2024 MLB playoffs schedule: Game times, where to watch postseason baseball, TV channel, live stream, dates

Baseball's postseason fittingly kicked off on Oct. 1 this year

Major League Baseball's 2024 postseason has arrived. Fittingly, playoff baseball began on Oct. 1 this year. One team has already been eliminated from the playoffs. The Tigers ousted the Astros on Wednesday, sweeping Houston in the best-of-three Wild Card Series. The three other wild-card matchups -- Orioles-Royals, Brewers-Mets, Padres-Braves -- will wrap up either Wednesday or Thursday. The quartet of League Division Series will get started this Saturday (Oct. 5). 

The playoff bracket was finalized Monday as the Mets and Braves claimed the final two spots by splitting a doubleheader in Atlanta. The Mets will face the Brewers in Milwaukee this week, while the Braves traveled west for a date with the Padres. The O's and Royals are battling for the chance to face the Yankees in the ALDS, while the winner of Tigers-Astros will play the Guardians. The Dodgers, Phillies, Yankees and Guardians all have byes to the LDS round and will find out their opponents by Thursday night.

As a reminder, the 12-team playoff bracket is broken up into four rounds. Eight teams will play in the best-of-three Wild Card Series with the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds in each league hosting the No. 6 and No. 5 teams, respectively. The No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in each league earn byes to the League Division Series, which gets started on Saturday, Oct. 5.

The 2024 World Series will either start on Friday, Oct. 25 or Tuesday, Oct. 22. The start date gets moved up if both the ALCS and NLCS end in five games or less.

Got it? Good. Below is the bracket and complete schedule for the 2024 postseason. MLB announced game times for the Wild Card Series on Sunday night.

2024 MLB playoff schedule

Wild Card Series

Tuesday, Oct. 1
AL Wild Card Series Game 1: Tigers 3, Astros 1 (Detroit leads 1-0)
AL Wild Card Series Game 1: Royals 1, Orioles 0 (Kansas City leads 1-0)
NL Wild Card Series Game 1: Mets 8, Brewers 4 (New York leads 1-0)
NL Wild Card Series Game 1: Padres 4, Braves 0 (San Diego leads 1-0)

Wednesday, Oct. 2
AL Wild Card Series Game 2: Tigers 5, Astros 2 (Detroit wins 2-0)
AL Wild Card Series Game 2: Orioles vs. Royals, 4:38 p.m, ESPN, Fubo (Try for free)
NL Wild Card Series Game 2: Brewers vs. Mets, 7:38 p.m., ESPN, Fubo (Try for free)
NL Wild Card Series Game 2: Padres vs. Braves, 8:38 p.m., ESPN2, Fubo (Try for free)

Thursday, Oct. 3
*AL Wild Card Series Game 3: Orioles vs. Royals, 4:08 p.m., ESPN, Fubo (Try for free)
*NL Wild Card Series Game 3: Padres vs. Braves, 7:08 p.m., ESPN, Fubo (Try for free)
*NL Wild Card Series Game 3: Brewers vs. Mets, 8:38 p.m., ESPN2, Fubo (Try for free)
*-if necessary

Division Series

Saturday, Oct. 5
ALDS Game 1: Guardians vs. Tigers, 1:08 p.m., TBS
NLDS Game 1: Phillies vs. TBD, 4:08 p.m., Fox, Fubo (Try for free)
ALDS Game 1: Yankees vs. TBD, 6:38 p.m., TBS
NLDS Game 1: Dodgers vs. TBD, 8:38 p.m., Fox, Fubo (Try for free)

Sunday, Oct. 6
NLDS Game 2: Phillies vs. TBD, 4:08 p.m., FS1, Fubo (Try for free)
NLDS Game 2: Dodgers vs. TBD, 8:03 p.m., FS1, Fubo (Try for free)

Monday, Oct. 7
ALDS Game 2: Guardians vs. Tigers, 4:08 p.m., TBS
ALDS Game 2: Yankees vs. TBD, 7:38 p.m., TBS

Tuesday, Oct. 8
NLDS Game 3: TBD vs. Phillies
NLDS Game 3: TBD vs. Dodgers

Wednesday, Oct. 9
ALDS Game 3: Tigers vs. Guardians
ALDS Game 3: TBD vs. Yankees
*NLDS Game 4: TBD vs. Phillies
*NLDS Game 4: TBD vs. Dodgers

Thursday, Oct. 10
*ALDS Game 4: Tigers vs. Guardians
*ALDS Game 4: TBD vs. Yankees

Friday, Oct. 11
*NLDS Game 5: Phillies vs. TBD 
*NLDS Game 5: Dodgers vs. TBD

Saturday, Oct. 12
*ALDS Game 5: Guardians vs. Tigers
*ALDS Game 5: Yankees vs. TBD

*-if necessary

Championship Series

Sunday, Oct. 13
NLCS Game 1: TBD vs. TBD

Monday, Oct. 14
ALCS Game 1: TBD vs. TBD
NLCS Game 2: TBD vs. TBD

Tuesday, Oct. 15
ALCS Game 2: TBD vs. TBD

Wednesday, Oct. 16
NLCS Game 3: TBD vs. TBD

Thursday, Oct. 17
ALCS Game 3: TBD vs. TBD
NLCS Game 4: TBD vs. TBD

Friday, Oct. 18
ALCS Game 4: TBD vs. TBD
*NLCS Game 5: TBD vs. TBD

Saturday, Oct. 19
*ALCS Game 5: TBD vs. TBD

Sunday, Oct. 20
*NLCS Game 6: TBD vs. TBD

Monday, Oct 21
*ALCS Game 6: TBD vs. TBD 
*NLCS Game 7: TBD vs. TBD

Tuesday, Oct. 22
*ALCS Game 7: TBD vs. TBD

*-if necessary

World Series

(The 2024 World Series schedule is subject to change. Every game would be moved up by three days if both the ALCS and NLCS end in five games or less.)

Friday, Oct. 25
World Series Game 1: TBD vs. TBD

Saturday, Oct. 26
World Series Game 2: TBD vs. TBD

Monday, Oct. 28
World Series Game 3: TBD vs. TBD

Tuesday, Oct. 29
World Series Game 4: TBD vs. TBD

Wednesday, Oct. 30
*World Series Game 5: TBD vs. TBD

Friday, Nov. 1
*World Series Game 6: TBD vs. TBD

Saturday, Nov. 2
*World Series Game 7: TBD vs. TBD

*-if necessary