Complete overview of 2026 MLB playoff schedule after Brewers clinched home-field advantage

For the second consecutive season, the Milwaukee Brewers have clinched the top overall seed in the postseason. No team in Major League Baseball has posted a better regular season record in either of the last two seasons than the Brew Crew. As a result, Pat Murphy's squad has not only earned a first-round bye, which allows them to skip over the volatile best-of-three Wild Card Series, but they will also have home-field advantage throughout the postseason.

Milwaukee's home-field advantage was clinched on Thursday night when the San Diego Padres defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers. Following that outcome, the Brewers have a 3.0-game advantage over the Dodgers with three games to play, and since Milwaukee holds the tiebreaker by virtue of winning the season series over Los Angeles, they have secured the top seed in the National League. The Brewers also clinched home-field advantage throughout the World Series on Thursday night, securing a better record than any American League team this year.

It's an unbelievable accomplishment -- one that truly cannot be overstated. The small-market Brewers, who have created a perennial contender while battling Major League Baseball's broken financial system, have produced the best team in baseball for the second straight year. Now, with their playoff seed officially finalized, the Brewers' attention turns to the postseason. Here's a closer look at the playoff schedule and when Brewers fans can expect to see their team at American Family Field in October.

Overview of MLB playoff schedule and when Brewers could play games at American Family Field in October

The MLB postseason begins on Tuesday, September 29, but not for the Brewers. All four Wild Card Series (two in the NL, two in the AL) will be played from Tuesday through Thursday of next week. The Thursday games will only take place if the two teams split Games 1 and 2 on Tuesday and Wednesday.

2026 NL/AL Wild Card Series:

Game 1: Tuesday, September 29
Game 2: Wednesday, September 30
Game 3 (if necessary): Thursday, October 1

While Pat Murphy's squad will skip over this round once again, the games certainly matter for the Brewers. Milwaukee will play the winner of the No. 4 and No. 5 seed (the top two Wild Card teams) in the National League Division Series (NLDS). That matchup is not yet finalized, but it will most likely be some combination of the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, and Philadelphia Phillies (only Philadelphia hasn't officially clinched a postseason spot out of that group). More than anything, the Brewers are hoping the Wild Card Series between No. 4 and No. 5 seed goes three games so the team they end up facing in the NLDS has exhausted more of their pitching and only has one off-day before Game 1 in Milwaukee.

The NLDS begins on Saturday, October 3, and while game times aren't yet announced and won't be for some time, the Brewers are guaranteed to play Games 1 and 2 of the series at American Family Field. Here's how the NLDS schedule looks:

2026 NLDS schedule:

Game 1: Saturday, October 3 at American Family Field
Game 2: Sunday, October 4 at American Family Field

Game 3: Tuesday, October 6, location TBD
Game 4 (if needed): Wednesday, October 7, location TBD

Game 5 (if needed): Friday, October 9 at American Family Field

Should the Brewers advance to the National League Championship Series (NLCS) for the second consecutive year, Game 1 will be played at American Family Field on Sunday, October 11. Here's how the rest of that series would play out:

2026 NLCS schedule (if Brewers advance):

Game 1: Sunday, October 11 at American Family Field
Game 2: Monday, October 12 at American Family Field

Game 3: Wednesday. October 14, location TBD
Game 4: Thursday, October 15, location TBD
Game 5 (if necessary): Friday, October 16, location TBD

Game 6 (if necessary): Sunday, October 18 at American Family Field
Game 7 (if necessary): Monday, October 19 at American Family Field

If the Brewers break through and make it to the World Series for the first time since the 1982 season, Game 1 would take place at American Family Field on Friday, October 23. It would be the first World Series game in Milwaukee since October 17, 1982, when the Brewers defeated the St. Louis Cardinals at County Stadium in Game 5 of the 1982 Fall Classic. Here's how the rest of the 2026 World Series schedule would look:

2026 World Series schedule (if Brewers advance):

Game 1: Friday, October 23 at American Family Field
Game 2: Saturday, October 24 at American Family Field

Game 3: Monday, October 26, location TBD
Game 4: Tuesday, October 27, location TBD
Game 5 (if necessary): Wednesday, October 28, location TBD

Game 6 (if necessary): Friday, October 30 at American Family Field
Game 7 (if necessary): Saturday, October 31 at American Family Field

The Brewers have been a better team at American Family Field this year, so their clinching of home-field advantage throughout the postseason should not be overlooked. With their postseason preparation already beginning, five days off between the final regular season game and their first playoff game, and the top seed in the National League, the Brewers are set up for success in the 2026 postseason.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow