With the playoff field set, 12 teams now have their sights set on baseball immortality.
The MLB postseason, however, will look a little different this year. The league added an additional wild-card team, and now will utilize a 12-team playoff bracket. Furthermore, rather than a single-elimination wild-card game, the new bracket includes a three-game series in the opening round, with all three games played at the higher seed’s field.
Beyond that, the two divisional winners in each league with the best records now have a bye into the Divisional Series. So the New York Yankees, the Houston Astros, the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers get to watch the Wild-Card round with the rest of us, from the comfort of their couches at home.
Here is the MLB Postseason bracket:
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Here are the start times, dates and television information for the first two rounds of the playoffs, and the dates for both the ALCS and the NLCS.
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American League Playoffs: Start times, TV, dates and games
Wild-Card Round
Seattle Mariners vs. Toronto Blue Jays
Game 1: Mariners at Blue Jays, Friday, October 7 4:07 PM ET, ESPN
Game 2: Mariners at Blue Jays, Saturday, October 8 4:07 PM ET, ESPN
Game 3*: Mariners at Blue Jays, Sunday, October 9 2:07 PM ET, ABC
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Cleveland Guardians
Game 1: Rays at Guardians, Friday, October 7 12:07 PM ET, ESPN
Game 2: Rays at Guardians, Saturday, October 8 12:07 PM ET, ESPN2
Game 3*: Rays at Guardians, Sunday, October 9 4:07 PM ET, ESPN
American League Divisional Series
Toronto/Seattle Winner vs. New York Yankees
Game 1: TOR/SEA Winner at Yankees, Tuesday, October 11 TBD, TBS
Game 2: TOR/SEA Winner at Yankees, Thursday, October 13 TBD, TBS
Game 3: Yankees at TOR/SEA Winner, Saturday, October 15 TBD, TBS
Game 4*: Yankees at TOR/SEA Winner, Sunday, October 16 TBD, TBS
Game 5*: TOR/SEA Winner at Yankees, Monday, October 17 TBD, TBS
Tampa Bay/Cleveland Winner vs. Houston Astros
Game 1: TB/CLE Winner at Astros, Tuesday, October 11 TBD, TBS
Game 2: TB/CLE Winner at Astros, Thursday, October 13 TBD, TBS
Game 3: Astros at TB/CLE Winner, Saturday, October 15 TBD, TBS
Game 4*: Astros at TB/CLE Winner, Sunday, October 16 TBD, TBS
Game 5*: TB/CLE Winner at Astros, Monday, October 17 TBD, TBS
American League Championship Series
Game 1: Lower seed at Higher seed, Wednesday, October 19 TBD, TBS
Game 2: Lower seed at Higher seed, Thursday, October 20 TBD, TBS
Game 3: Higher seed at Lower seed, Saturday, October 22 TBD, TBS
Game 4: Higher seed at Lower seed, Sunday, October 23 TBD, TBS
Game 5*: Higher seed at Lower seed, Monday, October 24 TBD, TBS
Game 6*: Lower seed at Higher seed, Tuesday, October 25 TBD, TBS
Game 7*: Lower seed at Higher seed, Wednesday, October 26 TBD, TBS
National League Playoffs: Start times, TV, dates and games
Wild-Card Round
Philadelphia Phillies vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Game 1: Phillies at Cardinals, Friday, October 7 2:07 PM ET, ABC
Game 2: Phillies at Cardinals, Saturday, October 8 8:37 PM ET, ESPN2
Game 3*: Phillies at Cardinals, Sunday, October 9 8:37 PM ET, ESPN
San Diego Padres vs. New York Mets
Game 1: Padres at Mets, Friday, October 7 8:07 PM ET, ESPN
Game 2: Padres at Mets, Saturday, October 8 7:37 PM ET, ESPN
Game 3*: Padres at Mets, Sunday, October 9 7:37 PM ET, ESPN
National League Divisional Series
Philadelphia/St. Louis Winner vs. Atlanta Braves
Game 1: PHL/STL Winner at Braves, Tuesday, October 11 TBD, FOX/FS1
Game 2: PHL/STL Winner at Braves, Wednesday, October 12 TBD, FOX/FS1
Game 3: Braves at PHL/STL Winner, Friday, October 14 TBD, FOX
Game 4*: Braves at PHL/STL Winner, Saturday, October 15 TBD, FOX
Game 5*: PHL/STL Winner at Braves, Sunday, October 16 TBD, FOX
San Diego/New York Winner vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
Game 1: SD/NY Winner at Dodgers, Tuesday, October 11 TBD, FOX/FS1
Game 2: SD/NY Winner at Dodgers, Wednesday, October 12 TBD, FOX/FS1
Game 3: Dodgers at SD/NY Winner, Friday, October 14 TBD, FOX
Game 4*: Dodgers at SD/NY Winner, Saturday, October 15 TBD, FOX
Game 5*: SD/NY Winner at Dodgers, Sunday, October 16 TBD, FOX
National League Championship Series
Game 1: Lower seed at Higher seed, Tuesday, October 18 TBD, FOX/FS1
Game 2: Lower seed at Higher seed, Wednesday, October 19 TBD, FOX/FS1
Game 3: Higher seed at Lower seed, Friday, October 21 TBD, TBS
Game 4: Higher seed at Lower seed, Saturday, October 22 TBD, FOX/FS1
Game 5*: Higher seed at Lower seed, Sunday, October 23 TBD, TBS
Game 6*: Lower seed at Higher seed, Monday, October 24 TBD, TBS
Game 7*: Lower seed at Higher seed, Tuesday, October 25 TBD, FOX/FS1
World Series
Home-field advantage is determined by regular-season win-loss record. Currently, the Dodgers have the inside track to home-field advantage throughout the postseason and through the World Series, but that will not be determined until we know the final two teams.
Game 1: Lower seed at Higher seed, Friday, October 28 TBD, FOX
Game 2: Lower seed at Higher seed, Saturday, October 29 TBD, FOX
Game 3: Higher seed at Lower seed, Monday, October 31 TBD, FOX
Game 4: Higher seed at Lower seed, Tuesday, November 1 TBD, FOX
Game 5*: Higher seed at Lower seed, Wednesday, November 2 TBD, FOX
Game 6*: Lower seed at Higher seed, Friday, November 4 TBD, FOX
Game 7*: Lower seed at Higher seed, Saturday, October 5 TBD, FOX
*If necessary
Predictions
We have more on each of the 12 playoff teams in our World Series contender tiers, which dives into how each team can make a run to a World Series. But here is one writer’s look at how the postseason will play out.
American League:
Mariners over Blue Jays in 3
Rays over Guardians in 3
Yankees over Mariners in 4
Astros over Rays in 5
Astros over Yankees in 7
National League:
Cardinals over Phillies in 3
Mets over Padres in 3
Dodgers over Mets in 4
Braves over Cardinals in 5
Braves over Dodgers in 6
World Series
Braves over Astros in 6