Previewing the 2021 postseason schedule

The 2021 MLB postseason has finally arrived. All 30 teams competed in a grueling stretch of 162 games (unless you’re the Braves or Rockies, who played just 161) and only 10 remain.

These 10 teams will face off throughout October to crown the champion of Major League Baseball, beginning with the Wild Card series this week. Let’s dive into the dates, schedules, information, and ways to watch every series.

All times in Eastern.

Wild Card Round

New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox

Date: Begins Oct. 5 at 8:08 p.m.
TV: ESPN
Location: Fenway Park (Boston, Mass.)
Length: Best of one

We’re in for the extension of a historic rivalry when the Red Sox go toe-to-toe on Tuesday night. While the Yankees had a stronger second half of the season, Boston will be playing at home and is coming off a three-game sweep of the Nationals. Gerrit Cole is set to toe the rubber opposite Nathan Eovaldi.

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Date: Begins Oct. 6 at 8:10 p.m.
TV: TBS
Location: Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Length: Best of one

The Cardinals had an amazing end to their season, but are they dominant enough to edge out the Dodgers, whose 106-56 record finished as the second-best in all of baseball? Veteran right-hander Adam Wainwright will take the mound for St. Louis. Meanwhile, Los Angeles will deploy trade deadline acquisition Max Scherzer for his first postseason outing in Dodger blue.

Divisional Series

Chicago White Sox vs. Houston Astros

Date: Begins Oct. 7 at 4:07 p.m.
TV: FS1
Game 1 Location: Minute Maid Park (Houston, Tex.)
Series Length: Best of five

The first of four division series will kick off on Thursday afternoon in Houston. The Astros will deploy Lance McCullers for the first battle in this five-game set. The White Sox have yet to announce their Game 1 starter, but Carlos Rodon, who last pitched on Sept. 29, seems like the realistic choice.

NYY/BOS vs. Tampa Bay Rays

Date: Begins Oct. 7 at 8:07 p.m.
TV: FS1
Game 1 Location: Tropicana Field (St. Petersburg, Fla.)
Series Length: Best of five

Regardless of the outcome of the AL Wild Card game, we are guaranteed to see a battle of the AL East in this series. The Rays have already named Shane McClahanan their Game 1 starter as they look to defend their title of American League champion. If you couldn’t get enough of Tampa Bay rookie pitchers named Shane, tune into Game 2, which will feature the postseason debut of Shane Baz.

Atlanta Braves vs. Milwaukee Brewers

Date: Begins Oct. 8 at 4:37 p.m.
TV: TBS
Game 1 Location: American Family Field (Milwaukee, Wisc.)
Series Length: Best of five

The Braves may have the worst record of all the playoff teams, but they’re still riding a high coming into postseason play. After all, Atlanta won eight of its last 10 games this season. They’ll deploy recently extended pitcher Charlie Morton in Game 1. Cy Young favorite Corbin Burnes will likely get the nod for Milwaukee.

LA/STL vs. San Francisco Giants

Date: Begins Oct. 8 at 9:37 p.m.
TV: TBS
Game 1 Location: Oracle Park (San Francisco, Calif.)
Series Length: Best of five

Oh, boy. If the Dodgers win the Wild Card game, we’ll see an epic battle between the two winningest teams in baseball. Meanwhile, if the Cardinals win, they’ll have plenty of momentum, which is imperative for a team facing off against the 107-55 Giants. Regardless, high-quality baseball is in store for Oct. 8, which is also the first day of the postseason that features four games.

Championship Series

Lowest AL Seed vs. Highest AL Seed

Date: Begins Oct. 15; time TBD
TV: FOX/FS1
Game 1 Location: TBD
Series Length: Best of seven

It’s anyone’s guess who will take home the cake from the American League. The Rays are the early favorite considering they had the best record in the AL this year and also won the ALCS last year. However, as every baseball fan knows, the postseason is unpredictable. We’re in for a treat.

Lowest NL Seed vs. Highest NL Seed

Date: Begins Oct. 16; time TBD
TV: TBS
Game 1 Location: TBD
Series Length: Best of seven

The only negative about this game is that we won’t see a Dodgers-Giants battle. With that said, teams don’t make it to the NLCS by luck. It will be interesting to see how teams adapt from a five-game series (NLDS) to a seven-game series.

World Series

Date: Begins Oct. 26; time TBD
TV: FOX
Game 1 Location: TBD
Series Length: Best of seven

Ah, yes. The one for all of the marbles. 10 teams are in play here, and all of them have a legitimate chance to go all the way. Don’t be surprised if we witness shocking upsets, questionable calls, and jaw-dropping plays. Buckle in.