2026 MLB playoff field complete: Phillies, Astros clinch on September 27 regular season finale
The Phillies clinched the third National League Wild Card spot and the Astros won the American League West on September 27, the final day of the regular season, completing the 12-team playoff field. The four Wild Card Series begin Tuesday, September 29 across NBC platforms.
All 12 teams for the 2026 MLB postseason are set after the final day of the regular season on September 27. The Phillies clinched the third National League Wild Card spot with a 7-3 win over the Rays, holding off a late surge from the D-backs, per MLB.com. The Astros clinched the American League West when the Rangers fell 6-4 to the Twins, according to MLB.com reporting.
The American League seeding is anchored by the Rays as the No. 1 seed and AL East champions with a bye straight to the Division Series, per MLB.com. The Guardians earned the No. 2 seed and AL Central title with a bye, having squeaked past the White Sox, per CBS Sports. The Astros took the No. 3 seed and AL West title. The Yankees (No. 4), Red Sox (No. 5), and White Sox (No. 6) round out the AL field, per MLB.com.
In the National League, the Brewers hold the No. 1 seed out of the NL Central, and the reigning champion Dodgers earned the No. 2 seed and a bye from the NL West, per CBS Sports. The Braves won the NL East as the No. 3 seed. The Padres (No. 4), Cubs (No. 5), and Phillies (No. 6) complete the NL bracket, per MLB.com.
The Phillies barely hung on to their playoff berth after an ugly final week, per CBS Sports. The four best-of-three Wild Card Series, presented by AbbVie, all commence on Tuesday, September 29, per MLB.com. The matchups are Phillies at Braves (Game 1 at 2 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock), White Sox at Astros (5 p.m. ET on Peacock and NBCSN), Red Sox at Yankees (8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock), and Cubs at Padres (10 p.m. ET on Peacock and NBCSN), according to MLB.com and CBS Sports.
All games are available on Peacock, with some games shown exclusively on the streaming platform. Peacock streaming exclusives require a paid Premium or Premium Plus subscription, per Awful Announcing. Games on Peacock-exclusive windows are also televised on NBCSN, which is available on YouTube TV, Fubo, and Xfinity, Awful Announcing reported. This is the first postseason baseball shown on NBC since 2000, marking the start of NBC and MLB's three-year media rights deal that includes exclusive rights to Sunday Night Baseball and the Wild Card Series, per Awful Announcing.
The Division Series begin October 3, per MLB.com. The NLDS concludes by October 9, and the ALDS by October 10. The NLCS runs October 11-19, and the ALCS October 12-20, per MLB.com and CBS Sports. The World Series begins Friday, October 23, per CBS Sports.
Two playoff races came down to the final day: the Phillies' 7-3 win over the Rays secured a wild card berth, and the Astros clinched the AL West when the Rangers fell 6-4 to the Twins.
The Yankees and Red Sox, division rivals, square off in the AL Wild Card, while the Astros face a White Sox squad that nearly won the division. In the NL, the Braves open against a Phillies team fighting for its postseason life. Game 2 of each series is Wednesday, September 30; Game 3 (if needed) is Thursday, October 1.
Sports, checked.
Sources
Also reported by Action Network, Chronicle-Tribune, Yahoo Sports, FOX Sports. Independent coverage of the same development, found by search; not this story's sources.
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