MLB Postseason 2026: The Bracket, the Dates and the Jerseys for October
The field is set. The regular season closed on 27 September and all twelve places are filled: the four byes are locked, the four wild-card matchups are confirmed, and every round now has its dates and TV home. Here is the bracket as it stands, how the byes work, and the shirts for all twelve contenders.
MLB postseason 2026: quick answers
- Is the field final? Yes. All twelve places were decided on 27 September, the last day of the regular season.
- When does it start? Tuesday 29 September — all four wild-card series play Game 1.
- What are the four wild-card matchups? White Sox at Astros and Red Sox at Yankees in the American League; Phillies at Braves and Cubs at Padres in the National League.
- Who gets a bye? The top two division winners in each league — the Rays and Guardians, the Brewers and Dodgers — straight into the division series.
- When does the division series start? Saturday 3 October, when the four wild-card winners join the four byes.
- How many teams? Twelve — six per league, three division winners and three wild cards.
- What are the formats? Best-of-three wild card, best-of-five division series, best-of-seven LCS and World Series.
- When is the World Series? Game 1 on Friday 23 October; a Game 7 on Saturday 31 October.
- Where can I watch? Wild card on NBC and Peacock, AL on TBS and HBO Max, NL on FOX and FS1, World Series on FOX.
- Free shipping? Every jersey on this page ships worldwide free over $49.9.
The postseason calendar
Four rounds, and the first one is the shortest. Everything below is locked: the dates, the formats and the television homes were announced in August and have not moved.
| Round | Dates | Format | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Card Series | 29 September – 1 October | Best-of-three, four series | NBC, Peacock |
| Division Series | 3–10 October | Best-of-five, four series | AL: TBS, truTV, HBO Max · NL: FOX, FS1 |
| League Championship Series | 11–20 October | Best-of-seven | NLCS: FOX, FS1 · ALCS: TBS, truTV, HBO Max |
| World Series | 23–31 October | Best-of-seven | FOX |
The wild-card matchups are set
Nothing left to decide. The bracket was confirmed on the final day of the regular season, and all four series run 29 September to 1 October, every game at the higher seed. Game times are in our full bracket piece.
| League | Wild card series | Second wild card series | Waiting in the division series |
|---|---|---|---|
| AL | No. 6 Chicago White Sox at No. 3 Houston Astros | No. 5 Boston Red Sox at No. 4 New York Yankees | Wild-card winners at No. 1 Tampa Bay Rays and No. 2 Cleveland Guardians |
| NL | No. 6 Philadelphia Phillies at No. 3 Atlanta Braves | No. 5 Chicago Cubs at No. 4 San Diego Padres | Wild-card winners at No. 1 Milwaukee Brewers and No. 2 Los Angeles Dodgers |
The seeds, one to six
| Seed | American League | National League |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tampa Bay Rays (98-64) | Milwaukee Brewers (103-59) |
| 2 | Cleveland Guardians (85-77) | Los Angeles Dodgers (100-62) |
| 3 | Houston Astros (81-81) | Atlanta Braves (94-68) |
| 4 | New York Yankees (93-68) | San Diego Padres (91-71) |
| 5 | Boston Red Sox (87-75) | Chicago Cubs (89-73) |
| 6 | Chicago White Sox (84-78) | Philadelphia Phillies (88-74) |
The wild-card schedule
All four series open on Tuesday 29 September and every game is at the higher seed. Game 3 is played only if the series is level after two. The round is on NBC and Peacock, and Thursday’s times and networks can shift depending on which series are still going.
| Series | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 (if necessary) |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Sox at Astros · AL | Tue 29 September | Wed 30 September | Thu 1 October |
| Red Sox at Yankees · AL | Tue 29 September | Wed 30 September | Thu 1 October |
| Phillies at Braves · NL | Tue 29 September | Wed 30 September | Thu 1 October |
| Cubs at Padres · NL | Tue 29 September | Wed 30 September | Thu 1 October |
How the bracket works
- Twelve teams, six per league. Three division winners and three wild cards, seeded one to six by record.
- The top two division winners get a bye. They go straight into the division series, while seeds three to six play a best-of-three.
- Every wild-card game is at the higher seed. No travel in the first round, and the higher seed hosts the whole series.
- No Game 163. Ties are settled by head-to-head record, then intradivision record.
What the four rounds look like
- Wild card, 29 September to 1 October. Four best-of-three series, all four Game 1s on the opening night. NBC and Peacock carry the round — NBC’s first postseason baseball since the 2000 ALCS.
- Division series, 3 to 10 October. The two byes join here, against the wild-card winners. American League on TBS, truTV and HBO Max; National League on FOX and FS1.
- Championship series, 11 to 20 October. The National League opens on 11 October, the American League on 12 October, both best-of-seven.
- World Series, 23 to 31 October. Game 1 on FOX, and a Game 7 on Halloween if it goes the distance.
Shirt demand index: the twelve contenders
Built from our own order flow and how deep each team’s range runs, not from a poll. October reorders this overnight.
The two best records in baseball and the two deepest jersey ranges. If you are buying one October shirt, this is where the volume already is.
Five markets where a wild-card exit is treated as a crisis, and where fan gear turns over fastest during a run. All five are in the field today.
Smaller ranges and lower price points, and the two best stories of the season. Buy before the first pitch and the bandwagon starts.
Wear October
Ten contender jerseys from the teams in the field today. Printed names add a few days — order before your team’s first game.
Freddie Freeman Los Angeles Dodgers Fashion P…
Dansby Swanson Chicago Cubs Alternate Shirt…
Fernando Tatis Jr. San Diego Padres Alternate…
Bryce Harper Philadelphia Phillies Road Shirt…
Aaron Judge New York Yankees Road Shirt - Gray
Garrett Crochet Boston Red Sox Home Shirt - W…
Ozzie Albies Atlanta Braves Home Player Name…
Steven Kwan Cleveland Guardians Home Shirt…
Jose Altuve Houston Astros Home Shirt - White
Miguel Vargas Chicago White Sox Home Shirt…
Our verdict
If you want one shirt for the whole postseason, buy the team you will actually watch. If you want the shirt people will ask about in November, the two byes — Milwaukee and Los Angeles in the National League, Tampa Bay and Cleveland in the American — are the ones that start with a week off and a rotation advantage. Wild-card shirts are the impulse buy; buy them before Game 1, not after a Game 2 loss.
When does the 2026 MLB postseason start?
How many teams make the postseason?
Which teams get a bye?
Where are the wild-card games played?
When is the World Series?
Which channels carry the playoffs?
Is there still a Game 163?
How does printing affect delivery in October?
Wear October
Every contender on this page is in stock with custom printing. Free worldwide shipping over $49.9.
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