Who will make it to the World Series?

The Division Series are over, and both League Championship Series are underway. Tampa Bay and Cleveland have each won one game in the ALCS. Milwaukee has won the first two games against Los Angeles in the NLCS, with Game 3 scheduled for October 14.

Neither World Series place has been claimed. Here’s where each contender stands and what it needs to do next.

Postseason results and series positions in this article reflect games completed through October 13, 2026. Updated October 14, 2026.

This article is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial or investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Who’s still in the race?

Four teams have reached the League Championship Series. The Rays and Guardians are level in the American League, while the Brewers have a two-game lead over the Dodgers in the National League. 

Each League Championship Series is best of seven, so four wins secure a World Series berth. The NLCS began on October 11 and the ALCS began on October 12. Game 3 of the NLCS is scheduled for October 14, with Game 3 of the ALCS scheduled for October 15. 

Who could represent the American League?

Tampa Bay Rays: ALCS tied after split

Tampa Bay completed a three-game sweep of the New York Yankees with a 4–3 victory on October 7. Rookie Victor Mesa Jr.’s two-run homer broke the tie in the sixth inning, while Bryan Baker finished the series with his third save.

That clincher showed contributions from different parts of the roster. Ryan Vilade also homered, Jonathan Aranda drove in a run and several relievers helped protect the lead after starter Nick Martinez left in the fourth inning.

Tampa Bay had four full days between its Division Series finale and the ALCS opener. It opened the next round at home against Cleveland, losing Game 1 by a 7–3 score before responding with a 3–1 win in Game 2. The series is tied 1–1, with the next three games scheduled to take place in Cleveland.

The Rays have home-field advantage in the ALCS. Their next challenge is to carry the response from Game 2 into the road games and take the lead in the series.

Cleveland Guardians: Back in the ALCS 

Cleveland’s postseason looked close to ending after two losses to begin the Division Series. Its response was emphatic: nine runs, 11 hits and a pitching performance that repeatedly stopped Chicago’s rallies.

Jo Adell’s bases-clearing triple supplied an early breakthrough. José Ramírez added a two-run triple later in the game and made a crucial defensive play with the bases loaded. Cleveland’s pitchers combined for 19 strikeouts, with Foster Griffin striking out seven in 2⅔ innings.

The Guardians went on to win the Division Series in five games, then opened the ALCS with a 7–3 victory over Tampa Bay. The Rays won Game 2, leaving Cleveland and Tampa Bay tied 1–1 as the series moves to Cleveland.

For Cleveland, the route to the World Series now runs through three more wins against Tampa Bay. The comeback against Chicago showed the Guardians could extend the fight. The task now is to build on that run in the ALCS.

Who could represent the National League?

Los Angeles Dodgers: Facing a 2–0 deficit 

Los Angeles advanced by beating Atlanta 4–1 on October 7, completing a four-game Division Series victory. Andy Pages’ two-run single in the seventh inning broke a 1–1 tie, and Max Muncy added a solo homer in the ninth.

The pitching staff gave the offence room to find that breakthrough. Tyler Glasnow allowed one run over 4⅔ innings, then four relievers combined for a scoreless finish. Across the series, Los Angeles allowed eight runs.

That combination was central to its route forward: keep games manageable, then find the hit that changes them. Pages supplied that moment in the clincher, showing how a decisive contribution can come from beyond the lineup’s headline names.

Milwaukee is now two wins ahead in the NLCS after taking the first two games at home, 2–1 and 7–4. The series moves to Los Angeles for Game 3 on October 14. The Dodgers swept the same opponent in the 2025 NLCS, but they now need four wins to advance. The previous result adds history to the matchup; it doesn’t decide the rematch.

Milwaukee Brewers: Two wins from the World Series

Milwaukee arrived after a franchise-record 103-win regular season and a four-game Division Series victory over San Diego. Its 3–1 win on October 7 secured another shot at Los Angeles.

The clincher highlighted how the Brewers can make a modest run total hold up. Robert Gasser allowed one run over four innings, followed by five scoreless innings from the bullpen. Aaron Ashby covered three of those relief innings.

Milwaukee’s relief depth could matter against a lineup containing prominent left-handed hitters such as Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy. Choosing when to use those pitching options will be part of the series’ tactical contest.

The Brewers opened the NLCS at home and won both games there, taking a 2–0 lead. Four wins would deliver their first World Series appearance since 1982, giving this matchup stakes that stretch well beyond last year’s defeat.

What could decide the remaining series?

Pitching depth over a longer round

A best-of-seven series asks more of a pitching staff than a short sweep. Managers need enough innings from their starters and enough usable relief options to handle consecutive games.

Milwaukee and Los Angeles both received scoreless bullpen finishes in their Division Series clinchers. Cleveland relied on seven pitchers to stay alive against Chicago. Now the ALCS and NLCS have begun, and the workloads from the first games could shape the choices available in later matchups. 

Making scoring chances count

The Division Series offered clear examples of why timely hitting matters. Pages changed the Los Angeles game with one seventh-inning swing. Chicago, meanwhile, left opportunities unconverted during its loss to Cleveland on October 7.

Across the remaining rounds, getting runners aboard is only part of the job. Bringing them home can separate a promising inning from a decisive one.

Rest and the route through the bracket

Tampa Bay had more time to prepare for the ALCS while Chicago and Cleveland continued playing. The Rays and Guardians have since split their first two games. Milwaukee and Los Angeles finished their Division Series on October 7, then opened the NLCS on October 11. The Brewers won both home games.

That recovery time gave teams room to organize their pitching plans. It didn’t settle the next round, but the number of games required to advance can affect the workload carried into it.

When will the World Series finalists be decided?

The NLCS is underway, and the ALCS is underway. Either series ends as soon as a team records its fourth win. If both go the distance, their deciding games are scheduled for October 19 and October 20 respectively. The World Series is scheduled to begin October 23. 

For now, four routes remain open. Tampa Bay and Cleveland are level in the American League, while Milwaukee leads Los Angeles in the National League. 

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