MLB Postseason 2026: Bracket, Dates and World Series Schedule
Updated 7 October 2026 · by the Jersey Pro Center team
Quick answer
The 2026 MLB postseason runs from 29 September to a potential Game 7 of the World Series on 31 October 2026. Twelve teams qualify — six from the American League and six from the National League. The two division winners with the best record in each league advance straight to the best-of-five Division Series, while the remaining four play best-of-three Wild Card Series. The bracket is fixed, not reseeded: the No. 1 seed meets the winner of the 4-vs-5 series and the No. 2 seed meets the winner of the 3-vs-6 series. As of 7 October 2026, the Chicago White Sox and Tampa Bay Rays lead their ALDS matchups 2-0, the Los Angeles Dodgers lead the Atlanta Braves 2-1 in the NLDS, and the Milwaukee Brewers lead the San Diego Padres 2-0 in the NLDS. All fixture details were verified against MLB.com on 7 October 2026.
The 2026 MLB postseason is down to its final eight teams. Here is how the 12-team bracket works, the Wild Card results, the Division Series standings as of 7 October 2026, the League Championship Series and World Series dates, and the jerseys fans wear to each round.
How does the 2026 MLB postseason bracket work?
The bracket is built in eight simple steps. Each step is a rule that decides who plays whom and where the home games sit.
- Twelve teams qualify. Six from the American League and six from the National League make the postseason.
- The top two division winners in each league get byes. The AL and NL division winners with the best regular-season records skip the Wild Card round.
- The other four teams in each league play best-of-three Wild Card Series. In each league the No. 3 seed plays the No. 6 seed, and the No. 4 seed plays the No. 5 seed.
- Higher seeds host every Wild Card game. The lower-seeded club travels for all three games if the series goes the distance.
- Winners advance to best-of-five Division Series. The No. 1 seed plays the winner of the 4-vs-5 series, and the No. 2 seed plays the winner of the 3-vs-6 series.
- The bracket is fixed and never reseeded. An upset does not change the line; it simply moves the winning team along.
- Division Series winners meet in best-of-seven League Championship Series. The ALCS begins on 12 October 2026 and the NLCS begins on 11 October 2026.
- AL and NL champions play the best-of-seven World Series. Game 1 is on 23 October 2026, and a deciding Game 7 would be on 31 October 2026.
Home-field advantage in the World Series goes to the league champion with the better regular-season record, not to the league that won the All-Star Game.
When does each round start and end?
| Round | Dates | Format | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Card Series | 29 September to 1 October 2026 | Best-of-3 | NBC, Peacock, NBCSN |
| Division Series | 3 to 10 October 2026 (NL through 9 October) | Best-of-5 | AL on TBS/truTV/HBO Max; NL on FOX/FS1 |
| League Championship Series | ALCS 12 to 20 October 2026; NLCS 11 to 19/20 October 2026 | Best-of-7 | ALCS on TBS/truTV/HBO Max; NLCS on FOX/FS1 |
| World Series | 23 to 31 October 2026 | Best-of-7 | FOX |
All dates were verified against MLB.com on 7 October 2026. If a series ends early, the next round still starts on the published date and teams wait for their opponent.
What has happened so far?
The Wild Card Series eliminated four clubs. In the American League the Chicago White Sox swept the Houston Astros 2-0, winning 6-3 and 7-3, and the New York Yankees swept the Boston Red Sox 2-0, winning 9-0 and 9-2. In the National League the San Diego Padres swept the Chicago Cubs 2-0, winning 8-0 and 4-1, and the Atlanta Braves beat the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1, losing Game 2 in 10 innings before taking Game 3 6-2.
| Round | Matchup | Status as of 7 October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AL Wild Card | Chicago White Sox v Houston Astros | White Sox won 2-0 |
| AL Wild Card | New York Yankees v Boston Red Sox | Yankees won 2-0 |
| NL Wild Card | Atlanta Braves v Philadelphia Phillies | Braves won 2-1 |
| NL Wild Card | San Diego Padres v Chicago Cubs | Padres won 2-0 |
| ALDS | Chicago White Sox v Cleveland Guardians | White Sox lead 2-0 |
| ALDS | Tampa Bay Rays v New York Yankees | Rays lead 2-0 |
| NLDS | Los Angeles Dodgers v Atlanta Braves | Dodgers lead 2-1 |
| NLDS | Milwaukee Brewers v San Diego Padres | Brewers lead 2-0 |
Scores and series leads are accurate as of 7 October 2026 and will change as the Division Series continue.
White Sox jerseys Rays jerseys Dodgers jerseys Brewers jerseys
When is the 2026 World Series?
The 2026 World Series begins on Friday 23 October 2026 and runs through Saturday 31 October 2026 if it goes to Game 7. Games 1, 2, 6 and 7 are hosted by the pennant winner with the better 2026 regular-season record; Games 3, 4 and 5 are hosted by the other league champion. Every game airs on FOX.
| Game | Date | Location | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Friday 23 October 2026 | At better 2026 record | FOX |
| Game 2 | Saturday 24 October 2026 | At better 2026 record | FOX |
| Game 3 | Monday 26 October 2026 | At other league champion | FOX |
| Game 4 | Tuesday 27 October 2026 | At other league champion | FOX |
| Game 5* | Wednesday 28 October 2026 | At other league champion | FOX |
| Game 6* | Friday 30 October 2026 | At better 2026 record | FOX |
| Game 7* | Saturday 31 October 2026 | At better 2026 record | FOX |
*Games 5, 6 and 7 are played only if the series reaches that length.
What jersey do fans wear to an MLB postseason game?
