MLB playoffs schedule, bracket & results
Keep track of October baseball all in one place
We got a nice head start on postseason baseball with the unprecedented double tiebreaker Monday, but now that the National League is all settled we get the real thing, with four weeks of playoff baseball to entertain us for the remainder of October.
For the second season in a row we have three 100-win teams, lead by a juggernaut Boston Red Sox team that set a franchise record with 108 victories. They were joined by the Houston Astros (103 wins) and the New York Yankees (100), the first time that there have been three 100-win teams in the same league.
Seven teams from last year’s playoffs are back, including both World Series participants — the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers. The Milwaukee Brewers are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2011 and are the top seed in the National League. Other playoff droughts erased are the young Atlanta Braves (last playoffs: 2013) and the surging Oakland Athletics (2014).
Teams
American League
- Boston Red Sox (108-54)
- Houston Astros (103-59)
- Cleveland Indians (91-71)
- New York Yankees (100-62)
- Oakland Athletics (97-65)
National League
- Milwaukee Brewers (96-67)
- Los Angeles Dodgers (92-71)
- Atlanta Braves (90-72)
- Chicago Cubs (95-68)
- Colorado Rockies (91-72)
Format
Both Wild Card Games are single-elimination, with the National League starting things off on Tuesday, Oct. 2, followed by the American League on Wednesday, Oct. 3. The Division Series are best-of-five with a 2-2-1 format. The League Championship Series and World Series are both best-of-seven formats in a 2-3-2 schedule.
Home field advantage goes to the team with the best record, though a Wild Card winner cannot have home field advantage in the League Championship Series. The most recent example of this was the 2015 NLCS, when the 90-win, division-winning Mets had home field advantage over the 97-win, Wild Card Cubs.
Odds
As of Oct. 2, here are the gambling odds for each team to win the World Series, per Bovada:
- Red Sox 3/1
- Astros 13/4
- Dodgers 6/1
- Indians 9/1
- Brewers 9/1
- Braves 11/1
- Yankees 11/1
- Cubs 14/1
- Athletics 14/1
- Rockies 18/1
Bracket
Schedule
All times ET
*if necessary
Wild Card
Tuesday, Oct. 2
NL Wild Card Game: Rockies at Cubs, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
Wednesday, Oct. 3
AL Wild Card Game: A’s at Yankees, 8 p.m. (TBS)
Division Series
Thursday, Oct. 4
NLDS Game 1: Rockies/Cubs at Brewers, 5:07 p.m. (FS1)
NLDS Game 1: Braves at Dodgers, 8:37 p.m. (MLBN)
Friday, Oct. 5
ALDS Game 1: Indians at Astros, 2:05 p.m. (TBS)
NLDS Game 2: Rockies/Cubs at Brewers, 4:15 p.m. (FS1)
ALDS Game 1: A’s/Yankees at Red Sox, 7:32 p.m. (TBS)
NLDS Game 2: Braves at Dodgers, 9:37 p.m. (FS1)
Saturday, Oct. 6
ALDS Game 2: Indians at Astros, 4:37 p.m. (TBS)
ALDS Game 2: A’s/Yankees at Red Sox, 8:15 p.m. (TBS)
Sunday, Oct. 7
NLDS Game 3: Brewers at Rockies/Cubs, 4:07 p.m. (MLBN)
NLDS Game 3: Dodgers at Braves, 8:07 p.m. (FS1)
Monday, Oct. 8
ALDS Game 3: Astros at Indians, TBD (TBS)
ALDS Game 3: Red Sox at A’s/Yankees, TBD (TBS)
NLDS Game 4*: Brewers at Rockies/Cubs, TBD (FS1)
NLDS Game 4*: Dodgers at Braves, TBD (FS1)
Tuesday, Oct. 9
ALDS Game 4*: Astros at Indians, TBD (TBS)
ALDS Game 4*: Red Sox at A’s/Yankees, TBD (TBS)
Wednesday, Oct. 10
NLDS Game 5*: Rockies/Cubs at Brewers, TBD (FS1)
NLDS Game 5*: Braves at Dodgers, TBD (MLBN)
Thursday, Oct. 11
ALDS Game 5*: Indians at Astros, TBD (TBS)
ALDS Game 5*: A’s/Yankees at Red Sox, TBD (TBS)
League Championship Series
Friday, Oct. 12
NLCS Game 1 (Fox or FS1)
Saturday, Oct. 13
NLCS Game 2 (Fox or FS1)
ALCS Game 1 (TBS)
Sunday, Oct. 14
ALCS Game 2 (TBS)
Monday, Oct. 15
NLCS Game 3 (Fox or FS1)
Tuesday, Oct. 16
NLCS Game 4 (Fox or FS1)
ALCS Game 3 (TBS)
Wednesday, Oct. 17
NLCS Game 5* (Fox or FS1)
ALCS Game 4 (TBS)
Thursday, Oct. 18
ALCS Game 5* (TBS)
Friday, Oct. 19
NLCS Game 6* (Fox or FS1)
Saturday, Oct. 20
NLCS Game 7* (Fox or FS1)
ALCS Game 6* (TBS)
Sunday, Oct. 21
ALCS Game 7* (TBS)
World Series
Tuesday, Oct. 23
Game 1 (Fox)
Wednesday, Oct. 24
Game 2 (Fox)
Friday, Oct. 26
Game 3 (Fox)
Saturday, Oct. 27
Game 4 (Fox)
Sunday, Oct. 28
Game 5* (Fox)
Tuesday, Oct. 30
Game 6* (Fox)
Wednesday, Oct. 31
Game 7* (Fox)