Major League Baseball’s 2020 postseason is on to the divisional round after the Wild Card Series wrapped up Friday. Eight teams are remaining in the playoff bracket, and every game the rest of October will be played at a neutral site. The Yankees will face the top-seeded Rays, while the Astros square off with the Athletics in the American League. In the National League, the upstart Padres will take on the division rival Dodgers, and the Braves go up against the Marlins.
These playoffs are unlike any other in the sport’s history. The expanded postseason originally featured 16 teams. MLB will now hold the final three rounds of the 16-team 2020 postseason — the Division Series, League Championship Series and World Series — at neutral-site locations.
Below you’ll find the schedule for the divisional series, as well as results from the Wild Card Series:
League Division Series (best-of-five)
DATE | SERIES/GAME | MATCHUP | TIME (ET) | TV | VENUE |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mon., Oct. 5 |
ALDS Game 1 |
A’s vs. Astros |
4 p.m. |
TBS |
San Diego |
ALDS Game 1 |
Yankees vs. Rays |
8 p.m. |
TBS |
Los Angeles |
|
Tue., Oct. 6 |
ALDS Game 2 |
Yankees vs. Rays |
TBD |
TBS |
San Diego |
ALDS Game 2 |
A’s vs. Astros |
TBD |
TBS |
Los Angeles |
|
NLDS Game 1 |
Dodgers vs. Padres |
TBD |
FS1/MLBN |
Arlington |
|
NLDS Game 1 |
Braves vs. Marlins |
TBD |
FS1/MLBN |
Houston |
|
Wed., Oct. 7 |
ALDS Game 3 |
Rays vs. Yankees |
TBD |
TBS |
San Diego |
ALDS Game 3 |
A’s vs. Astros |
TBD |
TBS |
Los Angeles |
|
NLDS Game 2 |
Dodgers vs. Padres |
TBD |
FS1/MLBN |
Arlington |
|
NLDS Game 2 |
Braves vs. Marlins |
TBD |
FS1/MLBN |
Houston |
|
Thurs., Oct. 8 |
ALDS Game 4* |
Rays vs. Yankees |
TBD |
TBS |
San Diego |
ALDS Game 4* |
A’s vs. Astros |
TBD |
TBS |
Los Angeles |
|
NLDS Game 3 |
Dodgers vs. Padres |
TBD |
FS1/MLBN |
Arlington |
|
NLDS Game 3 |
Braves vs. Marlins |
TBD |
FS1/MLBN |
Houston |
|
Fri., Oct. 9 |
ALDS Game 5* |
Yankees vs. Rays |
TBD |
TBS |
San Diego |
ALDS Game 5* |
A’s vs. Astros |
TBD |
TBS |
Los Angeles |
|
NLDS Game 4* |
Dodgers vs. Padres |
TBD |
FS1 |
Arlington |
|
NLDS Game 4* |
Braves vs. Marlins |
TBD |
FS1 |
Houston |
|
Sat., Oct. 10 |
NLDS Game 5* |
Dodgers vs. Padres |
TBD |
FS1 |
Arlington |
NLDS Game 5* |
Braves vs. Marlins |
TBD |
FS1 |
Houston |
*- if necessary
Wild Card Series (best-of-three)
DATE | SERIES/GAME | MATCHUP | TIME (ET) | TV | VENUE |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mon., Oct. 5 |
ALDS Game 1 |
A’s vs. Astros |
4 p.m. |
TBS |
San Diego |
ALDS Game 1 |
Yankees vs. Rays |
8 p.m. |
TBS |
Los Angeles |
|
Tue., Oct. 6 |
ALDS Game 2 |
Yankees vs. Rays |
TBD |
TBS |
San Diego |
ALDS Game 2 |
A’s vs. Astros |
TBD |
TBS |
Los Angeles |
|
NLDS Game 1 |
Dodgers vs. Padres |
TBD |
FS1/MLBN |
Arlington |
|
NLDS Game 1 |
Braves vs. Marlins |
TBD |
FS1/MLBN |
Houston |
|
Wed., Oct. 7 |
ALDS Game 3 |
Rays vs. Yankees |
TBD |
TBS |
San Diego |
ALDS Game 3 |
A’s vs. Astros |
TBD |
TBS |
Los Angeles |
|
NLDS Game 2 |
Dodgers vs. Padres |
TBD |
FS1/MLBN |
Arlington |
|
NLDS Game 2 |
Braves vs. Marlins |
TBD |
FS1/MLBN |
Houston |
|
Thurs., Oct. 8 |
ALDS Game 4* |
Rays vs. Yankees |
TBD |
TBS |
San Diego |
ALDS Game 4* |
A’s vs. Astros |
TBD |
TBS |
Los Angeles |
|
NLDS Game 3 |
Dodgers vs. Padres |
TBD |
FS1/MLBN |
Arlington |
|
NLDS Game 3 |
Braves vs. Marlins |
TBD |
FS1/MLBN |
Houston |
|
Fri., Oct. 9 |
ALDS Game 5* |
Yankees vs. Rays |
TBD |
TBS |
San Diego |
ALDS Game 5* |
A’s vs. Astros |
TBD |
TBS |
Los Angeles |
|
NLDS Game 4* |
Dodgers vs. Padres |
TBD |
FS1 |
Arlington |
|
NLDS Game 4* |
Braves vs. Marlins |
TBD |
FS1 |
Houston |
|
Sat., Oct. 10 |
NLDS Game 5* |
Dodgers vs. Padres |
TBD |
FS1 |
Arlington |
NLDS Game 5* |
Braves vs. Marlins |
TBD |
FS1 |
Houston |
Postseason format, dates, locations
This year’s postseason will look different for a variety of reasons. The 2020 playoffs will consist of an expanded, 16-team field, for one. There will be eight teams from each league — more than half of MLB that make the playoffs. The division winners, the second-place teams and then two teams with the best records beyond those six clubs, no matter their divisional alignment or their position within those divisions.
But after that first Wild Card Series, the remaining eight teams will play a more traditional postseason format.
Here are key dates and a bracket for the 2020 postseason:
- Sept. 29: Wild Card Series begins
- Sept. 30: Eight-game day with every Wild Card Series in action
- Oct. 5: ALDS begins
- Oct. 6: ALCS begins
- Oct. 11: ALCS begins
- Oct. 12: NLCS…
Read More: MLB playoffs: Bracket, schedule, dates, with divisional round set in baseball