The 2026 American League Division Series begin Saturday, October 3, and run through a possible Game 5 on Saturday, October 10. Both series are best of five and air on TBS, truTV and HBO Max. The top two AL seeds skip the Wild Card round and host Games 1, 2 and 5.
| Detail | ALDS |
|---|---|
| Game 1 | Saturday, Oct. 3 |
| Game 5, if needed | Saturday, Oct. 10 |
| Format | Best of 5; higher seed hosts Games 1, 2 and 5 |
| TV | TBS, truTV and HBO Max |
Projected Matchups
| Series | Matchup |
|---|---|
| ALDS A | No. 1 Rays vs. winner of No. 4 Yankees and No. 5 Red Sox |
| ALDS B | No. 2 seed (currently the AL Central champion, Guardians or White Sox) vs. winner of No. 3 and No. 6 |
Seeds are as of Friday, September 25, with three regular season games left; the live bracket is on the MLB playoff bracket page. Matchups lock Sunday night.
What Comes Next
The two ALDS winners meet in the ALCS, which starts Monday, October 12, on TBS, truTV and HBO Max.
2026 Postseason at a Glance
| Round | Dates | Format | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Card Series | Sept. 29 to Oct. 1 | Best of 3, higher seed hosts every game | NBC, NBCSN, Peacock |
| ALDS | Oct. 3 to Oct. 10 | Best of 5 | TBS, truTV, HBO Max |
| NLDS | Oct. 3 to Oct. 9 | Best of 5 | FOX or FS1 |
| NLCS | Oct. 11 to Oct. 19 | Best of 7 | FOX or FS1 |
| ALCS | Oct. 12 to Oct. 20 | Best of 7 | TBS, truTV, HBO Max |
| World Series | Oct. 23 to Oct. 31 | Best of 7 | FOX |
Related
MLB playoff bracket · MLB playoff schedule · MLB playoffs TV schedule · Clinch scenarios · World Series odds