A chaotic season is deserving of an equally chaotic end.
The 2020 MLB playoffs are here, with the World Series heading to Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas. But before two teams vie for a world championship, 16 will take the field in an expanded playoff picture that kicks off on Tuesday, Sept. 29.
MORE: SN's predictions for pennant winners, World Series champ
In a normal year, only 10 teams would enter in their chance to win the commissioner's trophy, but the Players' Association and the league agreed to expand the playoff picture on Opening Day, putting another six teams on the field come Tuesday. And to add another few wrinkles to the situation, most of the playoffs will be played in four separate bubbles in Texas and California stadiums, while there will be no off days during each series this October.
The 2020 MLB playoffs kick off with eight best-of-three series in the newly christened Wild Card Series. The opening round gives way to the Division Series, leading to the Championship Series, eventually culminating in the 2020 World Series, to be played at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
Here's what you need to know about the 2020 MLB playoffs:
MORE: How MLB's playoff bubbles will work
MLB playoff bracket 2020
National League
- Dodgers (1) vs. Brewers (8)
- Braves (2) vs. Reds (7)
- Cubs (3) vs. Marlins (6)
- Padres (4) vs. Cardinals (5)
American League
- Rays (1) vs. Blue Jays (8)
- Athletics (2) vs. White Sox (7)
- Twins (3) vs. Astros (6)
- Cleveland (4) vs. Yankees (5)
How to watch MLB playoff games
- TV channel: ESPN, TBS, Fox, FS1, MLB Network
- TV channel (Canada): Sportsnet
- Stream: ESPN app, Fox Sports app, fuboTV
- Live scores: SN's live scoreboard
Five networks will be splitting broadcasting duties throughout the 2020 playoffs: ESPN and TBS will split the Wild Card Series, MLB Network, TBS and FS1 will share the Division Series, Fox/FS1 will get the NLCS while TBS gets the ALCS, with the World Series airing on Fox, per usual.
With a cable provider, you will be able to stream games using ESPN, TBS and Fox apps. The ESPN and Fox Networks, along with MLB Network, are also available to stream on fuboTV, which offers a 7-day free trial.
MLB playoff schedule, results
National League
Wild Card Series
| Date | Game | Start time | TV channel | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, Sept. 30 | Dodgers (1) vs. Brewers (8) | 10 p.m. ET | ESPN | 4-2 Dodgers (LAD lead 1-0) |
| Wednesday, Sept. 30 | Braves (2) vs. Reds (7) | 12 p.m. ET | ESPN | 1-0 Braves (ATL leads 1-0) |
| Wednesday, Sept. 30 | Cubs (3) vs. Marlins (6) | 2 p.m. ET | ABC | 5-1 Marlins (MIA leads 1-0) |
| Wednesday, Sept. 30 | Padres (4) vs. Cardinals (5) | 5 p.m. ET | ESPN2 | 7-4 Cardinals (STL leads 1-0) |
| Thursday, Oct. 1 | Dodgers (1) vs. Brewers (8) | 10:09 p.m. ET | ESPN | 3-0 Dodgers (LAD win 2-0) |
| Thursday, Oct. 1 | Braves (2) vs. Reds (7) | 3:03 p.m. ET | ESPN | 5-0 Braves (ATL wins 2-0) |
| Thursday, Oct. 1 | Cubs (3) vs. Marlins (6) | Postponed | ESPN | Game 2 postponed to 10/2 |
