MLB 2026
MLB analysis
The playoff picture in numbers — why each magic number is what it is, and what to watch this week.
Fri, Oct 30
World Series 2026: the Brewers beat the Rays 4-1 in Game 5 in Tampa Bay on October 29, Korea time, to win the series 4-1 and their first World Series title
Milwaukee beat Tampa Bay 4-1 on the road in Game 5 at 9 a.m. on Thursday, October 29, Korea time, and won the best-of-seven World Series 4-1. It is Milwaukee's first World Series title. After a 10-1 win in Game 3, the Brewers lost Game 4 3-4 in 12 innings and closed it out in Game 5. Three of the five games were decided by one run. Games 6 and 7, set for October 31 and November 1 in Milwaukee, will not be played.
Sun, Oct 25
World Series 2026 Game 2: the Brewers edge the Rays 5-4 for another one-run win and a 2-0 lead, with Game 3 in Tampa Bay at 9 a.m. on October 27, Korea time
Milwaukee beat Tampa Bay 5-4 at home in Game 2 on Sunday, October 25, Korea time, to lead the best-of-seven World Series 2-0. Both games have been decided by one run. Games 3 and 4 on Tuesday, October 27 and Wednesday, October 28, and Game 5 on Thursday, October 29, are at 9 a.m. in Tampa Bay. Milwaukee need two more wins and Tampa Bay four. It ends no earlier than October 28 and no later than Sunday, November 1.
Sun, Oct 25
World Series 2026 Game 1: the Brewers beat the Rays 3-2 to lead 1-0, with Game 2 in Milwaukee at 9 a.m. on October 25, Korea time
Milwaukee beat Tampa Bay 3-2 at home in Game 1 of the World Series on Saturday, October 24, Korea time, to lead the best of seven 1-0. Game 2 is in Milwaukee at 9 a.m. on Sunday, October 25, and Games 3 and 4 are in Tampa Bay on Tuesday, October 27 and Wednesday, October 28. Milwaukee need three more wins and Tampa Bay four. It ends no earlier than October 28 and no later than Sunday, November 1.
Wed, Oct 21
Ballparks to see Korean players, MLB edition: Oracle Park for Jung Hoo Lee, Petco Park for Song Sung-mun, Dodger Stadium for Hyeseong Kim
Jung Hoo Lee (San Francisco), Song Sung-mun (San Diego) and Hyeseong Kim (Los Angeles Dodgers) all play for California clubs. Here is how to reach each ballpark by transit, what bags you can bring and where to buy tickets, taken from the clubs' official guides.
Tue, Oct 20
World Series 2026: the Rays beat the Guardians 4-2 with three straight wins, setting up Brewers vs Rays, two No. 1 seeds, from October 24 in Milwaukee
Tampa Bay won Games 5 and 6 of the American League Championship Series 3-1 and 7-3 to beat Cleveland 4-2 and reach the World Series, winning three in a row from 1-2 down. The World Series is a best of seven between the two No. 1 seeds, Milwaukee and Tampa Bay. Games 1 and 2 are in Milwaukee at 9 a.m. on Saturday, October 24 and Sunday, October 25, Korea time, Games 3 to 5 in Tampa Bay from October 27 to 29, and Games 6 and 7 back in Milwaukee on Saturday, October 31 and Sunday, November 1. It ends no earlier than Wednesday, October 28 and no later than November 1.
Mon, Oct 19
MLB World Series 2026: the Brewers sweep the Dodgers to reach the World Series, and the Rays and Guardians are tied 2-2 in the ALCS with two wins each still needed
Milwaukee beat the Dodgers 2-1, 7-4, 6-2 and 6-4 to win the National League Championship Series 4-0 and reach the World Series. In the American League, Tampa Bay and Cleveland have two wins each, so in a best of seven both need two more. Game 5 is in Cleveland at 6 a.m. on Monday, October 19, Korea time, and Games 6 and 7 are in Tampa Bay at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, October 20 and Wednesday, October 21. World Series Game 1 is in Milwaukee at 9 a.m. on Saturday, October 24.
