2024 MLB playoff bracket: Wild Card Series schedule, postseason matchups as October baseball begins

Major League Baseball's 2024 postseason is underway, and the Detroit Tigers are moving into the playoff bracket. The Tigers knocked off the Houston Astros, winning the best-of-three series in two games on the road. The Tigers advance to an ALDS matchup against their AL Central rivals, the Cleveland Guardians. The Astros, meanwhile, saw their streak of seven consecutive ALCS appearances come to an end.

Three other teams will try to join the Tigers in the divisional round on Wednesday as their opponents try to stay alive. The Kansas City Royals, New York Mets and San Diego Padres all won Game 1 on Tuesday. The Baltimore Orioles, Milwaukee Brewers and Atlanta Braves face elimination on Wednesday.

Four teams — the top two teams in each league — received first-round byes. The New York Yankees, Cleveland Guardians, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Philadelphia Phillies advanced to the League Division Series.

The Mets and Braves claimed the final two postseason spots on Monday, leaving the Arizona Diamondbacks out of the playoff picture. The Mets won a wild Game 1 of a crucial doubleheader in Atlanta to clinch their spot. The Braves regrouped and won Game 2 to become the 12th and final playoff team.

The Braves, Mets and D-backs all finished with 89-73 records. The Braves secured the tiebreaker against both teams and will be the No. 5 seed in the bracket. The Mets won the tiebreaker against Arizona and are ranked No. 6.

The wild card series are all hosted by higher seeds and will conclude by Thursday, October 3. The LDS round will begin on Saturday, October 5. The league championship series begins on Sunday, October 13. and the World Series will begin on Tuesday, October 22 or Friday, October 25. (You can click here to see the complete playoff schedule.)

Check out the complete 2024 MLB playoff bracket here. Game times for Sunday night's wild card series have been announced.

2024 MLB Playoff Bracket

Wild Card Series

Always east

Tuesday, October 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)

Tuesday, October 2
AL Wild Card Series Game 2: Tigers 5, Astros 2 (Detroit won 2-0)
AL Wild Card Series Game 2: Orioles vs. Royals, 4:38 p.m., ESPN, Fubo (Try Free)
NL Wild Card Series Game 2: Brewers vs. Mets, 7:38 p.m., ESPN, Fubo (Try Free)
NL Wild Card Series Game 2: Padres vs. Braves, 8:38 p.m., ESPN2, Fubo (Try Free)

Tuesday, October 3
*AL Wild Card Series Game 3: Orioles vs. Royals, 4:08 p.m., ESPN, Fubo (Try Free)
*NL Wild Card Series Game 3: Padres vs. Braves, 7:08 p.m., ESPN, Fubo (Try Free)
*NL Wild Card Series Game 3: Brewers vs. Mets, 8:38 p.m., ESPN2, Fubo (Free Try)
*-If required

Category series

Saturday, October 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 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 Free)

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

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

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

Wednesday, October 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, October 10
*ALDS Game 4: Tigers vs. Guardians
*ALDS Game 4: TBD vs. Yankees

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

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

*-If required

Championship Series

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*-If required

World Series

(The 2024 World Series schedule is subject to change. Each game will be extended three days if both the ALCS and NLCS end in five games or fewer.)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*-If required