No. 1 New York Yankees vs. No. 5 Kansas City Royals
- Game 1: Royals 5, Yankees 6
- Game 2: Royals at Yankees, Oct. 7, 7:38 p.m. ET
- Game 3: Yankees at Royals, Oct. 9, 7:08 p.m. ET
- Game 4*: Yankees at Royals, Oct. 10, 8:08 p.m. ET
- Game 5*: Royals at Yankees, Oct. 12, 8:08 p.m. ET
The Kansas City Royals are in the midst of a dream run. Led by star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., KC went from losing 106 games in 2023 to sweeping the Baltimore Orioles in the Wild Card round in 2024. Their starting pitchers finished second in the MLB in both ERA and innings pitched, and they still have 2015 World Series MVP Salvador Pérez on their roster. The AL Central has three of its five teams in the Divisional round, and with apologies to the Detroit Tigers, the Royals might be the sentimental pick for baseball purists.
They’ll face the World Series betting favorite New York Yankees in the ALDS. Unless there’s a miscarriage of justice, Aaron Judge is set to collect this year’s AL MVP award on the strength of his .322 batting average, 144 RBI and 58 home runs. Left fielder Juan Soto wasn’t far behind, as he knocked in over 100 runs and mashed 41 homers. If those two can get going, it will be difficult for the Royals to match their power. But Judge’s .211 Postseason batting average (including a miserable .133 average in their last appearance in 2020) leaves questions about his ability to handle Postseason pressure. If the Yankees can build some momentum by dispatching the Royals, they could be a tough out in the final two rounds.
No. 2 Cleveland Guardians vs. No. 6 Detroit Tigers
- Game 1: Tigers 0, Guardians 7
- Game 2: Tigers at Guardians, Oct. 7, 4:08 p.m. ET
- Game 3: Guardians at Tigers, Oct. 9, 3:08 p.m. ET
- Game 4*: Guardians at Tigers, Oct. 10, 6:08 p.m. ET
- Game 5*: Tigers at Guardians, Oct. 12, 4:38 p.m. ET
The other ALDS series features a pair of AL Central teams who are very familiar with one another. The Tigers earned their stripes on the arm of ace pitcher Tarik Skubal, the heavy favorite to win the AL Cy Young award. He’s just the seventh pitcher this century to win a pitching triple crown and he continued his hot streak on the road against the Houston Astros in the Wild Card round. We described the Royals as the sentimental favorites, but the Tigers are flat-out Cinderella: According to The Athletic, the Tigers had a .2 chance of making the Postseason in early August and they just took out the most consistent team of the past half-dozen years. Just sit back and enjoy it.
As for the Guardians, their fans have to feel good about their chances of ending the longest active World Series drought in the MLB. While Detroit leans on their ace starter, Cleveland relies on Emmanuel Clase – the best closer in baseball – and the rest of their bullpen, which had the best ERA in the majors by a significant margin. Cleveland has needed them to make up for their lack of offensive power, but midseason acquisition Lane Thomas has been heating up after a slow start to his tenure in Cleveland. If Thomas, José Ramírez and Josh Naylor can provide the runs, Cleveland’s pitching can protect the lead as well as any bullpen.
No. 1 Los Angeles Dodgers vs. No. 4 San Diego Padres
- Game 1: Padres 5, Dodgers 7
- Game 2: Padres 10, Dodgers 2
- Game 3: Dodgers at Padres, Oct. 8, 5:08 p.m. ET
- Game 4: Dodgers at Padres, Oct. 9, 9:08 p.m. ET
- Game 5*: Padres at Dodgers, Oct. 11, 8:08 p.m. ET
“The Show” has become “The Shohei Show.” In his first season with the Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani…actually, if you’re reading this, you already know about his historic season. Simply put, Ohtani is the most electrifying player in the MLB (and arguably all of sports) and this is his first chance to play meaningful games in October. Given his performance in the now-legendary 50-50 game, we could be in for quite a Shohei.
