2026 MLB playoff bracket set: Rays claim AL's top seed — SkimNews
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- Rays won the AL East to claim the American League's best record and a first-round bye to the ALDS, with the Guardians earning the other AL bye by winning the AL Central.
- Yankees (No. 4) and Red Sox (No. 5) — division rivals — face off in an AL Wild Card Series beginning Tuesday, Sept. 29.
- Astros took the AL West and open the other AL Wild Card Series; the source's bracket text names the No. 6 seed as the Guardians but its schedule lists "White Sox @ Astros" instead.
- Brewers and reigning champion Dodgers earned NL byes; the Braves host the Phillies and the Padres host the Cubs in the NL Wild Card Series.
- The Phillies "barely hung on to their playoff berth after an ugly final week," per the source.
- The World Series is scheduled to begin Oct. 23 on Fox, with Game 7 if needed on Oct. 31.
Why it matters: Every team now has three days to prep — or rest — before Tuesday's Wild Card openers, with the four bye teams (Rays, Guardians, Brewers, Dodgers) idle until the Division Series on Oct. 3. The Dodgers defend their title on the NL side; the Rays hold the AL's clearest path via a first-round bye.
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