Major League Baseball’s regular season has concluded, and now it’s time for wild-card week. The American League will see the New York Yankees vs. the Boston Red Sox, and the Houston Astros vs. the Chicago White Sox. On the National League side, it’s a best-of-three series between the San Diego Padres vs. the Chicago Cubs, and the Philadelphia Phillies vs. the Atlanta Braves.
Wild-card games will air on NBC and NBCSN, and additional MLB playoff games will be broadcast on FOX, FS1 and TBS. (The entire World Series will be on FOX this year.) Here’s what you need to know about how and when to watch the entire MLB postseason without cable.
How to watch the 2026 MLB wild-card series:
Dates: Sept. 29 – Oct. 1, 2026
TV Channel: NBC, NBCSN
Streaming: Peacock, YouTube TV and more
When do the 2026 MLB playoffs start?
The MLB postseason begins with the American League and National League wild-card series; both are scheduled to begin on Tuesday, Sept. 29.
Where to watch the MLB wild-card games on TV:
MLB wild-card games will air across NBC, NBCSN, FOX, FS1, and TBS.
How to watch the MLB playoffs without cable:
Which teams made the 2026 MLB playoffs?
This year’s AL wild-card teams are the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros, and Chicago White Sox. The Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians earned first-round byes as division champions.
This year’s NL wild-card teams are the San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, and Atlanta Braves. The Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers earned first-round byes as division champions.
2026 MLB playoffs schedule:
All times Eastern
Here’s a full rundown of the schedule for the MLB postseason.
MLB playoffs key dates:
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Wild-card series: Sept. 29 – Oct. 1
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Division Series: Oct. 3 – 10
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League Championship Series: Oct. 11 – 20
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World Series: Oct. 23 – 31
2026 MLB wild-card series Schedule:
Tuesday, September 29
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Game 1: Phillies vs. Braves – 2 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
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Game 1: White Sox vs. Astros – 5 p.m. (NBCSN, Peacock)
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Game 1: Red Sox vs. Yankees – 8 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
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Game 1: Cubs vs. Padres – 10 p.m. (NBCSN, Peacock)
Wednesday, September 30
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Game 2: Phillies vs. Braves – 2 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
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Game 2: White Sox vs. Astros – 5 p.m. ET (NBCSN, Peacock)
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Game 2: Red Sox vs. Yankees – 8 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
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Game 2: Cubs vs. Padres – 10 p.m. (NBCSN, Peacock)
Thursday, October 1
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*Game 3: Phillies vs. Braves – TBD
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*Game 3: White Sox vs. Astros – TBD
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*Game 3: Red Sox vs. Yankees – TBD
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*Game 3: Cubs vs. Padres – TBD
* = if necessary
More ways to watch the 2026 MLB postseason:
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