With the echoing cheers of the 2023 World Series still fresh in the minds of baseball enthusiasts, Major League Baseball (MLB) has revealed its highly anticipated 2024 playoff schedule. The calendar is set to deliver a thrilling sequence of games, promising high stakes and intense competition from the very start.
Wild Card Series Kicks Off October 1
The postseason action ignites on October 1 with the commencement of the Wild Card Series. This pivotal opening round will see eight teams vying for advancement in a best-of-three format. The stakes are high as each team battles to secure their place in the League Division Series (LDS).
In the National League, the No. 3 seed New York Mets are set to take on the No. 6 seed Milwaukee Brewers. Meanwhile, the No. 5 seed Atlanta Braves will face the No. 4 seed San Diego Padres, making for a compelling East-meets-West showdown.
Over in the American League, the No. 3 seed Baltimore Orioles will host the No. 6 seed Kansas City Royals, while the Houston Astros, carrying the No. 4 seed, are pitted against the Detroit Tigers, seeded at No. 5.
Game 1 for all Wild Card matchups is slated for October 1, with Game 2 scheduled for the following day. Should any series necessitate a decisive third game, it will be played on October 3, adding an extra layer of excitement and urgency.
League Division Series Commences October 5
The competition escalates with the onset of the League Division Series on October 5. Teams that earned byes directly to this round include heavyweights like the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, and Cleveland Guardians. These byes reward these top seeds with the chance to prepare and strategize as they await the victors of the Wild Card round.
The first matchups in the LDS will see the Guardians and Yankees commence their Game 1, with the Phillies and Dodgers also embarking on their postseason quests on the same day. Game 2 for the Phillies and Dodgers is penciled in for October 6, while the Guardians and Yankees will play their second games on October 7.
If these series stretch to the full five games, decisive matches will occur on October 11 and 12 for the National and American League Divisions, respectively. With everything on the line, these potential Game 5s promise to deliver edge-of-the-seat action.
League Championship Series Heats Up Mid-October
The drama intensifies as the League Championship Series (LCS) launches on October 13 for the National League and October 14 for the American League. These best-of-seven series will determine which teams advance to the ultimate spectacle of the MLB season—the World Series.
Game 2 of the NLCS is set for October 14, while the ALCS will continue with Game 2 on October 15. Should the series extend to the full seven games, the NLCS will culminate on October 21, and the ALCS will conclude on October 22, leaving baseball fans eagerly anticipating every pitch and hit.
World Series Set for Late October
The crescendo of the MLB postseason, the World Series, is tentatively scheduled to start on October 25. However, flexibility in the schedule allows for an earlier commencement on October 22 if both the ALCS and NLCS conclude in five games or fewer, ensuring that fans won't have to wait long for the climax of the baseball year.
Game 2 of the World Series is earmarked for October 26, followed by subsequent games on October 28 and 29. If the series requires six or seven games to determine a champion, they are slated for November 1 and November 2, respectively. This schedule ensures a thorough and thrilling competition that crowns the next World Series victor in grand fashion.
As the playoff schedule is set and the teams prepare for battle, the excitement and anticipation build among baseball enthusiasts. With a wealth of intriguing matchups, potential upsets, and storied franchises competing, the 2024 MLB postseason promises to be a remarkable journey toward crowning the next champions of Major League Baseball.