| Thursday, Oct. 1 | Padres (4) vs. Cardinals (5) | 7:08 p.m. | ESPN | 11-9 Padres (Series tied 1-1) |
| Friday, Oct. 2 | Cubs (3) vs. Marlins (6) | 2:08 p.m. | ABC | 2-0 Marlins (MIA wins 2-0) |
| Friday, Oct. 2 | Padres (4) vs. Cardinals (5) | 7:08 p.m. | ESPN | 4-0 Padres (SD wins 2-1) |
National League
National League Division Series
All times Eastern:
| Date | Game | Start time | TV channel | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, Oct. 6 | Marlins vs. Braves, Game 1 | 2:08 p.m. | FS1 | 9-5 Braves (ATL leads 1-0) |
| Tuesday, Oct. 6 | Padres vs. Dodgers, Game 1 | 9:38 p.m. | FS1 | 5-1 Dodgers (LAD lead 1-0) |
| Wednesday, Oct. 7 | Marlins vs. Braves, Game 2 | 2:08 p.m. | MLB Network | 2-0 Braves (ATL leads 2-0) |
| Wednesday, Oct. 7 | Padres vs. Dodgers, Game 2 | 9:08 p.m. | FS1 | 5-1 Dodgers (LAD lead 2-0) |
| Thursday, Oct. 8 | Braves vs. Marlins, Game 3 | 2:08 p.m. | FS1 | 7-0 Braves (ATL wins 3-0) |
| Thursday, Oct. 8 | Dodgers vs. Padres, Game 3 | 9:08 p.m. | MLB Network | 12-3 Dodgers (LAD win 3-0) |
National League Championship Series
All games of the 2020 NLCS will be broadcast on Fox or FS1, and can also be streamed on fuboTV. All games will be live from Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
| Date | Game | Start time | TV channel | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday, Oct. 12 | Braves vs. Dodgers, Game 1 | 8:08 p.m. | Fox | 5-1 Braves (ATL leads 1-0) |
| Tuesday, Oct. 13 | Braves vs. Dodgers, Game 2 | 6:05 p.m. | FS1 | 8-7 Braves (ATL leads 2-0) |
| Wednesday, Oct. 14 | Dodgers vs. Braves, Game 3 | 6:05 p.m. | FS1 | 15-3 Dodgers (ATL leads 2-1) |
| Thursday, Oct. 15 | Dodgers vs. Braves, Game 4 | 8:08 p.m. | Fox | 10-2 Braves (ATL leads 3-1) |
| Friday, Oct. 16 | Dodgers vs. Braves, Game 5 | 9:08 p.m. | FS1 | 7-3 Dodgers (ATL leads 3-2) |
| Saturday, Oct. 17 | Braves vs. Dodgers, Game 6 | 4:38 p.m. | FS1 | 3-1 Dodgers (Series tied 3-3) |
| Sunday, Oct. 18 | Braves vs. Dodgers, Game 7 | 8:15 p.m. | Fox | TBD |
American League
Wild Card Series
All games will take place on the home field of the higher seed.
| Date | Game | Start time | TV channel | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, Sept. 29 | Rays (1) vs. Blue Jays (8) | 5 p.m. ET | ABC | 3-1 Rays (TB leads 1-0) |
| Tuesday, Sept. 29 | Athletics (2) vs. White Sox (7) | 3 p.m. ET | ESPN | 4-1 White Sox (CWS lead 1-0) |
| Tuesday, Sept. 29 | Twins (3) vs. Astros (6) | 2 p.m. ET | ABC | 4-1 Astros (HOU leads 1-0) |
| Tuesday, Sept. 29 | Indians (4) vs. Yankees (5) | 7 p.m. ET | ESPN | 12-3 Yankees (NYY lead 1-0) |
| Wednesday, Sept. 30 | Rays (1) vs. Blue Jays (8) | 4 p.m. ET | TBS | 8-2 Rays (TB wins 2-0) |
| Wednesday, Sept. 30 | Athletics (2) vs. White Sox (7) | 3 p.m. ET | ESPN | 5-3 Athletics (Series tied 1-1) |
| Wednesday, Sept. 30 | Twins (3) vs. Astros (6) | 1 p.m. ET | ESPN2 | 3-1 Astros (HOU wins 2-0) |
| Wednesday, Sept. 30 | Indians (4) vs. Yankees (5) | 7 p.m. ET | ESPN | 10-9 Yankees (NYY win 2-0) |
| Thursday, Oct. 1 | Athletics (2) vs. White Sox (7) | 2:10 p.m. ET | ESPN | 5-3 Athletics (OAK wins 2-1) |
