2021 MLB playoffs: Bracket, postseason baseball schedule as Yankees, Red Sox clinch final spots

Written by on October 3, 2021

The 2021 Major League Baseball postseason field is set. This year’s playoffs mark a return to some sense of normalcy for the sport. Gone are the neutral sites, the fanless games, and the 16-team format; the concepts of home-field advantage and sellouts are back, and so is the 10-team field. For a reminder on how the rounds typically work, here’s a quick refresher:

  • Wild Card Game: winner advances
  • Division Series (two per league): best-of-five series
  • Championship Series: best-of-seven series
  • World Series: best-of-seven series

The Yankees and Red Sox clinched the final two spots in the playoff field on Sunday, fending off the Blue Jays and Mariners and denying fans the chaos of a Game 163 tiebreaker on Monday. The Giants also clinched the NL West on the regular season’s final day, sending the Dodgers to the NL Wild Card Game in the process.

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So what does the MLB playoff bracket look like? Below you’ll find the schedule and the results for all the rounds as they play out, beginning with the Wild Card Game, extending through the League Division and Championship Series, and concluding with — what else — the 2021 World Series.

2021 MLB playoff bracket



CBS Sports

2021 MLB postseason schedule

Wild Card Games (single elimination)

DATE MATCHUP START TIME (ET) TV

Tues., Oct 5

Yankees at Red sox (AL)

8:08 p.m.

ESPN

Weds., Oct 6

Cardinals at Dodgers (NL)

8:10 p.m.

TBS

League Division Series (best-of-five)

DATE SERIES/GAME MATCHUP START TIME (ET) TV

Thurs., Oct. 7

ALDS A Game 1

TBD

TBA

FS1 or MLBN

ALDS B Game 1

TBD

TBA

FS1 or MLBN

Fri., Oct. 8

ALDS A Game 2

TBD

TBA

FS1 or MLBN

ALDS B Game 2

TBD

TBA

FS1 or MLBN

NLDS A Game 1

TBD

TBA

TBS

NLDS B Game 1

TBD

TBA

TBS

Sat., Oct. 9

NLDS A Game 2

TBD

TBA

TBS

NLDS B Game 2

TBD

TBA

TBS

Sun., Oct. 10

ALDS A Game 3

TBD

TBA

FS1 or MLB

ALDS B Game 3

TBD

TBA

FS1 or MLB

Mon., Oct. 11

ALDS A Game 4 (if nec.)

TBD

TBA

FS1 or MLBN

ALDS B Game 4 (if nec.)

TBD

TBA

FS1 or MLBN

NLDS A Game 3

TBD

TBA

TBS

NLDS B Game 3

TBD

TBA

TBS

Tues., Oct. 12

NLDS A Game 4 (if nec.)

TBD

TBA

TBS

NLDS B Game 4 (if nec.)

TBD

TBA

TBS

Weds., Oct. 13

ALDS A Game 5 (if nec.)

TBD

TBA

FS1

ALDS B Game 5 (if nec.)

TBD

TBA

FS1

Thurs., Oct 14

NLDS A Game 5 (if nec.)

TBD

TBA

TBS

NLDS B Game 5 (if nec.)

TBD

TBA

TBS

League Championship Series (best-of-seven)

DATE SERIES/GAME MATCHUP START TIME (ET) TV

Fri., Oct. 15

ALCS Game 1

TBD

TBA

Fox

Sat., Oct. 16

ALCS Game 2

TBD

TBA

Fox or FS1

NLCS Game 1

TBD

TBA

TBS

Sun., Oct. 17

NLCS Game 2

TBD

TBA

TBS

Mon., Oct. 18

ALCS Game 3

TBD

TBA

FS1

Tues., Oct. 19

ALCS Game 4

TBD

TBA

FS1

NLCS Game 3

TBD

TBA

TBS

Weds., Oct. 20

ALCS Game 5 (if nec.)

TBD

TBA

FS1

NLCS Game 4

TBD

TBA

TBS

Thurs., Oct. 21

NLCS Game 5 (if nec.)

TBD

TBA

TBS

Fri., Oct. 22

ALCS Game 6 (if nec.)

TBD

TBA

TBS

Sat., Oct. 23

ALCS Game 7 (if nec.)

TBD

TBA

Fox or FS1

NLCS Game 6 (if nec.)

TBD

TBA

TBS

Sun., Oct. 24

NLCS Game 7 (if nec.)

TBD

TBA

TBS

World Series (best-of-seven)

DATE GAME MATCHUP START TIME (ET) TV

Tues., Oct. 26

Game 1

TBD

TBA

Fox

Weds., Oct. 27

Game 2

TBD

TBA

Fox

Fri., Oct. 29

Game 3

TBD

TBA

Fox

Sat., Oct. 30

Game 4

TBD

TBA

Fox

Sun., Oct. 31

Game 5 (if nec.)

TBD

TBA

Fox

Tues., Nov. 2

Game 6 (if nec.)

TBD

TBA

Fox

Weds., Nov. 3

Game 7 (if nec.)

TBD

TBA

Fox


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