MLB Championship Series 2026 Format: Schedule Dates, TV Channels, How to Watch ALCS & NLCS games Live Stream
he MLB Championship Series features four teams in two best-of-seven-games contests, with the two winners progressing to the 2026 World Series and claiming the National or American League pennants.
In the American League Championship Series (ALCS), the top-seeded Tampa Bay Rays earned a first-round bye and advanced by sweeping the New York Yankees 3-0 in the Division Series. They are playing the Cleveland Guardians, who also bypassed the Wild Card round and reached the ALCS by pulling off a dramatic 3-2 series comeback against the Chicago White Sox.
Meanwhile, the National League Championship Series (NLCS) features the top-seeded Milwaukee Brewers, who used their first-round bye to rest up before eliminating the San Diego Padres 3-1 in the NLDS. The Brewers are clashing with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who similarly earned a Wild Card bye and punched their ticket to the NLCS by defeating the Atlanta Braves 3-1.
How does the MLB Championship Series format work?
The MLB Championship Series format is such that both match-ups will be seven-bout contests, featuring the four winners of the Divisional Series, stepping up from a best-of-three and best-of-five format in the previous two rounds.
The teams currently battling away in the ALCS and NLCS Championship Series are the Tampa Bay Rays (AL #1) vs Cleveland Guardians (AL #2 AND Milwaukee Brewers (NL #1) vs Los Angeles Dodgers (NL #2).
Then, it's a race to four wins to progress. Just one team in MLB history has come back from 3-0 down in a Championship Series. It was the Boston Red Sox who defeated the New York Yankees in Game 7 by winning 10-3. They went on to win the 2004 World Series, sweeping the St Louis Cardinals.
2026 MLB Championship Series TV Schedule Dates, Times, TV Channels
All times are ET
2026 AL Championship Series schedule
(best of seven)
Rays vs Guardians ALCS schedule, start times
All times ET.
Game 1: Monday, Oct. 12, Guardians at Rays, 8 p.m., TBS, truTV
Game 2: Tuesday, Oct. 13, Guardians at Rays, 8 p.m., TBS, truTV
Game 3: Thursday, Oct. 15, Rays at Guardians, 6 p.m., TBS, truTV
Game 4: Friday, Oct. 16, Rays at Guardians, 6 p.m., TBS, truTV
*Game 5 (if necessary): Saturday, Oct. 17, Rays at Guardians, 8 p.m., TBS, truTV
*Game 6 (if necessary): Monday, Oct. 19, Guardians at Rays, 5 p.m., TBS, truTV
*Game 7 (if necessary): Tuesday, Oct. 20, Guardians at Rays, 8 p.m., TBS, truTV
2026 NL Championship Series schedule
Dodgers vs Brewers NLCS schedule, start times
All times ET
Game 1: Sunday, Oct. 11, Dodgers at Brewers, 8 p.m., Fox, FS1
Game 2: Monday, Oct. 12, Dodgers at Brewers, 5 p.m., Fox, FS1
Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 14, Brewers at Dodgers, 8 p.m., Fox, FS1
Game 4: Thursday, Oct. 15, Brewers at Dodgers, 9 p.m., Fox, FS1
*Game 5 (if necessary): Friday, Oct. 16, Brewers at Dodgers, 9 p.m., Fox, FS1
*Game 6 (if necessary): Sunday, Oct. 18, Dodgers at Brewers, 8 p.m., Fox, FS1
*Game 7 (if necessary): Monday, Oct. 19, Dodgers at Brewers, 8 p.m., Fox, FS1
Who is the most successful MLB Championship Series side?
The Yankees hold the title as the most successful Championship Series side, winning 40 pennants in their illustrious history.
Their most recent victory in the ALCS was in 2009 when they went on to win a record-extending 27th World Series.
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