*If necessary
American League Division Series
All ALDS games will air live on TBS and take place at Petco Park in San Diego and Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
All times Eastern:
| Date | Game | Start time | TV channel | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday, Oct. 5 | Astros vs. Athletics, Game 1 | 4:07 p.m. | TBS | 10-5 Astros (HOU leads 1-0) |
| Monday, Oct. 5 | Yankees vs. Rays, Game 1 | 8:07 p.m. | TBS | 9-3 Yankees (NYY lead 1-0) |
| Tuesday, Oct. 6 | Astros vs. Athletics, Game 2 | 4:37 p.m. | TBS | 5-2 Astros (HOU leads 2-0) |
| Tuesday, Oct. 6 | Yankees vs. Rays, Game 2 | 8:10 p.m. | TBS | 7-5 Rays (Series tied 1-1) |
| Wednesday, Oct. 7 | Athletics vs. Astros, Game 3 | 3:35 p.m. | TBS | 9-7 Athletics (HOU leads 2-1) |
| Wednesday, Oct. 7 | Rays vs. Yankees, Game 3 | 7:10 p.m. | TBS | 8-4 Rays (TB leads 2-1) |
| Thursday, Oct. 8 | Athletics vs. Astros, Game 4 | 3:35 p.m. | TBS | 11-6 Astros (HOU wins 3-1) |
| Thursday, Oct. 8 | Rays vs. Yankees, Game 4 | 7:10 p.m. | TBS | 5-1 Yankees (Series tied 2-2) |
| Friday, Oct. 9 | Yankees vs. Rays, Game 5 | 7:10 p.m. | TBS | 2-1 Rays (TB wins 3-2) |
American League Championship Series
Every ALCS game will take place in Petco Park in San Diego and be broadcast exclusively on TBS.
| Date | Game | Start time | TV channel | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday, Oct. 11 | Astros vs. Rays, Game 1 | 7:37 p.m. | TBS | 2-1 Rays (TB leads 1-0) |
| Monday, Oct. 12 | Astros vs. Rays, Game 2 | 4:07 p.m. | TBS | 4-2 Rays (TB leads 2-0) |
| Tuesday, Oct. 13 | Rays vs. Astros, Game 3 | 8:40 p.m. | TBS | 5-2 Rays (TB leads 3-0) |
| Wednesday, Oct. 14 | Rays vs. Astros, Game 4 | 8:40 p.m. | TBS | 4-3 Astros (TB leads 3-1) |
| Thursday, Oct. 15 | Rays vs. Astros, Game 5 | 5:07 p.m. | TBS | 4-3 Astros (TB leads 3-2) |
| Friday, Oct. 16 | Astros vs. Rays, Game 6 | 6:07 p.m. | TBS | 7-4 Astros (Series tied 3-3) |
| Saturday, Oct. 17 | Astros vs. Rays, Game 7 | 8:37 p.m. | TBS | 4-2 Rays (TB wins 4-3) |
World Series schedule
The 2020 World Series will take place exclusively in Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. It's the only postseason series in 2020 that has built-in off days, as well. First pitch for Games 2-6 is scheduled for 8:08 p.m. ET; Games 1 and 7 are scheduled to begin at 8:09 p.m. ET.
All games can also be streamed on fuboTV, which offers a seven-day free trial.
| Date | Game | Start time | TV channel | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, Oct. 20 | Rays vs. Dodgers or Braves, Game 1 | 8:09 p.m. | Fox | TBD |
| Wednesday, Oct. 21 | Rays vs. Dodgers or Braves, Game 2 | 8:08 p.m. | Fox | TBD |
| Friday, Oct. 23 | Dodgers vs. Rays or Braves, Game 3 | 8:08 p.m. | Fox | TBD |
| Saturday, Oct. 24 | Dodgers vs. Rays or Braves, Game 4 | 8:08 p.m. | Fox | TBD |
| Sunday, Oct. 25 | Dodgers vs. Rays or Braves, Game 5* | 8:08 p.m. | Fox | TBD |
| Tuesday, Oct. 27 | Rays vs. Dodgers or Braves, Game 6* | 8:08 p.m. | Fox | TBD |
| Wednesday, Oct. 28 | Rays vs. Dodgers or Braves, Game 7* | 8:09 p.m. | Fox | TBD |
*If necessary
