MLB Playoffs 2020: Live Stream, TV Schedule for AL, NL Wild Card Bracket

The 2020 MLB playoffs are here, which also means this is the first time baseball fans will witness a 16-team playoff.

Indeed, the wild-card round begins on Tuesday, with teams partaking in a best-of-three series to determine who will move on to the Division Series. 

There are a number of fun storylines, like the Miami Marlins making their first postseason appearance since 2003 and the Chicago White Sox playing October baseball for the first time since 2008. Meanwhile, the top-seeded Los Angeles Dodgers are hoping to end their recent postseason nightmares, while the Tampa Bay Rays are searching for their first World Series title in franchise history.

Things will look quite different later this fall, given the teams will eventually be playing in "bubble" scenarios much like those seen in the NBA and NHL. However, the wild-card round is played in the higher seed's home stadium, offering one last semblance of normalcy as teams prepare to mount their World Series runs.

Here is the schedule for the wild-card bracket in both the American League and the National League.

Wild-Card Schedule and TV Information   

(Schedule via MLB.com, all times EST)  

Tuesday, Sept. 29   

Astros at Twins, 2 p.m., ABC   

White Sox at A's, 3 p.m., ESPN,   

Blue Jays at Rays, 5 p.m. (TBS)   

Yankees at Indians, 7 p.m. (ESPN)

Wednesday, Sept. 30   

Reds at Braves, 12 p.m., ESPN   

Astros at Twins, 1 p.m., ESPN2   

Marlins at Cubs, 2 p.m., ABC   

White Sox at A's, 3 p.m., ESPN   

Blue Jays at Rays, 4 p.m., TBS   

Cardinals at Padres, 5 p.m., ESPN2   

Yankees at Indians, 7 p.m. (ESPN)   

Brewers at Dodgers, 10 p.m. (ESPN)

Thursday, Oct. 1   

Blue Jays at Rays (if necessary), TBD, TBS   

White Sox at A's (if necessary), TBD, ESPN Networks   

Astros at Twins (if necessary), TBD, ESPN Networks   

Yankees at Indians (if necessary), TBD, ESPN Networks   

Brewers at Dodgers, TBD, ESPN Networks   

Reds at Braves, TBD, ESPN Networks   

Cardinals at Padres, TBD, ESPN Networks

Marlins at Cubs, TBD, ESPN Networks

Friday, Oct. 2   

Brewers at Dodgers (if necessary), TBD, ESPN Networks   

Reds at Braves (if necessary), TBD, ESPN Networks    

Cardinals at Padres (if necessary), TBD, ESPN Networks   

Marlins at Cubs (if necessary), TBD, ESPN Networks   

Games can be streamed via fuboTV or YouTube TV   

What to Expect From Wild-Card Brackets   

Tony Dejak/Associated Press

This new format seems ripe for upsets, but do not expect the No. 1 seeds to fall.

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays are the two most well-balanced teams in baseball. Los Angeles led MLB in runs scored and weighted runs created plus (wRC+), per FanGraphs. As for Tampa Bay, the Rays ranked sixth in both stolen bases and defensive runs saved (DRS), per FanGraphs. 

Tampa Bay might be even more dangerous than it appeared during the regular season. For example, Tyler Glasnow has a 4.08 ERA despite having a lower expected fielding independent pitching (xFIP) mark than he did last year, when he posted a 1.78 ERA.

The upstart Toronto Blue Jays could have a hard time against a top three that includes Glasnow, Blake Snell and Charlie Morton, another guy with great peripherals but mediocre results.

Los Angeles should have little problem dispatching of the Milwaukee Brewers, especially considering Milwaukee will be without Corbin Burnes (oblique).

But outside of the top seeds, everything seems up for grabs.

The Chicago White Sox and Cincinnati Reds are both No. 7 seeds. But the White Sox have the offense and front-line starters to challenge the Oakland Athletics and a deep bullpen, while the Reds' rotation will be relied upon to go deep against a loaded Braves lineup. 

Miami has a pair of talented young arms in Sixto Sanchez and Sandy Alcantara, both of whom could give the Cubs (21st in wRC+) problems.

The Astros (along with the Brewers) became one of just three teams to make the playoffs with a losing record. But Houston's dormant stars, such as Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa, could just as easily propel the team to a win over the Minnesota Twins, though Minnesota enters the playoffs having gone 16-8 in September.

Then there are the pesky St. Louis Cardinals, who will hope the depth of their pitching staff can negate a lackluster offense against the San Diego Padres. As for the Friars, they will look for the lineup to score runs amid an uncertain situation in the rotation.

But the best matchup might be the Cleveland Indians against the New York Yankees. 

The Bronx Bombers have gotten healthy at the right time, but the Indians have the presumptive AL Cy Young winner in Shane Bieber and a rotation that ranked second in fWAR. Not to mention, Jose Ramirez is on a tear after posting a 1.294 OPS with 10 homers in September. 

Still, the Yankees lineup is as dangerous as any when everyone is healthy and feeling right, and New York will also count on Gerrit Cole to outduel Bieber in Game 1.

All stats obtained via Baseball Reference, unless otherwise noted.