The 2026 MLB Postseason continues after four teams were eliminated in the Wild Card Series this week, leaving us with eight teams vying for the World Series. Beginning Saturday, the next round of the postseason, the Division Series, will begin, as the Brewers host the Padres for the first two games in a best-of-five series.
While Paul already dug a bit deeper into the Brewers-Padres series, let’s take a quick look at all four of the matchups. All times listed in Central Time.
AL Division Series: (1) Tampa Bay Rays vs. (4) New York Yankees
In the American League,
both Division Series matchups feature intradivisional matchups. This one, featuring the AL East winner and runner-up, has the two teams who finished with the best records in the AL. The Rays, who finished 98-64, beat the Yankees by 4.5 games, with an MLB-best 55-26 record at home. Tampa had a pretty balanced attack this year, though they finished way better than their run differential would suggest — at +86 runs (sixth best in MLB), they had an expected win-loss of 90-72. The Yankees, meanwhile, are coming off a pair of rompings against their rival Red Sox, winning 9-0 and 9-2 at Yankee Stadium in the AL Wild Card Series. They finished with the fourth-best run differential in baseball, primarily due to their pitching staff, which finished atop the league in several categories.
Schedule
- Game 1 @ Tampa Bay: Saturday, Oct. 3 @ 5:30 p.m. (TBS & HBO Max)
- Game 2 @ Tampa Bay: Monday, Oct. 5 @ 7:00 p.m. (TBS & HBO Max)
- Game 3 @ New York: Wednesday, Oct. 7 @ 7:00 p.m. (TBS & HBO Max)
- Game 4* @ New York: Thursday, Oct. 8 @ 7:00 p.m. (TBS & HBO Max)
- Game 5* @ Tampa Bay: Saturday, Oct. 10 @ 7:00 p.m. (TBS & HBO Max)
*if necessary
Team Rankings
Rays:
- Offense: .258/.326/.402 (.728 OPS ranks eighth); 169 HRs (22nd); 736 runs (12th); 164 SBs (tied for second)
- Pitching: 3.70 team ERA (seventh); 3.51 starter ERA (third); 3.99 reliever ERA (14th); 1,322 Ks (19th)
Yankees:
- Offense: .235/.311/.409 (.720 OPS ranks tied for 11th); 223 HRs (second); 739 runs (tied for ninth); 153 SBs (sixth)
- Pitching: 3.24 team ERA (first); 3.30 starter ERA (first); 3.15 reliever ERA (second); 1,450 Ks (tied for sixth)
Projected Pitching Matchups
- Game 1: RHP Drew Rasmussen (TB) vs. TBD (NYY)
- Game 2: TBD (TB) vs. RHP Cam Schlittler (NYY)
- Game 3: TBD (TB) vs. TBD (NYY)
- Game 4: TBD (TB) vs. TBD (NYY)
- Game 5: TBD (TB) vs. TBD (NYY)
Prediction
The Yankees looked like a different monster against Boston, even without Aaron Judge. But New York already had to use Cam Schlittler and Max Fried, meaning neither of them will be able to pitch two games in this series (unless Schlittler goes on short rest twice). With that in mind, I think this is about as evenly matched as possible, but the Rays’ home-field advantage makes me give them a slight edge. Rays in five.
AL Division Series: (2) Cleveland Guardians vs. (6) Chicago White Sox
The other intradivisional matchup on this side of the bracket, the Guardians got the No. 2 seed in the AL despite finishing just 85-77 — that wouldn’t have even been good enough to make the playoffs if they were in the NL. The White Sox, who finished right behind them at 84-78 after leading the AL Central for a good chunk of the year, are coming off a two-game sweep of the Astros in the AL Wild Card Series. Neither one of these teams are super flashy, but the Guardians have a good, not great pitching staff and the White Sox have a good, not great offense. We’ll see which one prevails.
Schedule
- Game 1 @ Cleveland: Saturday, Oct. 3 @ 12:00 p.m. (TBS & HBO Max)
- Game 2 @ Cleveland: Monday, Oct. 5 @ 4:00 p.m. (TBS & HBO Max)
- Game 3 @ Chicago: Wednesday, Oct. 7 @ 3:00 p.m. (TBS & HBO Max)
- Game 4* @ Chicago: Thursday, Oct. 8 @ 4:00 p.m. (TBS & HBO Max)
- Game 5* @ Cleveland: Saturday, Oct. 10 @ 4:00 p.m. (TBS & HBO Max)
*if necessary
Team Rankings
Guardians:
- Offense: .239/.316/.380 (.696 OPS ranks 26th); 162 HRs (27th); 678 runs (24th); 146 SBs (seventh)
- Pitching: 3.77 team ERA (eighth); 3.93 starter ERA (ninth); 3.54 reliever ERA (sixth); 1,530 Ks (third)
White Sox:
- Offense: .236/.320/.406 (.726 OPS ranks ninth); 211 HRs (fifth); 776 runs (fifth); 93 SBs (tied for 18th)
- Pitching: 4.12 team ERA (15th); 4.60 starter ERA (26th); 3.70 reliever ERA (eighth); 1,337 Ks (tied for 16th)
Projected Pitching Matchups
- Game 1: LHP Parker Messick (CLE) vs. TBD (CWS)
- Game 2: RHP Gavin Williams (CLE) vs. TBD (CWS)
- Game 3: TBD (CLE) vs. TBD (CWS)
- Game 4: TBD (CLE) vs. TBD (CWS)
- Game 5: TBD (CLE) vs. TBD (CWS)
Prediction
As I said above, neither of these teams is flashy, and both squads are solid and one side of the ball and not so solid on the other. I think Cleveland’s combo of Parker Messick and Gavin Williams atop the rotation can get things done, though, as Cleveland wins in four.