Wed, Oct 14
MLB League Championship Series 2026: Brewers lead the Dodgers 2-0 and Guardians lead the Rays 1-0, and the earliest either series can end
By Tuesday, October 13, Korea time, Milwaukee had beaten the Dodgers 2-1 and 7-4 at home to lead the National League Championship Series 2-0, and Cleveland had won Game 1 of the American League series 7-3 in Tampa Bay to lead 1-0. It is a best of seven, so to reach the World Series Milwaukee needs two more wins, the Dodgers four, Cleveland three and Tampa Bay four. The earliest the NLCS can end is Game 4 in Los Angeles on Friday, October 16, with a Milwaukee win, and the earliest for the ALCS is Game 4 in Cleveland on Saturday, October 17, with a Cleveland win.
Sun, Oct 11
MLB Division Series 2026 results: Cleveland rally from 0-2 to beat the White Sox, setting up Rays-Guardians and Brewers-Dodgers in the League Championship Series
Cleveland beat the White Sox 2-0 in Game 5 at home on Sunday, October 11, Korea time, and all four Division Series are over. After losing Games 1 and 2 at home 3-0 and 4-3, Cleveland won Games 3 and 4 in Chicago 9-3 and 9-5 and then Game 5 to take the series 3-2. The higher seed won all four series, so both League Championship Series are No. 1 against No. 2. Milwaukee-Dodgers Game 1 is at 9 a.m. on Monday, October 12, and Tampa Bay-Cleveland Game 1 at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, October 13, Korea time.
Thu, Oct 8
MLB Division Series 2026 results: Rays sweep the Yankees, Brewers and Dodgers win 3-1 to meet in the NLCS, White Sox lead Cleveland 2-1
Three of the four Division Series were over by Thursday, October 8, Korea time. Tampa Bay won Game 3 4-3 in New York to sweep the Yankees, and Milwaukee and the Dodgers both won 3-1, over San Diego and Atlanta, to meet in the National League Championship Series. The White Sox, up 2-0, lost Game 3 at home 9-3 to Cleveland and lead 2-1. If they win Game 4 at home on Friday, October 9, the series ends that day; if Cleveland wins it, Game 5 in Cleveland on Sunday, October 11 decides it. The NLCS starts on Monday, October 12 and the ALCS on Tuesday, October 13, Korea time.
Tue, Oct 6
MLB Division Series 2026 after Game 2: Rays, White Sox and Brewers one win from the LCS, Dodgers and Braves tied 1-1
All four Division Series are through Game 2. In the American League Game 2s on Tuesday, October 6, Korea time, Tampa Bay beat the Yankees 5-2 and the White Sox won 4-3 at Cleveland, so both lead 2-0. In the National League Milwaukee leads San Diego 2-0, and the Dodgers and Atlanta are level at 1-1. The three clubs on two wins each need one more win from the three games left to reach the League Championship Series, while the Yankees, Cleveland and San Diego have to win all three. Game 3 is on Wednesday, October 7 in the National League and Thursday, October 8 in the American League, Korea time.
Sat, Oct 3
MLB Division Series 2026 matchups and schedule: No. 6 White Sox sweep the Astros, Yankees, Braves and Padres advance
All four Wild Card Series were over by Friday, October 2, Korea time. The sixth-seeded White Sox won 6-3 and 7-3 at Houston, the third seed and AL West champion. The Yankees beat Boston 9-0 and 9-2 and San Diego beat the Cubs 8-0 and 4-1, and Atlanta, after losing Game 2 4-3 in 10 innings, beat Philadelphia 6-2 in Game 3. The best-of-five Division Series are Tampa Bay-Yankees, Cleveland-White Sox, Milwaukee-San Diego and Dodgers-Atlanta, and all four Game 1s are on Sunday, October 4, Korea time.
