MLB Playoffs 2026: Bracket, Schedule, Scores & Playoff Picture

Playoff race

2026 MLB Playoffs 2026 season

AL No. 1 seedTampa Bay Rays92-59NL No. 1 seedMilwaukee Brewers95-57
World SeriesOctober 23, 2026 · Home park of the pennant winner with the better record

The 2026 MLB playoff picture is taking shape ahead of the 2026 postseason. It shows who would be seeded where if the season ended today, who is still in the hunt, the projected bracket and the confirmed 2026 playoff dates, all updated after every game.

Through about 153 games, the No. 1 seeds would be the Tampa Bay Rays (92-59) in the AL and the Milwaukee Brewers (95-57) in the NL. The best record in the league belongs to the Milwaukee Brewers at 95-57. The Tampa Bay Rays carry the longest active winning streak (5 games).

The tightest division race is the AL West, where the Texas Rangers lead the Houston Astros by a tiebreaker. Best run differential: Milwaukee Brewers (+200); highest-scoring offense: Chicago Cubs (5.3 per game). Updated Sep 17, 2026 5:12 AM EDT.

Next game2026 regular season
1Milwaukee Brewers95-57 · NL Central
at
--days--hrs--min--sec
Pittsburgh Pirates75-77 · NL Central
·PNC Park
Best record95-57Milwaukee Brewers
Longest win streak5 gamesTampa Bay Rays
Best run differential+200Milwaukee Brewers
Top offense (runs/game)5.3Chicago Cubs
Top defense (runs allowed/game)3.7New York Yankees
Tightest division: AL WestTied on recordTexas Rangers

Playoff Race at a Glance

AL

Full picture →
  1. 1Rays bye92-59
  2. 2Guardians bye78-75
  3. 3Rangers76-76
  4. 4Yankees ✓88-64
  5. 5Red Sox82-70
  6. 6White Sox77-75
In the huntHOU 76-76TOR 76-77BAL 75-78DET 72-80MIN 71-81SEA 71-82

NL

Full picture →
  1. 1Brewers bye ✓95-57
  2. 2Dodgers bye92-60
  3. 3Braves89-64
  4. 4Cubs85-68
  5. 5Phillies84-68
  6. 6Padres83-69
In the huntARI 80-73MIA 76-77PIT 75-77STL 75-78

Road to the World Series

  1. Regular seasonMar – Sep 27
  2. Wild CardSep 29–1
  3. LDSOct 3–10
  4. LCSOct 11–20
  5. World SeriesOct 23–31

2026 MLB Playoff Bracket

Projected bracket, based on the standings today. Seeds and matchups change with every result.
AL Wild Card
6CWSWhite Sox
3TEXRangers
Projected
5BOSRed Sox
4NYYYankees
Projected
AL LDS
TBDTBD
1TBRays
TBD
TBDTBD
2CLEGuardians
TBD
AL LCS
TBDTBD
TBDTBD
TBD
World Series
TBDTBD
TBDTBD
TBD
NL LCS
TBDTBD
TBDTBD
TBD
NL LDS
TBDTBD
1MILBrewers
TBD
TBDTBD
2LADDodgers
TBD
NL Wild Card
6SDPadres
3ATLBraves
Projected
5PHIPhillies
4CHCCubs
Projected

Full bracket →

2026 MLB Playoff Series

MLB Wild Card Race

AL Wild Card Standings

AL East leader · No. 1 · byeRays 92-59Magic number 7
AL Central leader · No. 2 · byeGuardians 78-75Magic number 10
AL West leader · No. 3Rangers 76-76Magic number 11
WCTeamW-LPctWCGBLeftStrkE#
1New York YankeesAL East88-64.579+1110L1Clinched
2Boston Red SoxAL East82-70.539+510L2M5
3Chicago White SoxAL Central77-75.507-10L2M10
Houston AstrosAL West76-76.500110L110
Toronto Blue JaysAL East76-77.4971½9W19
Baltimore OriolesAL East75-78.4902½9W38
Detroit TigersAL Central72-80.474510L16
Minnesota TwinsAL Central71-81.467610W15
Seattle MarinersAL West71-82.4646½9W14
Kansas City RoyalsAL Central67-85.4411010W11
AthleticsAL West61-91.4011610L2E
Los Angeles AngelsAL West58-94.3821910L1E

