2026 MLB playoff schedule: Dates set for full postseason bracket, including World Series start

Major League Baseball released this year's postseason schedule Monday afternoon, more than a month before the regular season wraps. 

The playoffs will officially begin on Tuesday, Sept. 29, with the four Wild Card Series. Those best-of-three sets will conclude no later than Thursday, Oct. 1. From there, the Division Series will begin on Saturday, Oct. 3, with the League Championship Series getting underway no earlier than Sunday, Oct. 11.

The 2026 World Series, meanwhile, will kick off on Friday, Oct. 23. A potential Game 7, should it come to that, would take place on Saturday, Oct. 31.

Here's the full postseason schedule, beginning with the Wild Card Series.

Wild Card Series

Tues.

Sept. 29

ALWC A, Game 1

NBC platforms

ALWC B, Game 1

NBC platforms

NLWC A, Game 1

NBC platforms

NLWC B, Game 1

NBC platforms

Wed.

Sept. 30

ALWC A, Game 2

NBC platforms

ALWC B, Game 2

NBC platforms

NLWC A, Game 2

NBC platforms

NLWC B, Game 2

NBC platforms

Thurs.

Oct. 1

ALWC A, Game 3 (if necessary)

NBC platforms

ALWC B, Game 3 (if necessary)

NBC platforms

NLWC A, Game 3 (if necessary)

NBC platforms

NLWC B, Game 3 (if necessary)

NBC platforms

Division Series

Sat.

Oct. 3

ALDS A, Game 1

TBS, truTV, HBO MAX

ALDS B, Game 1

TBS, truTV, HBO MAX 

NLDS A, Game 1

Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes

NLDS B, Game 1

Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes

Sun.

Oct. 4

NLDS A, Game 2

Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes

NLDS B, Game 2

Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes

Mon.

Oct. 5

ALDS A, Game 2

TBS, truTV, HBO MAX

ALDS B, Game 2

TBS, truTV, HBO MAX

Tues.

Oct. 6

NLDS A, Game 3

Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes

NLDS B, Game 3

Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes

Wed.

Oct. 7

ALDS A, Game 3

TBS, truTV, HBO MAX

NLDS B, Game 3

TBS, truTV, HBO MAX

NLDS A, Game 4 (if necessary)

Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes

NLDS B, Game 4 (if necessary)

Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes

Thurs.

Oct. 8

ALDS A, Game 4 (if necessary)

TBS, truTV, HBO MAX

ALDS B, Game 4 (if necessary)

TBS, truTV, HBO MAX

Fri.

Oct. 9

NLDS A, Game 5 (if necessary)

Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes

NLDS B, Game 5 (if necessary)

Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes

Sat.

Oct. 10

ALDS A, Game 5 (if necessary)

TBS, truTV, HBO MAX

ALDS B, Game 5 (if necessary)

TBS, truTV, HBO MAX

League Championship Series

Sun.

Oct. 11

NLCS Game 1

Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes

Mon.

Oct. 12

ALCS Game 1

TBS, truTV, HBO MAX

NLCS Game 2

Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes

Tues.

Oct. 13

ALCS Game 2

TBS, truTV, HBO MAX

Wed.

Oct. 14

NLCS Game 3

Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes

Thurs.

Oct. 15

ALCS Game 3

TBS, truTV, HBO MAX

NLCS Game 4

Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes

Fri.

Oct. 16

ALCS Game 4

TBS, truTV, HBO MAX

NLCS Game 5 (if necessary)

Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes

Sat.

Oct. 17

ALCS Game 5 (if necessary)

TBS, truTV, HBO MAX

Sun.

Oct. 18

NLCS Game 6 (if necessary)

Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes

Mon.

Oct. 19

ALCS Game 6 (if necessary)

TBS, truTV, HBO MAX

NLCS Game 7 (if necessary)

Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes

Tues.

Oct. 20

ALCS Game 7 (if necessary)

TBS, truTV, HBO MAX

World Series

Fri.

Oct. 23

Game 1 (at better 2025 record)

Fox/Fox Deportes

Sat.

Oct. 24

Game 2 (at better 2025 record)

Fox/Fox Deportes

Sun.

Oct. 25

TRAVEL DAY

Mon.

Oct. 26

Game 3

Fox/Fox Deportes

Tues.

Oct. 27

Game 4

Fox/Fox Deportes

Wed.

Oct. 28

Game 5 (if necessary)

Fox/Fox Deportes

Thurs.

Oct. 29

TRAVEL DAY (if necessary)

Fri.

Oct. 30

Game 6 (if necessary, at better 2025 record)

Fox/Fox Deportes

Sat.

Oct. 31

Game 7 (if necessary, at better 2025 record)

Fox/Fox Deportes

MLB's regular season will wrap up on Sunday, Sept. 27. Remember that the expanded postseason means there are no tiebreaker games. All ties are broken mathematically, with head-to-head record as the first tiebreaker.