Look, everyone knows October is the best month for baseball. But the MLB 2025 postseason schedule really felt like a marathon this year. We saw it all. 18-inning slogs that ended at 2:00 a.m. and absolute blowouts that were over by the third inning. If you missed the live action or just want to relive how the bracket shook out, I've got you covered. Honestly, this season was a bit of a rollercoaster, especially with the Dodgers trying to defend their crown and the Blue Jays looking like the team of destiny until the very last pitch.
The whole thing kicked off on September 30. No rest for the weary. The regular season ended on a Sunday, and by Tuesday, we were already deep into the Wild Card chaos.
The Wild Card Chaos
The first round is always a sprint. Best-of-three. No room for a "feel-out" game. If you lose Game 1, your season is basically on life support by Wednesday morning. This year, the higher seeds hosted everything, which made for some incredibly loud home crowds.
In the American League, the Detroit Tigers went into Cleveland and shocked the Guardians in three games. It wasn't pretty, but the Tigers' pitching held firm when it mattered. Meanwhile, the Yankees and Red Sox renewed their rivalry in a Wild Card series for the ages. New York dropped the first game but clawed back to win the next two at the Stadium.
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Over in the National League, the Dodgers made quick work of the Reds. Two games, two wins, see ya later. The Cubs and Padres played a much tighter series at Wrigley Field. Chicago managed to take it in three games, mostly because the Padres' bats went cold at the worst possible time.
Breaking Down the MLB 2025 Postseason Schedule Rounds
After the Wild Card dust settled on October 2, we moved into the Division Series. This is where things get serious. Best-of-five. More travel. More pressure.
Division Series (October 4 – October 11)
The Division Series started on Saturday, October 4.
The Blue Jays, who had a bye, finally got to play and they absolutely dismantled the Yankees. They won that series 3-1. In the other AL matchup, the Mariners and Tigers went the full five games. It culminated in a 15-inning thriller in Game 5 where Seattle finally walked it off.
On the NL side, the Dodgers kept rolling. They took down the Phillies in four games. The Brewers and Cubs had a classic NL Central battle that went the distance. Milwaukee eventually moved on after winning Game 5 at home on October 11.
League Championship Series (October 12 – October 21)
This is where the real drama lived. The MLB 2025 postseason schedule had the ALCS starting on Sunday the 12th and the NLCS on Monday the 13th.
The Dodgers vs. Brewers series was surprisingly one-sided. Los Angeles swept them in four games. They looked invincible.
The ALCS was a different story entirely. Toronto and Seattle went the full seven games. The Blue Jays trailed 2-0 and 3-2 in that series but kept fighting back. Game 7 was on October 20 at the Rogers Centre, and Toronto secured their spot in the World Series with a narrow 4-3 win.
The World Series: A Seven-Game Epic
Everything led to October 24. Game 1 of the World Series.
The schedule was set:
- Game 1: Friday, Oct 24 (Toronto)
- Game 2: Saturday, Oct 25 (Toronto)
- Game 3: Monday, Oct 27 (LA)
- Game 4: Tuesday, Oct 28 (LA)
- Game 5: Wednesday, Oct 29 (LA)
- Game 6: Friday, Oct 31 (Toronto)
- Game 7: Saturday, Nov 1 (Toronto)
Toronto had home-field advantage because they finished with 94 wins compared to the Dodgers' 93. That one extra regular-season win ended up being massive.
The series was a see-saw. Toronto blew them out in Game 1, but the Dodgers took Game 2. Then came Game 3—the 18-inning nightmare in Los Angeles. It lasted over six hours. The Dodgers won that one 6-5, and it felt like Toronto might be gassed.
But the Blue Jays took Games 4 and 5 in LA. They went back to Toronto up 3-2. The Dodgers forced a Game 7 on Halloween, and then we got the finale on November 1. It went to 11 innings. Yoshinobu Yamamoto was the hero for LA, and the Dodgers officially became the first back-to-back champions since the 2000 Yankees.
How to Catch the Action Next Time
Television rights are a bit of a mess these days, but basically, if you wanted the National League, you were watching FOX, FS1, or streaming on Max. The American League was mostly on TBS and truTV.
ESPN handled the Wild Card round almost entirely.
If you're planning for the 2026 season, keep in mind that things are shifting. NBC and even Netflix are getting into the mix soon. But for 2025, FOX remained the king of the World Series.
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Actionable Takeaways for Fans
If you're already looking ahead to how to handle the next postseason, here’s what you need to remember:
- Watch the Standings: Home-field advantage is determined by record, not just being a division winner. Those September games actually matter for October.
- Check the Byes: The top two seeds in each league get a week off. Some teams thrive on the rest; others (like the 2025 Yankees) seem to lose their rhythm.
- Budget for Streaming: You probably need a combination of a cable-replacement service (like YouTube TV or Fubo) and Max to see every single game.
- The Schedule is Tight: There are very few off-days once the LCS starts. If a series goes long, teams' bullpens get shredded.
The 2025 postseason proved that the current 12-team format is here to stay. It's chaotic, it's loud, and as the Dodgers showed, it's incredibly hard to win twice in a row.