2026 MLB playoff bracket set as Braves advance to NLDS — SkimNews
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- The Braves eliminated the Phillies 6-2 in NL Wild Card Series Game 3 on Thursday, winning 2-1 and advancing to face the two-time reigning champion Dodgers in the NLDS starting Saturday.
- The White Sox, Yankees, and Padres each swept their Wild Card Series 2-0 on Wednesday, ousting the Astros, Red Sox, and Cubs respectively.
- Wild Card Series Game 1 winners have now advanced in 19 of 20 series since the format was introduced in 2022, per the source's tally.
- The Guardians earned the AL's No. 2 seed and a bye to the LDS despite an 85-77 record that ranks 10th out of the 12 playoff teams; they will face the 84-win White Sox in the ALDS.
- The Brewers (103 wins) and Dodgers (100 wins) were the only teams to reach triple digits in the regular season and will host NLDS Game 1s on Saturday, against the Cubs and Braves respectively.
- The Rays earned the AL's No. 1 seed and a bye to the LDS, where they will host the Yankees in the ALDS starting Saturday at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Why it matters: The 103-win Brewers and 100-win Dodgers enter the NLDS as the class of the field, but the bracket also pairs the 85-77 Guardians — the 10th-best record among 12 playoff teams — against the 84-win White Sox in the ALDS. The current seeding format rewards division titles over raw record, sending two teams with fewer wins than every NL playoff entry to the ALDS.
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