Everything to know about the 2025 MLB postseason: Schedule, format, bracket originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The most action-packed month of the baseball season is quickly approaching.

Soon enough, it will be October — with 12 teams beginning their quest to win the 2025 World Series.

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Could it be the Los Angeles Dodgers winning back-to-back titles? Will the New York Yankees get redemption after losing in the Fall Classic last year? Or is another contender ready to step up and win it all?

Here’s everything to know for the 2025 MLB postseason, including the schedule, format and players to watch:

When does the MLB postseason start?

We all associate playoff baseball with October, but it technically starts before the calendar flips months in 2025.

The first games of the Wild Card Round are set for Tuesday, Sept. 30.

2025 MLB postseason format

The MLB playoff format is unchanged for the fourth straight year, with the three division winners and top three non-division winners in each league making the postseason.

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The two division winners with the best record in each league automatically advance to the Division Series. The division winner with the worst record in each league faces the wild-card team with the worst record, leaving the top two finishing wild card teams to also face off. The Wild Card Round is a best-of-three series with the higher seed hosting every game.

There is no reseeding, so the No. 1 seed in each league faces the winner of the No. 4 (first wild card) vs. No. 5 (second wild card). The No. 2 seed faces the winner of the No. 3 (third division winner) vs. No. 6 (third wild card). The ALDS and NLDS are best-of-five series’ with the higher seed hosting Games 1, 2 and 5 and the lower seed hosting Games 3 and 4.

The Championship Series’ are best-of-seven, with the higher remaining seed hosting Games 1, 2, 6 and 7 and the lower seed hosting Games 3, 4 and 5. The World Series is the same format, giving the team with the better regular-season record home-field advantage for Games 1, 2, 6 and 7.

2025 MLB postseason schedule

The full postseason schedule for every series has already been released. Here’s the slate:

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Wild Card Series (ESPN platforms)

Game 1 (of all Wild Card Series): Tuesday, Sept. 30

Game 2 (of all Wild Card Series): Wednesday, Oct. 1

Game 3 (of all necessary Wild Card Series): Thursday, Oct. 2

Division Series

ALDS (both series on FOX/FS1)

Game 4 (if necessary): Wednesday, Oct. 8

Game 5 (if necessary): Friday, Oct. 10

NLDS (both series on TBS)

Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 8

Game 4 (if necessary): Thursday, Oct. 9

Game 5 (if necessary): Saturday, Oct. 11

Championship Series

ALCS (on FOX/FS1)

Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 15

Game 4: Thursday, Oct. 16

Game 5 (if necessary): Friday, Oct. 17

Game 6 (if necessary): Sunday, Oct. 19

Game 7 (if necessary): Monday, Oct. 20

NLCS (on TBS)

Game 3: Thursday, Oct. 16

Game 5 (if necessary): Saturday, Oct. 18

Game 6 (if necessary): Monday, Oct. 20

Game 7 (if necessary): Tuesday, Oct. 21

World Series (FOX)

Game 2: Saturday, Oct. 25

Game 5 (if necessary): Wednesday, Oct. 29

Game 6 (if necessary): Friday, Oct. 31

Game 7 (if necessary): Saturday, Nov. 1

2025 MLB postseason teams and players to watch

With less than two weeks to go in the regular season, the playoff field is starting to take shape.

Through Sept. 15, the Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies are the only teams to clinch their spots. Other teams looking solidly in the picture including the Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, Detroit Tigers, Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres, who could all clinch a postseason appearance in the coming days.

The Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros and New York Mets hold the other remaining spots as of Sept. 15, but they are still in danger of missing out if they go cold in the closing days.

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Here are five players to watch this postseason:

Kyle Schwarber, Phillies DH: A player built for October, the 2016 World Series winner has 21 career playoff home runs in 69 games. Philly has been knocking on the door to win a ring since he arrived in 2022, and this could be the year.

Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers DH: The greatest player in baseball is looking to win back-to-back World Series rings, something that hasn’t been done since 2000. Ohtani, on the brink of winning his fourth MVP, hit three home runs last October.

Tarik Skubal, Tigers SP: The 2024 Cy Young winner isn’t sneaking up on anyone this postseason. As the frontrunner to win another Cy Young, Skubal will be Detroit’s workhorse as it aims to win the World Series for the first time since 1984.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays 1B: It’s time for Guerrero to finally have his postseason moment. In six games over three career playoff appearances, the righty slugger has three hits and no home runs with his team going 0-6. All the pressure is on now that he’s signed a massive contract.

Freddy Peralta, Brewers SP: One of the NL Cy Young favorites this year behind Paul Skenes, the Brewers need Peralta to show up this October. His performance regressed in each of the last two years when Milwaukee lost in the Wild Card Series. This year, with a likely bye to the NLDS, the stakes are raised.

When does the World Series start?

The World Series will start on Friday, Oct. 24 — regardless of how early the ALCS and NLCS wrap up.