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NL Division Series: (1) Milwaukee Brewers vs. (4) San Diego Padres
I won’t say too much here just because Paul already took his time to write a lengthy preview for this series. All I’ll add is that I think the home-field advantage will come into play in a big way here — both of these fanbases are hungry for their first World Series title and based on how loud the fans in San Diego were when they played the Cubs this week, I’d expect all five games to be rowdy. This should be a fun one to watch.
Schedule
- Game 1 @ Milwaukee: Saturday, Oct. 3 @ 7:30 p.m. (FS1)
- Game 2 @ Milwaukee: Sunday, Oct. 4 @ 3:00 p.m. (FS1)
- Game 3 @ San Diego: Tuesday, Oct. 6 @ 8:30 p.m. (FS1)
- Game 4* @ San Diego: Wednesday, Oct. 7 @ 9:00 p.m. (FS1)
- Game 5* @ Milwaukee: Friday, Oct. 9 @ 3:30 p.m. (FS1)
*if necessary
Team Rankings
Brewers:
- Offense: .258/.341/.403 (.744 OPS ranks tied for third); 154 HRs (tied for 28th); 832 runs (second); 162 SBs (fifth)
- Pitching: 3.51 team ERA (second); 3.61 starter ERA (fifth); 3.40 reliever ERA (third); 1,544 Ks (second)
Padres:
- Offense: .244/.319/.398 (.717 OPS ranks 18th); 183 HRs (tied for 14th); 722 runs (15th); 164 SBs (tied for second)
- Pitching: 3.99 team ERA (10th); 4.42 starter ERA (21st); 3.53 reliever ERA (fifth); 1,315 Ks (20th)
Projected Pitching Matchups
- Game 1: RHP Jacob Misiorowski (MIL) vs. TBD (SD)
- Game 2: RHP Logan Henderson (MIL) vs. TBD (SD)
- Game 3: TBD (MIL) vs. TBD (SD)
- Game 4: TBD (MIL) vs. TBD (SD)
- Game 5: TBD (MIL) vs. TBD (SD)
Prediction
The Brewers have about as balanced of a team as you could ask for, whether out of the bullpen, offensively, or simply with Jacob Misiorowski and Logan Henderson as a great 1-2 punch atop the rotation. Give me Brewers in four.
NL Division Series: (2) Los Angeles Dodgers vs. (3) Atlanta Braves
The winners of the NL West and NL East will face off, as the Braves escaped a matchup with the Phillies in the NL Wild Card Series, the only set to go the full three games. As has been the norm for over a decade, the Dodgers are good at everything they do, ranking in the top five in offense and pitching. The one thing they don’t have going for them is that they aren’t getting any younger — outside of 25-year-old Andy Pages in center and 29-year-old Kyle Tucker in right, all of their team leaders are in their 30s. That group includes Shohei Ohtani (32), Will Smith (31), Mookie Betts (34 next week), Freddie Freeman (37), Max Muncy (36), and Teoscar Hernández (34 later this month), among several others. The pitching staff is one of the deepest in baseball, but again, they aren’t all that young, and injuries are always a key consideration. For the Braves, they also have one of the top pitching staffs in baseball, with one of the top starting pitchers in baseball in Chris Sale, who we’ll see at least once in this series. They also have a solid bullpen anchored by Raisel Iglesias and Robert Suarez. While their offense ranks right around the middle of the pack, slightly above league average, they still have several big names in Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, Ronald Acuña Jr., Austin Riley, Drake Baldwin, and Michael Harris II.
Schedule
- Game 1 @ Los Angeles: Saturday, Oct. 3 @ 3:00 p.m. (FOX & FOX One)
- Game 2 @ Los Angeles: Sunday, Oct. 4 @ 7:00 p.m. (FS1)
- Game 3 @ Atlanta: Tuesday, Oct. 6 @ 5:00 p.m. (FS1)
- Game 4* @ Atlanta: Wednesday, Oct. 7 @ 5:00 p.m. (FS1)
- Game 5* @ Los Angeles: Friday, Oct. 9 @ 7:00 p.m. (FOX & FOX One)
*if necessary
Team Rankings
Dodgers:
- Offense: .257/.338/.424 (.762 OPS ranks second); 204 HRs (tied for seventh); 801 runs (fourth); 72 SBs (28th)
- Pitching: 3.55 team ERA (fourth); 3.43 starter ERA (second); 3.74 reliever ERA (ninth); 1,521 Ks (fourth)
Braves:
- Offense: .246/.309/.409 (.718 OPS ranks tied for 16th); 204 HRs (tied for seventh); 742 runs (eighth); 83 SBs (tied for 23rd)
- Pitching: 3.63 team ERA (fifth); 3.76 starter ERA (sixth); 3.44 reliever ERA (fourth); 1,350 Ks (15th)
Projected Pitching Matchups
- Game 1: TBD (LAD) vs. TBD (ATL)
- Game 2: TBD (LAD) vs. TBD (ATL)
- Game 3: TBD (LAD) vs. TBD (ATL)
- Game 4: TBD (LAD) vs. TBD (ATL)
- Game 5: TBD (LAD) vs. TBD (ATL)
Prediction
I feel like this postseason is the most vulnerable Los Angeles has been in several years. After completing back-to-back title runs in 2024 and 2025, I get the feeling that the window is at least starting to close. I think the Braves will make this closer than most would believe, but the Dodgers will prevail. Dodgers in five.
