MLB announced the game times for all four of its 2026 wild-card series Sunday.
The full playoff field was not yet set, with the American League West champion and the National League’s final wild-card spot still to be determined in Game 162, but both matchups involving those teams were known based on the standings. Each series is best-of-three and will be played from Tuesday through Thursday (if necessary).
The East Coast prime-time spot went to the American League series between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees in New York. All three games between the league’s top two wild cards are scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. ET, but Game 3 might move to 7 p.m. ET if other series end early.
Start times for the other series are equally consistent.
The other AL series has all three games scheduled for 5 p.m. ET. The West champion, which will be either the Texas Rangers or Houston Astros based on Sunday’s games, will host the Chicago White Sox, the AL’s third wild-card team. The series will be played in Arlington, Texas, or Houston.
In the National League, first pitch for each game in the series between the third wild card, either the Philadelphia Phillies or the Arizona Diamondbacks, and the East Division champion Atlanta Braves is set for 2 p.m. ET in Atlanta. The other series, a rematch of last year’s wild-card series between the San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs, has all three games set for 10 p.m. ET in San Diego.
All wild-card series games will air on NBC or NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) and stream on Peacock.
–Field Level Media
