The field has continued to be narrowed, and the names left are largely familiar ones to those who have watched the World Series in recent years.
The American League will be represented by either the Astros or Rangers, who have won the pennant in six of the past 13 seasons. The Astros are the reigning World Series champions, while Texas made back-to-back appearances to start the 2010s.
On Thursday night, the Phillies punched their ticket to a second consecutive NLCS after downing the No. 1 overall seeded Braves. This marks the second year in a row that the Phils knocked off their division rival in the postseason, and they did it in dominant fashion. The Diamondbacks will have the chance to play for a spot in the World Series, having swept the Dodgers to reach the NLCS for the first time since 2007. Arizona has only won the World Series once in its short history, with a title in 2001.
MORE: Watch the American League Championship Series live with Fubo (free trial)
Hoping to catch MLB's semifinal games? Here's all you need to know to watch the ALCS and NLCS in 2023.
MLB playoff bracket 2023
National League
- Phillies (4) vs. Diamondbacks (6)
American League
- Astros (2) vs. Rangers (5)
How to watch MLB playoff games
- TV channel: TBS, Fox, FS1 (U.S.) | Sportsnet (Canada)
- Streaming: Fox Sports app, TBS app, Max, Fubo (U.S.) | Sportsnet NOW (AL), Fubo (NL) (Canada)
The 2023 MLB playoffs will continue to be split between the Fox family of networks and TBS. Fox and FS1 will carry the series between the Astros and Rangers, while TBS will have the NLCS between the Diamondbacks and either the Braves or Phillies.
There will be options for those to stream the games. The ALCS can be streamed on the Fox Sports app with a cable subscription or with Fubo, which offers a free trial. The NLCS games can be streamed on the TBS app with a subscription and Max.
Canadian viewers can watch LCS games on Sportsnet and stream the ALCS on Sportsnet NOW and the NLCS on Fubo.
MLB playoff schedule, results
National League Championship Series results
The winner of the NLCS will head to the World Series, where it will take on the winner of the ALCS.
The Diamondbacks, founded in 1998, won the World Series back in 2001, when they defeated the Yankees in seven games. They have not made it back to the Fall Classic.
The Phillies have reached the World Series eight times with two wins and six losses. They won the World Series in 2008 against the Rays, but lost in 2009 to the Yankees and in 2022 to the Astros. Philadelphia's first World Series win came against the Royals in 1980.
Phillies (4) vs. (6) Diamondbacks
- Game 1: Phillies 5, Diamondbacks 3 (PHI, 1-0)
- Game 2: Phillies 10, Diamondbacks 0 (PHI, 2-0)
- Game 3: Diamondbacks 2, Phillies 1 (PHI, 2-1)
- Game 4: Diamondbacks 6, Phillies 5 (TIE, 2-2)
- Game 5: Phillies 6, Diamondbacks 1 (PHI, 3-2)
- Game 6: Diamondbacks 5, Phillies 1 (TIE, 3-3)
- Game 7: Diamondbacks 4, Phillies 2 (ARI, 4-3)
* - If necessary
National League Championship Series schedule
All times are Eastern and are subject to change given results of other series.
| Date | Game | Start time (ET) | TV channel | Result |
| Monday, Oct. 16 | Diamondbacks at Phillies | 8:07 p.m. | TBS | PHI 5, ARI 3 (PHI, 1-0) |
| Tuesday, Oct. 17 | Diamondbacks at Phillies | 8:07 p.m. | TBS | PHI 10, ARI 0 (PHI, 2-0) |
| Thursday, Oct. 19 | Phillies at Diamondbacks | 5:07 p.m. | TBS | ARI 2, PHI 1 (PHI, 2-1) |
| Friday, Oct. 20 | Phillies at Diamondbacks | 8:07 p.m. | TBS | ARI 6, PHI 5 (TIE, 2-2) |
| Saturday, Oct. 21 | Phillies at Diamondbacks | 8:07 p.m. | TBS | PHI 6, ARI 1 |
| Monday, Oct. 23 | Diamondbacks at Phillies | 5:07 p.m. | TBS | ARI 5, PHI 1 (TIE, 3-3) |
| Tuesday, Oct. 24 | Diamondbacks at Phillies | 8:07 p.m. | TBS | ARI 4, PHI 2 (ARI, 4-3) |
* - If necessary
American League Championship Series results
The winner of the ALCS will head to the World Series, where it will take on the winner of the NLCS.
The Rangers are one of six MLB teams to have never won a World Series, and the only team remaining in the field without a title. Texas won back-to-back pennants in 2010 and 2011, but lost to the Giants and Cardinals, respectively. It had previously never reached the World Series.
The Astros are quite familiar with winning a World Series. Houston is the reigning champion, having won in 2022 and in 2017. It also won American League pennants in 2019 and 2021, but lost to the Nationals and Braves. It also had a National League pennant from 2005, but lost in the World Series to the White Sox.
Astros (2) vs. Rangers (5)
- Game 1: Rangers 2, Astros 0 (TEX, 1-0)
- Game 2: Rangers 5, Astros 4 (TEX, 2-0)
- Game 3: Astros 8, Rangers 5 (TEX, 2-1)
- Game 4: Astros 10, Rangers 3 (TIE, 2-2)
- Game 5: Astros 5, Rangers 4 (HOU, 3-2)
- Game 6: Rangers 9, Astros 2 (TIE, 3-3)
- Game 7: Rangers 11, Astros 4 (TEX, 4-3)
American League Championship Series schedule
All times are Eastern and are subject to change given results of other series.
| Date | Game | Start time (ET) | TV channel | Result |
| Sunday, Oct. 15 | Rangers at Astros | 8:15 p.m. | Fox | TEX 2, HOU 0 (TEX, 1-0) |
| Monday, Oct. 16 | Rangers at Astros | 4:37 p.m. | Fox | TEX 5, HOU 4 (TEX, 2-0) |
| Wednesday, Oct. 18 | Astros at Rangers | 8:03 p.m. | FS1 | HOU 8, TEX 5 (TEX, 2-1) |
| Thursday, Oct. 19 | Astros at Rangers | 8:03 p.m. | FS1 | HOU 10, TEX 3 (TIE, 2-2) |
| Friday, Oct. 20 | Astros at Rangers | 5:07 p.m. | FS1 | HOU 5, TEX 4 (HOU, 3-2) |
| Sunday, Oct. 22 | Rangers at Astros | 8:03 p.m. | FS1 | TEX 9, HOU 2 (TIE, 3-3) |
| Monday, Oct. 23 | Rangers at Astros | 8:03 p.m. | Fox | TEX 11, HOU 4 (TEX, 4-3) |
* - If necessary
