The Bronx is always loudest when October rolls around.
But honestly, keeping track of the New York Yankees playoff schedule feels like a part-time job some years. Between the Wild Card madness and the constant re-seeding, you practically need a degree in bracketology just to know if you should head to 161st Street on a Tuesday or a Wednesday.
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In 2025, the ride was especially bumpy. The Yanks finished with a 94-68 record, which sounds great until you realize they ended up as the No. 4 seed. That meant no bye. No extra rest for Aaron Judge’s hamstrings. Just a straight shot into a high-stakes three-game sprint against their most hated rivals.
The Wild Card Chaos
People forget how quickly the postseason starts. The regular season ended on September 28, and by September 30, the Red Sox were already in the Bronx.
It was a classic best-of-three. All three games happened at Yankee Stadium because of that No. 4 seed advantage.
- September 30: Red Sox took Game 1 (3-1). Total buzzkill.
- October 1: Yankees bounced back in Game 2 (4-3).
- October 2: The clincher. Yankees shut them out 4-0.
If you weren't there for Game 3, you missed some of the tensest innings in recent memory. The stadium was literally shaking. But the reward for beating Boston? A date with the juggernaut Toronto Blue Jays.
Looking Back at the ALDS Matchup
The 2025 ALDS was where things got complicated. Since the Blue Jays were the No. 1 seed, they had home-field advantage. The Yankees had to travel north of the border to start the series on October 4.
It didn't go well.
The New York Yankees playoff schedule for that round was a whirlwind. Game 1 on October 4 was a 10-1 blowout in favor of Toronto. Game 2 the next day wasn't much better, ending 13-7. By the time the series moved back to the Bronx on October 7, the Yanks were down 0-2 and facing elimination.
They managed to claw back a win in Game 3 (9-6), mostly thanks to some late-inning heroics. But the magic ran out on October 8. A 5-2 loss in Game 4 sent the Yankees home and the Blue Jays to the ALCS.
What the 2026 Season Looks Like
Now, we’re looking at the 2026 cycle.
MLB has already dropped the dates. The 2026 regular season wraps up on September 27. If the Yankees find themselves in the postseason again—which, let’s be real, is the expectation every single year—the Wild Card Series is slated to kick off on September 29, 2026.
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If they manage to win the AL East this time around and secure one of the top two seeds, they’ll skip that opening round entirely. That would push their first playoff game to October 3, 2026, for the start of the Division Series.
The World Series is penciled in to begin on October 23, 2026.
How to Actually Plan Your Trip
Don't buy tickets from a guy on the corner. Seriously.
The official New York Yankees playoff schedule is usually finalized about 48 hours before the first pitch of any given round. If you're looking at "Home Game 1" or "Home Game 2" on a ticket site, remember those correspond to the games played in the Bronx, not necessarily Game 1 or 2 of the series.
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For example, if the Yankees are the lower seed in a best-of-seven ALCS, "Home Game 1" is actually Game 3 of the series.
Key Dates for Your Calendar:
- September 27, 2026: Regular season ends.
- September 29, 2026: Wild Card Series begins (Best-of-3).
- October 3, 2026: Division Series begins (Best-of-5).
- October 11, 2026: League Championship Series begins (Best-of-7).
- October 23, 2026: World Series Game 1.
The biggest mistake fans make is assuming the times will be consistent. They aren't. MLB and the networks (usually FOX, FS1, and TBS) play a game of musical chairs with the start times to maximize TV ratings. A 4:08 PM start on a Tuesday is common, which is a nightmare for anyone working a 9-to-5 in Manhattan.
Keep an eye on the standings as September winds down. If the Yankees are hovering around that 3rd or 4th seed, clear your schedule for that final week of September. If they’re cruising at the top of the division, you can breathe until the first weekend of October.
Basically, stay flexible. Postseason baseball doesn't care about your dinner reservations.
To stay ahead of the curve, set up a Google Alert for "Yankees Postseason Ticket Strip." The team usually offers full-strip deposits to season ticket holders and "Insiders" weeks before the season ends. Getting in early is the only way to avoid the 300% markup on the secondary market once the matchup is officially set.