NL Wild Card Standings

NL Central leader · No. 1 · byeBrewers 95-57Clinched
NL West leader · No. 2 · byeDodgers 92-60Magic number 2
NL East leader · No. 3Braves 89-64Magic number 6
WCTeamW-LPctWCGBLeftStrkE#
1Chicago CubsNL Central85-68.556+1½9W1M5
2Philadelphia PhilliesNL East84-68.553+110W1M6
3San Diego PadresNL West83-69.546-10W1M7
Arizona DiamondbacksNL West80-73.5233½9L27
Miami MarlinsNL East76-77.4977½9W23
Pittsburgh PiratesNL Central75-77.493810L23
St. Louis CardinalsNL Central75-78.4908½9L22
Cincinnati RedsNL Central71-81.4671210W1E
Washington NationalsNL East71-82.46412½9L1E
New York MetsNL East69-83.4541410L4E
San Francisco GiantsNL West64-89.41819½9W2E
Colorado RockiesNL West56-96.3682710L1E

WCGB = games behind the last wild-card spot (+ = lead over it). E# = elimination number: any combination of that many losses and wins by the last wild card eliminates the team. M = magic number to clinch a wild card over the first team out. Division leaders are not in the wild-card table.

Countdown toWorld SeriesFriday, October 23, 2026 · 6:30 PM EDT · Home park of the pennant winner with the better record
--Days
--Hours
--Minutes
--Seconds

Explore the MLB Playoffs

ProjectedBracketEvery matchup and score, AL left, NL right.4 RoundsSchedule & ScoresDates, first pitch times (ET), results.2 ClinchedPlayoff PictureSeeds, in the hunt, eliminated, tiebreakers.30 TeamsTeamsA playoff page for every team.11 PicksPlayoff PredictorPick every winner, share your bracket.6 Per LeagueFormat & RulesSeeding, byes, series lengths, tiebreakers.Oct 23World SeriesGame 1 at the better record

How the 2026 MLB Postseason Works

Twelve teams: six per league. The three division winners take seeds 1 to 3 and the three best remaining records are wild cards, seeds 4 to 6. Seeds 1 and 2 skip straight to the Division Series. The Wild Card Series (best of three) is played entirely at the higher seed’s park: No. 3 hosts No. 6 and No. 4 hosts No. 5.

There is no reseeding: the 4/5 winner meets the No. 1 seed, the 3/6 winner meets the No. 2 seed. The Division Series is best of five (2-2-1), the League Championship Series and World Series best of seven (2-3-2).

World Series home field goes to the pennant winner with the better regular-season record. Ties in the standings are settled by head-to-head record; there has been no Game 163 since 2022. Full detail on the format and tiebreakers page.

How to Watch the 2026 MLB Playoffs

The Wild Card Series (Sept 29 to Oct 1) is on NBC, Peacock and NBC Sports Network, NBC’s first postseason baseball since 2000. In the Division Series and LCS the National League is on FOX, FS1 and FOX Deportes and the American League on TBS, truTV and HBO Max. The World Series (from Oct 23) is on FOX and FOX Deportes.

ESPN Radio carries every game; Spanish-language TV is on FOX Deportes, Universo and Univision. Streaming: Peacock for NBC games, HBO Max for TBS games, the FOX app for FOX games, and live-TV packages such as YouTube TV, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV and Sling for all of them. MLB.TV subscribers who log in through a pay-TV provider can watch the FOX, FS1 and TNT Sports games in the app.

Game times are posted round by round and appear on each schedule and game page.

MLB Playoffs 2026: live bracket, schedule, scores and playoff picture on PlayoffsWiki.com

2026 MLB Playoffs Key Dates

RoundDatesFormatTV
Wild Card SeriesSep 29 – Oct 1, 2026Best of 3NBC, Peacock and NBC Sports Network
Division SeriesOct 3–10, 2026Best of 5NLDS on FOX, FS1 and FOX Deportes
League Championship SeriesOct 11–20, 2026Best of 7NLCS on FOX, FS1 and FOX Deportes
World SeriesOct 23–31, 2026Best of 7FOX and FOX Deportes

The regular season ends on Sep 27, 2026. The wild card standings and magic numbers pages track the race to the last day.

Share this page

2026 MLB Playoffs FAQ

When do the 2026 MLB playoffs start?

The Wild Card Series runs Sep 29 – Oct 1, 2026, the weekend after the 2026 regular season ends on Sep 27, 2026.

When does the World Series start?

Game 1 is Friday, October 23, 2026, at the home of the pennant winner with the better record; Game 7, if needed, is Oct 31, 2026.

How many teams make the MLB playoffs?

12: six per league, three division winners plus three wild cards. The top 2 seeds in each league get a bye.

Who is the No. 1 seed in the AL?

The Tampa Bay Rays (92-59) currently hold the AL's top seed.

Who is the No. 1 seed in the NL?

The Milwaukee Brewers (95-57) currently hold the NL's top seed and have clinched a playoff berth.

Which MLB team has the best record right now?

The Milwaukee Brewers at 95-57.

When will the 2026 playoff matchups be announced?

On the night the regular season ends (Sep 27, 2026), once every final-day result is in. They appear here the same night.