MLB Wild Card Series 2026
Wild Card Series of the 2026 MLB playoffs: 4 games on Sep 29 – Oct 1, 2026; the higher seed hosts every game of the series. Matchups are set the night the regular season ends (Sep 27, 2026) and appear here immediately. Updated Sep 17, 2026 6:10 AM EDT.
Wild Card Series Schedule and Scores
Projected Wild Card Series matchups
Chicago White Soxat3
Texas Rangers
Boston Red Soxat4
New York Yankees
San Diego Padresat3
Atlanta Braves
Philadelphia Philliesat4
Chicago CubsHow the Wild Card Works
Four best-of-three series in three days open the postseason, all at the higher seed's park. The lower seed plays every game on the road and can be out by Wednesday night. Since 2022 no Game 163 is played: ties for these spots are settled by head-to-head record.
Who plays
Seeds 3 to 6 in each league; seeds 1 and 2 have a bye.
Matchups
No. 3 v No. 6 and No. 4 v No. 5 in each league, best of three.
Home field
The higher seed hosts every game of the series.
What is next
The 4/5 winner goes to the No. 1 seed and the 3/6 winner to the No. 2 seed in the Division Series.
How to Watch
Wild Card Series games are on NBC, Peacock and NBC Sports Network. Peacock streams the NBC games, HBO Max the TBS games and the FOX app or FOX One the FOX games; live-TV packages such as YouTube TV, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV and Sling carry all of them. MLB.TV subscribers who authenticate through a pay-TV provider can watch the FOX, FS1 and TNT Sports games in the app. ESPN Radio has every game; Spanish-language coverage is on FOX Deportes, Universo and Univision. Game times are announced round by round and appear on each game page.
Where This Round Sits
- Regular seasonMar – Sep 27
- Wild CardSep 29–1
- LDSOct 3–10
- LCSOct 11–20
- World SeriesOct 23–31
Everything on this Wild Card Series page updates automatically: matchups when they are set, scores while games are on, results when they end. The full bracket shows how this round connects to the rest of the 2026 MLB playoffs.
Wild Card Series FAQ
When is the 2026 MLB Wild Card Series?
Sep 29 – Oct 1, 2026 (Tuesday to Thursday, Sept 29 to Oct 1).
How many games are in the Wild Card Series?
4. No. 3 v No. 6 and No. 4 v No. 5 in each league, best of three.
Who plays in the Wild Card Series?
Seeds 3 to 6 in each league; seeds 1 and 2 have a bye.
Who hosts?
The higher seed hosts every game of the series.
What channel is the Wild Card Series on?
NBC, Peacock and NBC Sports Network.
How many games is the Wild Card Series?
Best of 3: first to 2 wins.
Why do the top two seeds not play?
Seeds 1 and 2 in each league earn a bye straight to the Division Series; seeds 3 to 6 play the Wild Card Series.