
Matt Olson Atlanta Braves 2026 City Connect S…
Chicago White Sox City Connect Limited Shirt…
Our verdict
The bracket rewards the teams that did not need the last week. Milwaukee (103-59) and the Dodgers (100-62) get byes and their rotations lined up, and the Rays (98-64) get the same in the American League. The story sits in the AL West: Houston won the division at 81-81 — the worst record of any team in this field — and gets a home wild-card series for it, because the rules do not care how you got there. Our pick: the Brewers over the Rays in the World Series.
Read the season-long picture in our playoff race guide.
How many teams are in the 2026 MLB postseason?
When does the 2026 postseason start?
How does the wild-card round work?
Which teams get a bye?
What are the 2026 World Series dates?
Who is the favourite to win the World Series?
What happens if a series is tied?
Where can I buy playoff jerseys?
Wear October
Every club in the bracket, in stock, with custom printing. Free worldwide shipping over $49.9.
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