# MLB 2026 postseason and Wild Card series > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/mlb-postseason-and-wild-card-race > Updated: 2026-09-29T05:57:09.000Z. Sources: 154. Developments: 3. The 2026 Major League Baseball postseason has officially commenced with the Wild Card Series. The tournament features 12 teams competing in best-of-three opening rounds to advance to the Division Series, which is scheduled to begin on October 3. In the American League, the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians have secured first-round byes. The Wild Card matchups consist of the Houston Astros against the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees against the Boston Red Sox. Notably, the Astros made history as the first team to reach the postseason without a winning record, finishing with an 81-81 season. For the Yankees-Red Sox matchup, Cam Schlittler is expected to start Game 1 for New York, while Payton Tolle is slated for Boston. The Yankees' lineup may be impacted by Aaron Judge, who is managing a right calf strain. In the National League, the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers have earned byes, with the Wild Card round featuring the Atlanta Braves hosting the Philadelphia Phillies and the San Diego Padres hosting the Chicago Cubs. While the Dodgers face injury concerns, the Brewers have been noted for a lack of home run power heading into the playoffs. Individual achievements from the regular season include National League batting title winner Gabriel Moreno (.311) and American League batting title winner Yordan Álvarez. Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski also led in several categories, including ERA and strikeouts. The postseason rosters feature significant international representation, including players such as Ronald Acuña Jr., José Altuve, and Luis Arráez. ## Claims - The Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers earned byes to the Division Series. (disputed by 4 sources) - The Wild Card Series consists of best-of-three matchups. (corroborated by 6 sources) - The Boston Red Sox will play the New York Yankees in the Wild Card Series. (corroborated by 5 sources) - The MLB Wild Card Series is scheduled to begin on Tuesday. (corroborated by 4 sources) - The Chicago Cubs will face the San Diego Padres in the Wild Card Series. (corroborated by 4 sources) - The Chicago White Sox are entering the postseason as betting underdogs. (corroborated by 3 sources) - The Chicago Cubs finished the regular season with 89 wins. (corroborated by 2 sources) - The Houston Astros qualified for the postseason with an 81-81 record. (corroborated by 2 sources) - Gabriel Moreno won the National League batting title with a .311 average. (corroborated by 2 sources) - The Milwaukee Brewers won 103 games, setting a team record. (single source) ## Timeline ### 2026-09-29: MLB postseason begins with Wild Card Series matchups The MLB postseason begins with the Wild Card Series, featuring key matchups like the Red Sox vs. Yankees and the Phillies vs. Braves, as twelve teams compete for the World Series title. 15 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/major-league-baseball-begins-wild-card-series-playoffs ### 2026-09-27: MLB postseason begins with Wild Card Series and individual title honors MLB kicks off the 2026 Wild Card Series this Tuesday, featuring matchups like Yankees-Red Sox. Gabriel Moreno claimed the NL batting title, while Tigres del Licey signed veteran José Quintana. 143 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/mlb-postseason-begins-with-wild-card-series-and-dodgers-playoff-preparations ### 2026-09-05: MLB fans track Wild Card standings and player returns MLB fans are focused on the Wild Card race and player returns, including the Chicago Cubs' postseason hopes and the potential direct return of Yankees captain Aaron Judge from injury. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/mlb-fans-track-wild-card-standings-and-player-returns --- Cite as: MLB 2026 postseason and Wild Card series. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/mlb-postseason-and-wild-card-race