When do the MLB playoffs start in 2024? Date, TV schedule & updated AL, NL brackets for postseason

The air is turning crispy, the leaves are falling and sports fans know that means the most important time of the baseball calendar is here. 

The 2024 MLB playoff race is coming down to the wire. With less than a week left in the season, there are a number of spots still up for grabs in October, including all three wild-card teams in each conference. 

Soon, the season-long chase for a World Series will reach the make-it-or-break-it point. There are plenty of storylines to follow along as October baseball hits. Is it finally the year the Phillies get over the hump? Can the Yankees finally emerge from the AL? Will the Diamondbacks avenge their 2023 loss to the Rangers? 

Looking forward to the start of the playoffs? Here's everything you need to know about the MLB playoffs with the season wrapped up.

MORE: Watch select MLB games live on Fubo (free trial)

When do the MLB playoffs start in 2024?

The MLB playoffs will begin on Oct. 1, with several wild card games. If the World Series goes a full seven games, it can run until Nov. 2.

• Wild Card Series: Oct. 1-3
• Division Series: Oct. 5-12
• Championship Series: Oct. 13-22
• World Series: Oct. 25-Nov. 2

MORE: Oakland A's owner John Fisher ripped for letter to fans

MLB playoff bracket

The final two NL wild card spots will be determined by a Monday doubleheader between the Braves and Mets; New York and Atlanta both need just one win to clinch, while the Diamondbacks can clinch if either team sweeps.

Wild Card Series

Detroit Tigers vs. Houston Astros

Kansas City Royals vs. Baltimore Orioles

New York Mets vs. Milwaukee Brewers

Atlanta Braves vs. San Diego Padres

LDS

Yankees vs. Orioles/Royals

Guardians vs. Astros/Tigers

Dodgers vs. Padres/Braves

Phillies vs. Brewers/Mets

LCS

AL finalist vs. AL finalist

NL finalist vs. NL finalist

World Series

AL champion vs. NL champion

MORE: Who has the most losses in MLB history?

MLB playoff schedule, results

Wild Card Series

Division Series

*If necessary

League Championship Series

*If necessary

World Series

*If necessary

How do MLB playoffs work?

The playoff structure in the league is as follows:

• No. 1 seed: Best league record
• No. 2 seed: Second-best division winner
• No. 3 seed: Third-best division winner 
• No. 4 seed: Best record among non-division winners
• No. 5 seed: Second-best record among non-division winners
• No. 6 seed: Third-best record among non-division winners

The top seeds in each league receive byes for the wild-card round and wait to host the two division series matchups. The No. 3 seed will host the No. 6 seed in a best-of-three series, while the No. 4 seed will host the No. 5 seed. All games will be played at the higher seed.

In the divisional round, the No. 1 seed will play the winner of the series between the No. 4 team and No. 5 team. The No. 2 seed will play either the No. 3 or No. 6 seed. Those divisional matchups will be best-of-five series, with the first two games played at the higher seed, the next two played at the lower seed and the final game played at the higher seed.

The Division Series winners will meet in a best-of-seven League Championship Series, with the higher seed hosting Games 1, 2, 6 and 7, and the lower seed hosting Games 3, 4 and 5. The winners of the League Championship Series will then head to the World Series with the same hosting format, with the seeding based on regular-season records.

SN's MLB HQ: Live MLB scores | Updated MLB standings | Full MLB schedule

Regular-season tiebreakers

MLB eliminated Game 163s under its revised playoff format, meaning the league will turn to a tie-breaking system to resolve any teams with even records at the end of the year.

Here's how that tiebreaker shakes up:

• Head-to-head record
• Intradivision record
• Interdivision record
• Last half of intraleague games
• Last half of intraleague games plus one