Major League Baseball revealed the complete 2026 postseason schedule, with the championship race slated to begin on September 29 and run through a potential World Series Game 7 on October 31, according to official league announcements covered by outlets including Líder en Deportes and El Universal.
Wild Card Round Openers Set for Late September
Games 2 are scheduled for September 30, while deciding Game 3 contests will be played on October 1 if necessary. The top two seeds in each league receive a bye to the Division Series, leaving the third seed to face the sixth seed and the fourth seed to battle the fifth seed. NBC, Peacock, and NBC Sports Network hold the broadcast rights for the Wild Card round, marking NBC’s return to postseason baseball broadcasts since the 2000 American League Championship Series between the Seattle Mariners and Yankees, as noted by El Universal.
Division Series Action Begins October 3
The four Division Series get underway on Saturday, October 3, utilizing a 2-2-1 format for the best-of-five matchups. The top two seeds in each league host the first two games and a potential fifth game. According to Líder en Deportes, if decisive fifth games are required, the National League Division Series finales take place on October 9, followed by the American League Division Series finales on October 10. Booking.com presents the Division Series. TBS, truTV, and Max handle broadcasts for the American League Division Series, while FOX, FS1, and FOX Deportes air the National League matchups.
League Championship Series and Halloween World Series Finale
Both series use a 2-3-2 format, with the higher seed hosting Games 1, 2, 6, and 7. Potential Game 7s are scheduled for October 19 in the National League and October 20 in the American League. The World Series starts on Friday, October 23, at the home ballpark of the pennant winner with the superior regular-season record. The fall classic includes travel days on October 25 and October 29, with the latter dependent on whether the series extends past five games. If a seventh game is required, it will be played on Saturday, October 31.
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