MLB announces schedule, venues for expanded 2020 playoffs originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Major League Baseball released its schedule Tuesday for the 2020 playoffs, which will include the first World Series held at a neutral site in modern history.
The Texas Rangers’ new stadium Globe Life Field will host the Fall Classic, set to begin Oct. 20 with a potential Game 7 scheduled for Oct. 28. The ballpark will also host the National League Championship Series while the ALCS is held at the San Diego Padres’ Petco Park.
As part of an agreement between MLB and the players union reached just before the season began, eight teams from each league will qualify for the playoffs and face each other in best-of-three Wild Card series. The higher seed in each of those matchups (No. 1 vs. No. 8, No. 2 vs. No. 7, etc.) will host the series at their home ballpark. The AL Wild Card games begin Sept. 29 and the NL will follow the next day.
Once there are four teams remaining in each league, the playoffs will continue with the traditional format held at neutral sites. Petco Park and Dodger Stadium will each host an ALDS series while Globe Life Field and the Houston Astros’ Minute Maid Park get the two NLDS series.
Broadcasts of the Wild Card games will be split between ESPN and TBS. The World Series will be aired on FOX.
