A general overall view of Angel Stadium during the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Angels, Aug. 11, 2025. (Reuters-Yonhap) The schedule for the 2026 Major League Baseball postseason has been finalized, with the playoffs beginning Sept. 30 and the World Series opening Oct. 24.According to the schedule released by MLB on Tuesday, the Wild Card Series will run from Sept. 30 through Oct. 2, followed by the Division Series beginning Oct. 4. The League Championship Series will start Oct. 12, while the World Series will begin Oct. 24. If the World Series goes the full seven games, the championship will be decided Nov. 1.A total of 12 teams will reach the postseason, six each from the American League and National League. The three division winners in each league will qualify along with the three nondivision winners with the best records as wild-card teams.The two division winners with the best records in each league will receive the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds and advance directly to the Division Series. The remaining four teams will compete in best-of-three Wild Card Series.Higher seeds will also receive home-field advantages. All three potential Wild Card games will be played at the higher-seeded team's ballpark. In the World Series, the team with the better regular-season record will host Games 1 and 2 and, if necessary, Games 6 and 7.The format adds importance to the final weeks of the regular season as teams compete not only for playoff berths but also for higher seeds.As of Monday, the Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros lead the AL East, Central and West, respectively. The New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers occupy the three AL wild-card positions.In the NL, the Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers lead their respective divisions. The Chicago Cubs, Arizona Diamondbacks and Philadelphia Phillies currently hold the three wild-card positions.(This article was produced with the assistance of AI. — Ed.)