Tue, Sep 29
MLB Wild Card Series 2026 matchups and final standings: Astros win the AL West at 81-81 and take the 3 seed over the 93-68 Yankees
Final standings after the last regular-season games on Sunday, September 27 (US time). Houston won 9-0 at the Athletics and Texas lost 6-4 at Minnesota, so the Astros take the American League West by a game at 81-81 and, as a division winner, the third seed. All 12 places and seeds are set. The Wild Card Series are Houston-White Sox and Yankees-Boston in the American League and Atlanta-Philadelphia and San Diego-Cubs in the National League, while Tampa Bay, Cleveland, Milwaukee and the Dodgers go straight to the Division Series. Baltimore at the Yankees on the 27th was canceled, and both clubs finished with 161 games.
Fri, Sep 25
MLB playoff picture: Padres and Guardians clinch, Rangers and Astros still tied at 79-80 with three left
Standings after all 12 games of Thursday, September 24 (US time). San Diego won 4-2 at the Dodgers and Cleveland 1-0 at Boston, and both are in. Texas and Houston both won and are level again at 79-80 with three games each to play. Neither has a clinch number, both tragic numbers are 3, and the two do not meet again, so the West can still finish in a tie. Chicago needs one more win, or one loss by either West club. In the National League the Cubs need one win, Philadelphia two, and Arizona's tragic number is still 1.
Thu, Sep 24
Braves clinch the NL East, Rangers and Astros stay level at 78-80 - and one loss by either would put Cleveland in
Standings after all 16 games of Wednesday, September 23 (US time). Atlanta beat Cincinnati 3-2 and took the East, so all three National League division titles are settled. Texas and Houston both lost and are still level at 78-80 with four left; neither has a clinch number and both tragic numbers are 4. Cleveland lost 1-0 at Boston and still moved to one win from a place, because the West losses lowered the line it has to clear; Chicago needs two. In the National League, San Diego needs one win, the Cubs and Philadelphia two each, and Arizona's tragic number is still 1.
Thu, Sep 24
Rangers or Astros for the AL West - tied at 78-79 with five left, and neither can clinch on its own
Standings as of the September 23 update. Texas and Houston are level at 78-79 with five games left, and neither has a clinch number: each can win out and still be matched, and this board counts a tie against the club being judged. Both tragic numbers are 5, and the West runner-up keeps a wild-card route until Cleveland (two wins) and Chicago (three) close it. Baltimore, Toronto and Seattle are out. In the National League the Cubs, San Diego and Philadelphia need two wins each, and Arizona's tragic number is 1.
Sun, Sep 20
MLB clinching scenarios in the final week - Texas must win out to clinch the last AL spot on its own
Standings as of the September 20 update. Five postseason places are already clinched. Texas needs all seven of its remaining wins to settle the last American League place without help. Houston can lose five more times, Toronto three, Baltimore two.
Sun, Sep 20
Diamondbacks playoff chances 2026 - Arizona needs five wins in seven games and cannot clinch on its own
As of the September 20 update, Arizona is 81-74 with seven games left and two losses to give. Passing Philadelphia takes five wins. Passing the Cubs or San Diego takes six. No number of Diamondbacks wins settles it.
Sun, Sep 20
How MLB playoff seeding works in 2026: why 78-77 Texas would outrank the 89-65 Yankees
Standings as of the September 20 update. Twelve postseason places, six per league, and the top three seeds in each league belong to division winners whatever their record. On today's order Texas at 78-77 would hold the third seed, the Yankees at 89-65 the fourth, and Cleveland at 80-75 would take a bye. Ties are broken by the season series, not by an extra game.
Sun, Sep 20
MLB eliminated teams and worst record 2026 - Colorado 57-98 cannot finish above fourteenth
Standings as of the September 20 update. Colorado is 57-98 and capped at fourteenth in the National League, because seven games left puts the Rockies' ceiling at 64-98 and that is exactly where San Francisco lands by losing out. Twelve of the thirty clubs are mathematically out, eight of them in the NL.
Fri, Sep 18
MLB playoff picture with nine games left — the Astros must win out to clinch on their own, and three teams are within two games
Through games of September 18. Four AL spots and four NL spots are already locked. The last AL wild card is a four-team scramble; in the NL, Arizona's tragic number is 5 and the Marlins and Pirates are one loss from elimination.