Ten teams, battling for as many as 30 days, to determine one champion.
The 2016 MLB playoffs are here, with 10 teams vying for World Series supremacy. There is guaranteed to be a new champion this year, with the Kansas City Royals missing the playoffs after two straight trips to the Fall Classic and a title in 2015.
Plenty of stories abound with the teams that did make it to the postseason this year, led by the juggernaut Chicago Cubs, a 103-win superteam trying for their first World Series trip since 1945. The Cubs lost to the New York Mets in the National League Championship Series in 2015, but are favored to win the World Series this year.
But the New York Mets couldn't give the Cubs a playoff rematch, instead falling at home to the San Francisco Giants in the NL Wild Card Game, behind a shutout from Madison Bumgarner and a three-run home run in the ninth inning by Conor Gillaspie.
The Washington Nationals are back in the postseason after a disappointing 2015 campaign. They will battle the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS, who overcame 28 different players making trips to the disabled list to win their fourth consecutive National League West crown.
David Ortiz hit .315/.401/.620 with 38 home runs and 48 doubles in the greatest farewell season in baseball history, and leads a dynamic Boston Red Sox offense. The American League East champs will battle former manager Terry Francona and the Cleveland Indians, champions of the American League Central for the first time since 2007.
The American League is well represented in October, with both Wild Card teams coming from the division. Both the Blue Jays and Orioles won 89 games in 2016, and needed extra innings to decide the AL Wild Card Game on Tuesday night in Toronto with Edwin Encarnacion hitting a three-run home run to send Jays fans home happy.
Toronto will next face the Texas Rangers, winners of the AL West for a second straight year and making their fifth postseason appearance in seven years.
Over a span of 30 days there could be as many as 43 postseason games. The games will be televised by a myriad of networks, including ESPN, MLB Network, TBS, Fox Sports 1, and Fox.
Teams
Boston Red Sox (93-69), AL East winner
Cleveland Indians (94-67), AL Central winner
Texas Rangers (95-67), AL West winner
Toronto Blue Jays (89-73), AL Wild Card
Baltimore Orioles (89-73), AL Wild Card
Chicago Cubs (103-58), NL Central winner
Washington Nationals (95-67), NL East winner
Los Angeles Dodgers (91-71), NL West winner
New York Mets (87-75), NL Wild Card
San Francisco Giants (87-75), NL Wild Card
Bracket
(Source: MLB.com)
Schedule and results
(All times ET)
*if necessary
Wild Card Games
Tuesday, Oct. 4
American League Wild Card Game: Blue Jays 5, Orioles 2 (recap)
Wednesday, Oct. 5
National League Wild Card Game: Giants 3, Mets 0 (recap)
Division Series
Thursday, Oct. 6
ALDS Game 1: Blue Jays 10, Rangers 1 (recap)
ALDS Game 1: Indians 5, Red Sox 4 (recap)
Friday, Oct. 7
ALDS Game 2: Blue Jays 5, Rangers 3 (recap)
ALDS Game 2: Indians 6, Red Sox 0 (recap)
NLDS Game 1: Dodgers 4, Nationals 3 (recap)
NLDS Game 1: Cubs 1, Giants 0 (recap)
Saturday, Oct. 8
NLDS Game 2: Dodgers at Nationals, 4:08 p.m. (FS1)
NLDS Game 2: Giants at Cubs, 8:08 p.m. (MLB Network)
Sunday, Oct. 9
ALDS Game 3: Indians at Red Sox, 4:08 p.m. (TBS)
ALDS Game 3: Rangers at Blue Jays, 7:38 p.m. (TBS)
Monday, Oct. 10
ALDS Game 4*: Indians at Red Sox (TBS)
ALDS Game 4*: Rangers at Blue Jays (TBS)
NLDS Game 3: Cubs at Giants (FS1)
NLDS Game 3: Nationals at Dodgers (MLB Network)
Tuesday, Oct. 11
NLDS Game 4*: Cubs at Giants (FS1)
NLDS Game 4*: Nationals at Dodgers (FS1)
Wednesday, Oct. 12
ALDS Game 5*: Red Sox at Indians (TBS)
ALDS Game 5*: AL Wild Card winner at Rangers (TBS)
Thursday, Oct. 13
NLDS Game 5*: Giants at Cubs (FS1)
NLDS Game 5*: Dodgers at Nationals (FS1)
Championship Series
Friday, Oct. 14
ALCS Game 1 (TBS)
Saturday, Oct. 15
ALCS Game 2 (TBS)
NLCS Game 1 (Fox or FS1)
Sunday, Oct. 16
NLCS Game 2 (Fox or FS1)
Monday, Oct. 17
ALCS Game 3 (TBS)
Tuesday, Oct. 18
ALCS Game 4 (TBS)
NLCS Game 3 (Fox or FS1)
Wednesday, Oct. 19
NLCS Game 4 (Fox or FS1)
ALCS Game 5* (TBS)
Thursday, Oct. 20
NLCS Game 5* (Fox or FS1)
Friday, Oct. 21
ALCS Game 6* (TBS)
Saturday, Oct. 22
NLCS Game 6* (Fox or FS1)
ALCS Game 7* (TBS)
Sunday, Oct. 23
NLCS Game 7* (Fox or FS1)
112th World Series
Tuesday, Oct. 25
World Series Game 1: National League at American League (Fox)
Wednesday, Oct. 26
World Series Game 2: National League at American League (Fox)
Friday, Oct. 28
World Series Game 3: American League at National League (Fox)
Saturday, Oct. 29
World Series Game 4: American League at National League (Fox)
Sunday, Oct. 30
World Series Game 5*: American League at National League (Fox)
Tuesday, Nov. 1
World Series Game 6*: National League at American League (Fox)
Wednesday, Nov. 2
World Series Game 7*: National League at American League (Fox)
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