MLB Sets Playoff Bracket After Chaotic Game 162

Major League Baseball's 2026 playoff field is locked in after the regular season closed Sunday with a chaotic Game 162. All 12 postseason clubs have secured their spots, and the four best-of-three Wild Card Series begin Tuesday, Sept. 29, giving qualifying teams a single day of rest before the tournament starts, Bleacher Report noted.

In the American League, the Rays held off the Yankees to win the AL East and claim the league's best record, earning a bye directly to the Division Series, according to CBS Sports. The Guardians edged the White Sox for the AL Central title and the other AL bye. The Astros took the AL West, the league's third division crown, and will host a Wild Card Series. The No. 4 seed Yankees drew a rivalry matchup, hosting the No. 5 Red Sox.

In the National League, the Brewers and the reigning champion Dodgers earned byes out of the NL Central and NL West, respectively, CBS Sports reported. The Braves won the NL East and will host the No. 6 Phillies, who held onto their berth after what CBS Sports described as a rough final week. The No. 4 Padres host the No. 5 Cubs in the other NL series.

The context

The postseason format sends 12 teams into October: division winners and wild card qualifiers seeded within each league, with the top two seeds in each league skipping the Wild Card round entirely. That structure put a premium on Sunday's finale, when the Rays' hold on the AL East over the Yankees and the Guardians' narrow finish ahead of the White Sox settled which clubs would rest and which would play Tuesday. The Dodgers enter as the reigning champions, per CBS Sports, and again avoided the Wild Card round with an NL West title. The Phillies' path was the shakiest of the field; they secured the NL's final seed despite a difficult closing week. ESPN's playoff tracker compiled the full list of clinched spots and first-round matchups as the bracket came together Sunday.

Why it matters

The bracket determines who plays under the most pressure first. Bye teams — the Rays, Guardians, Brewers and Dodgers — get several days off before the Division Series starts Saturday, Oct. 3, while Wild Card clubs must win a best-of-three on one day's rest. The quick turnaround can reward depth and healthy rotations and punish teams that emptied their pitching staffs chasing seeds in the final week. For fans, it opens a tournament that could stretch through Halloween, with World Series Game 7 slated for Oct. 31 if the championship goes the full seven games.

What’s next

Each Wild Card Series runs Tuesday through Thursday, with Game 3 played only if needed; game times may shift depending on the Thursday slate, per CBS Sports. Wild Card winners advance to the Division Series, with ALDS and NLDS openers scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 3, on TBS, truTV, HBO Max, Fox and FS1. Schedules, scores and broadcast details will continue updating as the rounds progress.