Fans wear the jersey of the team they support, and the colour changes with the round. The White Sox home jersey is white with black pinstripes and black lettering. The Yankees home jersey is white with navy pinstripes and navy lettering. The Rays home jersey is white with navy and light blue trim. The Dodgers home jersey is white with royal blue trim. The Braves home jersey is white with red and navy trim. The Brewers home jersey is cream with green and gold trim. The Padres home jersey is white with brown and gold trim. Picking the right colour is what makes a fan visible in a crowd of neutral supporters.
Our MLB shelf is organised by team, so each of the remaining clubs has its own collection. Adult jerseys in the postseason collections we checked are stocked at $59.77 with the player print already applied.
Yankees jerseys Braves jerseys Padres jerseys
Which postseason jerseys are in stock?
The four cards below cover four of the eight teams still playing. Each links to a stocked jersey with the name and number visible on the photograph, which is the print that ships.
Chicago White SoxHome jersey · BENINTENDI 23White pinstripes with black lettering · the White Sox lead the Guardians 2-0 in the ALDSView this shirt
New York YankeesHome jersey · BELLINGER 35White pinstripes with navy lettering · the Yankees trail the Rays 0-2 in the ALDSView this shirt
Atlanta BravesHome jersey · CHIPPER 10White with red and navy trim · the Braves trail the Dodgers 1-2 in the NLDSView this shirt
Milwaukee BrewersHome jersey · UECKER 9Cream with green and gold trim · the Brewers lead the Padres 2-0 in the NLDSView this shirtAdult jerseys in the collections covering the remaining postseason teams are priced at $59.77 with the player print already applied. Orders ship free once the total reaches $57; smaller orders ship for a flat $7, leave within 7-15 business days and can be returned free for 30 days. Use code SUBSCRIBE10 for 10% off a first order.
How do you pick a jersey for a postseason game?
Postseason games are louder and more crowded than regular-season games, so the right jersey is the one that is easy to spot and comfortable to wear for three hours. These five steps take about two minutes.
- Pick the team first. Each of the eight remaining clubs has its own collection here, so start with the team rather than the colour.
- Choose the colourway the club actually wears at home. Home jerseys are white or cream for every remaining team except the White Sox and Yankees, whose pinstripes are also home whites.
- Read the print in the photograph. BENINTENDI 23, BELLINGER 35, CHIPPER 10 and UECKER 9 are all stocked as printed jerseys. The photograph is the exact print that ships.
- Check the cut before the size. Baseball jerseys use a button-front cut and give extra room through the chest. Our size guide says they fit true to size, so size up only if you plan to layer heavily.
- Order inside the shipping window. Jerseys leave in 7-15 business days, so a shirt ordered for the World Series needs to be ordered well before 23 October 2026.
Size guide Guardians jerseys Astros jerseys
What are the do's and don'ts for ordering?
Related guides
- NFL Week 4 2026 preview - sixteen games over five days and the London morning kick-off.
- NHL 2026-27 season guide - the other 2026 season that opened this month, with its 84-game schedule.
- Jersey sizing compared - how MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL and football shirts fit differently.
- MLB Championship Series 2026 - the pennant round that follows the Division Series, with the NLCS and ALCS schedules side by side.
Common questions
When does the 2026 MLB postseason start and end?
The 2026 MLB postseason starts with the Wild Card Series on 29 September 2026 and ends with a potential Game 7 of the World Series on 31 October 2026. The Division Series runs from 3 to 10 October 2026, the League Championship Series from 11 to 20 October 2026, and the World Series from 23 to 31 October 2026.
How does the 2026 MLB postseason bracket work?
Twelve teams qualify, six from each league. The two division winners with the best record in each league get a bye into the best-of-five Division Series. The remaining four teams in each league play best-of-three Wild Card Series. The bracket is fixed: the No. 1 seed plays the winner of the 4-vs-5 series, and the No. 2 seed plays the winner of the 3-vs-6 series. The World Series is a best-of-seven between the AL and NL champions.
Which teams are still in the 2026 MLB postseason?
As of 7 October 2026 the American League teams still playing are the Chicago White Sox, the Tampa Bay Rays, the Cleveland Guardians and the New York Yankees. The National League teams still playing are the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Milwaukee Brewers, the Atlanta Braves and the San Diego Padres.
When is the 2026 World Series?
The 2026 World Series starts on Friday 23 October 2026. Games 1 and 2 are at the pennant winner with the better 2026 regular-season record, Games 3, 4 and 5 are at the other league champion, and Games 6 and 7 return to the team with the better record. A deciding Game 7 would be played on Saturday 31 October 2026.
What MLB jerseys are in stock for the postseason?
Our MLB jerseys are organised by team, and the collections for all eight remaining clubs were live on 7 October 2026. Adult jerseys in the checked collections are stocked at $59.77 with the player name and number already applied. White Sox, Yankees, Braves and Brewers home jerseys are shown in the product cards on this page.
Do the MLB jerseys ship with the player print already on them?
Yes. Whatever name and number appear on the listing photograph is the print that arrives, because our product pages have no field for entering a different name. The White Sox jersey is stocked with BENINTENDI 23, the Yankees jersey with BELLINGER 35, the Braves jersey with CHIPPER 10 and the Brewers jersey with UECKER 9.
How fast do MLB jerseys ship and what do they cost?
Adult MLB jerseys in the collections covering the remaining postseason teams are stocked at $59.77. Orders over $57 ship free; smaller shipments cost a flat $7. Delivery takes 7-15 business days, returns are free for 30 days, and first-time buyers can use SUBSCRIBE10 for 10% off.
Jersey Pro Center ships football shirts, basketball and baseball jerseys, NHL and NCAA kits to the US, Canada, UK, EU and Australia. Supporter (fan) cut as standard · close-fitting Authentic or on-field cut where the product title says so. Free shipping over $57 · 30-day returns · Use code SUBSCRIBE10 for 10% off your first order.