The 2026 MLB playoffs resume Saturday with four League Division Series matchups that promise tense baseball as teams vie for a shot at the pennant. The Los Angeles Dodgers will host the winner of the National League wild-card series between the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves, the Tampa Bay Rays face the New York Yankees in the American League, the Cleveland Guardians welcome the Chicago White Sox, and the Milwaukee Brewers take on the San Diego Padres.
The wild-card round concluded with the Yankees sweeping the Boston Red Sox 2-0, a clean result after New York outscored Boston 16-4 across the two games. The Yankees enter the ALDS with momentum, having edged Boston 7-6 in the season series. Meanwhile, Chicago’s sweep of the Houston Astros secured their place against Cleveland, kicking off their series at Progressive Field on Saturday afternoon. The White Sox were the first team to advance from the wild-card round, setting up a challenge for the Guardians, who finished the regular season with a 5% probability of winning the upcoming series according to playoffstatus.com.
The Dodgers, who hold a 17% chance of playoff success, will face a Braves or Phillies team that battled through the wild-card round. Game 1 is scheduled for Saturday at 4 p.m. ET on FOX, with subsequent games on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and potentially a deciding Game 5 on Friday. The Braves entered the postseason with a 10% playoff probability, slightly below the Dodgers, while the Phillies were also in the mix for a wild-card spot. The exact opponent will depend on the outcome of the wild-card series, which ended recently but with no final series winner reported in the sources.
In the American League, the Rays, holding the top seed, will host the Yankees with Game 1 tipping off at 6:30 p.m. ET on TBS and HBO Max. The Rays finished the regular season with a 19% chance of playoff success, edging out other contenders. The Yankees’ strong postseason form makes this matchup one to watch, and Game 2 will follow Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on the same networks. The ALDS between Tampa Bay and New York is expected to be a tight series given the competitive regular season between these teams.
The Brewers, who secured a 25% probability of playoff success, face the Padres starting Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET on FS1. This series is expected to be competitive, with the Padres holding a 7% chance entering the playoffs. Game 2 is scheduled for Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. ET, also on FS1, with later games following through the week.
Saturday’s schedule kicks off with the White Sox visiting the Guardians at 1 p.m. ET on TBS and HBO Max, followed by the Dodgers hosting their opponent at 4 p.m. ET. The Yankees-Rays game at 6:30 p.m. ET and the Padres-Brewers match at 8:30 p.m. ET complete the day’s slate.
The postseason continues into the following week, with the League Championship Series games set to begin midweek. The ALCS Game 5 is slated for October 17 on TBS, truTV, and HBO Max, with the NLCS extending into a Game 7 scheduled for October 19 on Fox and FS1. The World Series opener is set for October 23, airing on Fox and Fox Deportes.
With the division series underway, the 2026 MLB playoffs promise intense baseball as these eight teams compete for a chance to advance deeper into October. Saturday’s games will set the tone for what could be a tightly contested postseason stretch.
According to CBS.
