2026 MLB season

Attention is turning to the 2026 MLB playoff picture, with the Los Angeles Dodgers framed as the team to beat after another dominant season. Pundits and fans are debating whether any contender can knock them off, as the postseason bracket takes shape and matchups, seeding and World Series hopes come into focus across the league.

ESPN has published its guide to the 2026 MLB playoffs, laying out the postseason schedule, the playoff bracket and the current standings. Coverage of this kind typically tracks which teams are positioned for October, the dates of the wild card rounds, division series, championship series and World Series, and how the race for playoff seeding is shaping up across both leagues as the season progresses.

MLB.com has released its postseason power rankings ahead of the 2026 playoffs, with all 12 postseason teams now set. The final two spots were clinched on the last day of the regular season, a tough ending for clubs like the Phillies and Astros. The rankings size up which teams enter the Wild Card Series with the most momentum.

Major League Baseball has announced the television schedule for the 2026 Wild Card round, laying out which networks will carry the postseason opener series and when games will air. Details beyond the schedule release remain limited, and fans are looking at start times and broadcast assignments as the 2026 season approaches.