As the Dodgers’ NL West rival, know one knows this better than the San Diego Padres. But the Pads have their own batch of superstars. NL Rookie of the Year contender Jackson Merrill has arguably been their best hitter all season. Add in a batch of solid veterans with World Series experience and a starting rotation that was top five in NL ERA all season, the Padres look to cancel “The Shohei Show” and send him home early. After a slow start, the Padres finished the post All-Star break at a 43-20 clip, the best in baseball. The team closest to their post-All-Star record? The Dodgers. This should make for a fun series that we can all hope goes to seven games.
No. 2 Philadelphia Phillies vs. No. 6 New York Mets
- Game 1: Mets 6, Phillies 2
- Game 2: Mets 6,Phillies 7
- Game 3: Phillies at Mets, Oct. 8, 9:08 p.m. ET
- Game 4*: Phillies at Mets, Oct. 9, 9:08 p.m. ET
- Game 5*: Mets at Phillies, Oct. 11, 8:08 p.m. ET
Mets supporters are a famously downtrodden fanbase, but this has been their most satisfying week in years. It started with Monday’s thrilling comeback win against the Braves, which put them in the Postseason after a lackluster start to the year. Unlike Atlanta, who were swept by San Diego, the Mets were able to force a decisive Game 3 against the Milwaukee Brewers. But after being shut out through the first nine innings, Pete Alonso stepped to the plate in the top of the 9th with one out and two men on and smacked a home run that Mets fans will remember for the rest of their lives.
New York will need more of that magic if they hope to beat the Phillies, who, at 95-67, finished with the second-best record in the majors behind the Dodgers. They had five pitchers in the All-Star game, boast a ton of Postseason experience, and have a Hall of Fame hitter in Bryce Harper. And although they’ve made at least the NLCS the past two seasons, this might be their best team in that three-year span. Still, funny things can happen when divisional rivals meet in the Postseason (we have three such series in the LDS this year). The Phillies won the season series seven games to six, but the Mets won three of the past four games in September. Buckle up, baseball fans. If you thought the Wild Card round was wild, you ain’t seen nothing yet.
How do I watch the 2024 MLB Postseason with DISH?
The Wild Card round will air exclusively on ESPN networks: ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2. But after that round, you can watch the remaining Postseason games on TBS (home of the ALDS/ ALCS), FS1, and FOX (NLDS/ NLCS/ World Series)
LDS Daily Schedule
Saturday, Oct. 5
ALDS Game 1, Detroit at Cleveland, 1pm ET (TBS, TruTV)
NLDS Game 1, NY Mets at Philadelphia, 4pm (FOX)
ALDS Game 1, Kansas City at NY Yankees, 6:30pm (TBS)
NLDS Game 1, San Diego at Los Angeles, 8:30pm (FS1)
Sunday, Oct. 6
NLDS Game 2, NY Mets at Philadelphia, 4pm ET (FS1)
NLDS Game 2, San Diego at Los Angeles, 8pm (FS1)
Monday, Oct. 7
ALDS Game 2, Detroit at Cleveland, 4pm ET (TBS, truTV)
ALDS Game 2, Kansas City at NY Yankees, 7:30pm (TBS, truTV)
Tuesday, Oct. 8
Los Angeles at San Diego, Game 3 (FOX/FS1)
Philadelphia at NY Mets, Game 3 (FOX/FS1)
Wednesday, Oct. 9
NY Yankees at Kansas City, Game 3 (TBS, truTV)
Cleveland at Detroit, Game 3 (TBS, truTV)
Los Angeles at San Diego, Game 4^ (FOX/FS1)
Philadelphia at NY Mets, Game 4^ (FOX/FS1)
Thursday, Oct. 10
NY Yankees at Kansas City, Game 4^ (TBS, truTV)
Cleveland at Detroit, Game 4^ (TBS, truTV)
Friday, Oct. 11
San Diego at Los Angeles, Game 5^ (FOX/FS1)
NY Mets at Philadelphia, Game 5^ (FOX/FS1)
Saturday, Oct. 12
Kansas City at NY Yankees, Game 5^ (TBS)
Detroit at Cleveland, Game 5^ (TBS)
^If Necessary
