2026 MLB playoff bracket: Scores, schedule, where to watch as baseball postseason kicks off

Welcome to the 2026 MLB playoffs, baseball fans. The postseason got started Tuesday with a quartet of Game 1s in the best-of-three Wild Card Series. The Braves host the Phillies, the Astros face the White Sox, the Yankees and Red Sox renew their rivalry in the Bronx and the surging Padres take on NL MVP frontrunner Pete Crow-Armstrong and the Cubs. Tuesday is a full day of high-stakes baseball.

>In these short series, the Game 1 winners are one victory away from the LDS round, and the Game 1 losers are one loss away from their season being over.

>The Rays, Guardians, Brewers and Dodgers all secured byes and await the winners in the next round. The Rays are the American League's top seed and will face a division rival in the ALDS, whether it's the Yankees or the Red Sox. The Guardians, despite an 85-77 record that ranks 10th out of the 12 playoff teams, earned the No. 2 seed in the AL and will face either the 84-win White Sox or 81-win Astros in the next round.

>The Brewers (103 wins) and Dodgers (100 wins) both hit triple digits in the win column in the regular season, and they will host NLDS Game 1s on Saturday. The Brewers get the Padres-Cubs winner, while the two-time reigning champion Dodgers get either the Braves or the Phillies.

>Below is a look at the full 2026 MLB playoff bracket and the playoff schedule.

>Tuesday, Sept. 29 NL Wild Card Series Game 1: Braves 5, Phillies 3 | Atlanta leads series 1-0 AL Wild Card Series Game 1: White Sox 6, Astros 3 | Chicago leads series 1-0 AL Wild Card Series Game 1: Yankees 9, Red Sox 0 | New York leads series 1-0 NL Wild Card Series Game 1: Cubs @ Padres, 10 p.m., Peacock/NBCSN

>Wednesday, Sept. 30 NL Wild Card Series Game 2: Phillies @ Braves, 2 p.m., NBC/fubo AL Wild Card Series Game 2: White Sox @ Astros, 5 p.m., Peacock/NBCSN AL Wild Card Series Game 2: Red Sox @ Yankees, 8 p.m., NBC/fubo NL Wild Card Series Game 2: Cubs @ Padres, 10 p.m., Peacock/NBCSN

>Thursday, Oct. 1 NL Wild Card Series Game 3*: Phillies @ Braves, 2 p.m., NBC/fubo AL Wild Card Series Game 3*: White Sox @ Astros, 5 p.m., Peacock/NBCSN AL Wild Card Series Game 3*: Red Sox @ Yankees, 8 p.m., NBC/fubo NL Wild Card Series Game 3*: Cubs @ Padres, 10 p.m., Peacock/NBCSN Game times subject to change based on Game 3 schedule.

>Saturday, Oct. 3 ALDS Game 1: TBS, truTV, HBO Max ALDS Game 1: TBS, truTV, HBO Max NLDS Game 1: Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes/fubo NLDS Game 1: Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes/fubo

>Sunday, Oct. 4 NLDS Game 2: Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes/fubo NLDS Game 2: Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes/fubo

>Monday, Oct. 5 ALDS Game 2: TBS, truTV, HBO Max ALDS Game 2: TBS, truTV, HBO Max

>Tuesday, Oct. 6 NLDS Game 3: Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes/fubo NLDS Game 3: Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes/fubo

>Wednesday, Oct. 7 ALDS Game 3: TBS, truTV, HBO Max ALDS Game 3: TBS, truTV, HBO Max NLDS Game 4*: Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes/fubo NLDS Game 4*: Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes/fubo

>Thursday, Oct. 8 ALDS Game 4*: TBS, truTV, HBO Max ALDS Game 4*: TBS, truTV, HBO Max

>Friday, Oct. 9 NLDS Game 5*: Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes/fubo NLDS Game 5*: Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes/fubo

>Saturday, Oct. 10 ALDS Game 5*: TBS, truTV, HBO Max ALDS Game 5*: TBS, truTV, HBO Max

>Sunday, Oct. 11 NLCS Game 1: Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes/fubo

>Monday, Oct. 12 ALCS Game 1: TBS, truTV, HBO Max NLCS Game 2: Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes/fubo

>Tuesday, Oct. 13 ALCS Game 2: TBS, truTV, HBO Max

>Wednesday, Oct. 14 NLCS Game 3: Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes/fubo

>Thursday, Oct. 15 ALCS Game 3: TBS, truTV, HBO Max NLCS Game 4: Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes/fubo

>Friday, Oct. 16 ALCS Game 4: TBS, truTV, HBO Max NLCS Game 5*: Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes/fubo

>Saturday, Oct. 17 ALCS Game 5*: TBS, truTV, HBO Max

>Sunday, Oct. 18 NLCS Game 6*: Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes/fubo

>Monday, Oct. 19 ALCS Game 6*: TBS, truTV, HBO Max NLCS Game 7*: Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes/fubo

>Tuesday, Oct. 20 ALCS Game 7*: TBS, truTV, HBO Max

>Friday, Oct. 23 World Series Game 1: Fox/Fox Deportes/fubo

>Saturday, Oct. 24 World Series Game 2: Fox/Fox Deportes/fubo

>Monday, Oct. 25 World Series Game 3: Fox/Fox Deportes/fubo

>Tuesday, Oct. 27 World Series Game 4: Fox/Fox Deportes/fubo

>Wednesday, Oct. 28 World Series Game 5*: Fox/Fox Deportes/fubo

>Friday, Oct. 30 World Series Game 6*: Fox/Fox Deportes/fubo

>Saturday, Oct. 31 World Series Game 7*: Fox/Fox Deportes/fubo