The 2026 MLB Wild Card Series run from Tuesday, September 29 through Thursday, October 1. There are four best of three series, two in each league, and the higher seed hosts every game. All of them air on NBC and NBCSN, with Peacock streaming every NBC game plus up to six exclusive games. It is the first postseason baseball on NBC since the 2000 ALCS.
| Game | Date |
|---|---|
| Game 1 | Tuesday, Sept. 29 |
| Game 2 | Wednesday, Sept. 30 |
| Game 3, if needed | Thursday, Oct. 1 |
The Matchups
The No. 3 seed hosts the No. 6 seed and the No. 4 seed hosts the No. 5 seed in each league. The No. 1 and No. 2 seeds get byes into the Division Series.
| League | No. 3 vs. No. 6 | No. 4 vs. No. 5 |
|---|---|---|
| American League | Astros vs. White Sox | Yankees vs. Red Sox (set) |
| National League | Braves vs. Phillies | Padres vs. Cubs |
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 Wild Card winners advance to the Division Series, which start Saturday, October 3. The winner of 4 vs. 5 plays the No. 1 seed, and the winner of 3 vs. 6 plays the No. 2 seed. The bracket is fixed, with no reseeding.
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