2024 MLB Postseason: Wild Card Series Television Schedule & Commentators

The logo for the 2024 MLB Wild Card Series. (📸: Sports Business Journal)

Sunday, September 29, 2024

• The 2024 MLB postseason begins on Tuesday, October 1 with the third annual Wild Card Series (fourth edition, if you count the 2020 season due to COVID-19) on the ESPN family of networks (ABC, ESPN, ESPN2).

• Four Wild Card Series, with two in each league (American League and National League). Each series will be contested in a best-of-three format, with the higher seed hosting all three games during this mini-series.

• The ESPN family of networks provide complete coverage of the entire Wild Card Series round (with one specific crew dedicated to covering each series - e.g.: Sean McDonough, Jessica Mendoza, Ben McDonald & Jeff Passan covering the Royals-Orioles series).

• The Wild Card playoffs open up on Tuesday, October 1 when Jeremy Peña and the American League West champions, the Houston Astros (#3 seed), host Parker Meadows and the Detroit Tigers (#6 seed; making their first playoff appearance since 2014 in a unlikely, improbable, implausible scenario) for Game 1 of the American League Wild Card series at 2:30 PM (ET) on ABC. The winner of the Tigers-Astros series faces José Ramírez and the #2 seed Cleveland Guardians in the American League Division Series.

• Coverage of the Wild Card series continues on Tuesday, October 1 at 4:00 PM (ET) on ESPN2 as Bobby Witt Jr. and the #5 seed Kansas City Royals (in the playoffs for the first time since they won the championship in 2015) take the field to play Cedric Mullins and the #4 seed Baltimore Orioles.

Hey there, and welcome to the start of the 2024 MLB Postseason! The long and protracted regular season is now behind us (sans the Monday Mets-Braves doubleheader), and it's time to start thinking about the month of October 🍂 and the eventual road to the World Series.

I am so excited to launch the first of many 2024 MLB Postseason articles over the next month or so! We will begin with this week's Wild Card Series series-by-series breakdown and daily television/commentator schedule. You can find the complete details below. Later this week, we will post information regarding the Division Series (which is scheduled to begin on Saturday, October 5).

The 2024 MLB Wild Card Series presented by T-Mobile 5G Home Internet begins on Tuesday, October 1, with a full plate of matchups across the ESPN family of networks.

First up, Kerry Carpenter and the #3 Wild Card (#6 seed) Detroit Tigers visit Jon Singleton and the AL West champion Houston Astros (#3 seed) in Game 1 of the American League Wild Card series at 2:30 PM (ET) on ABC. Following a remarkable second half of the season, the Tigers find themselves in the postseason for the first time since 2014. Meanwhile, the Astros are postseason regulars, as the club qualified for the postseason for the eighth straight season. The winner of this series faces the #2 seed Cleveland Guardians in the American League Division Series. 🎙 New York Yankees play-by-play commentator Michael Kay calls the play-by-play, with analyst and two-time Todd Frazier and fellow analyst and renowned reporter/writer Tim Kurkjian. Alden González rounds the broadcast team as the field reporter.

Coverage then shifts over to ESPN2 for Game 1 of the American League Wild Card series at 4:00 PM (ET). MJ Melendez and the #2 Wild Card Kansas City Royals (#5 seed) are to set battle Emmanuel Rivera and the #1 Wild Card Baltimore Orioles (#4 seed). The Royals are back in the postseason mix for the first time since 2015, while the Orioles return to the playoffs for the second straight season. The winner of this series takes on the #1 seed New York Yankees in the American League Division Series. 🎙 The broadcast team of Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Jessica Mendoza (analyst), Ben McDonald (analyst) and Jeff Passan (reporter) will provide commentary.

Following the first two games on ABC and ESPN2, ESPN will carry a doubleheader to finish off Tuesday's Wild Card Series playoff coverage. At 5:30 PM (ET), Francisco Lindor and the #3 Wild Card New York Mets (#6 seed) take on Jackson Chourio and the NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers (#3 seed) in Game 1 of the National League Wild Card series. The Mets are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2022. As for the Brewers, they are making their second straight appearance in the postseason. The winner gets the #2 seed Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Division Series while the loser goes home. Jon "Boog" Sciambi and Doug Glanville call the game from the booth, with Jesse Rogers reporting from the field.

The first day of the Wild Card Series comes to a end at 8:30 PM (ET) on ESPN, when Ozzie Albies and the Atlanta Braves (#5 seed) clash with Manny Machado and the San Diego Padres (#4 seed) in Game 1 of this best-of-three National League Wild Card Series. San Diego is in the National League playoffs for the first time since 2022. The Braves, on the other hand, are now in the postseason for the seventh straight season. The winner gets the #1 seed Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Division Series, and the loser is eliminated. The "Sunday Night Baseball" team of Karl Ravech (play-by-play), five-time World Series champion, Eduardo Pérez (analyst), Buster Olney (reporter) will call the Braves-Padres Wild Card game for ESPN.

Following Tuesday's Wild Card Series coverage, Wild Card Series coverage continues with Game 2's on Wednesday, October 2 and if necessary, Game 3's on Thursday, October 3. Again, the ESPN family of platforms will televise every Wild Card Series game.

The series-by-series breakdown and daily television schedule for the 2024 MLB Wild Card Series is posted below. Check it out!

• 2024 MLB Postseason: Wild Card Series - Series-by-Series Breakdown

American League Wild Card Series (ALWC):

| (6) Detroit Tigers vs. (3) Houston Astros -- Detroit wins series, 2-0 (Series begins on Tuesday, October 1)

 - vs. -

. Game 1 - Tuesday, October 1 - Tigers at Astros - ABC, 2:30 PM (ET) - Michael Kay, Todd Frazier, Tim Kurkjian, Alden González

. Game 2 - Wednesday, October 2 - Tigers at Astros - ABC, 2:30 PM (ET) - Michael Kay, Todd Frazier, Tim Kurkjian, Alden González

. * Game 3 (if nec.) - Thursday, October 3 - Tigers at Astros - ABC, 2:30 PM (ET) - Michael Kay, Todd Frazier, Tim Kurkjian, Alden González

| (5) Kansas City Royals vs. (4) Baltimore Orioles -- Kansas City wins series, 2-0 (Series begins on Tuesday, October 1)

 - vs. -

. Game 1 - Tuesday, October 1 - Royals at Orioles - ESPN2, 4:00 PM (ET) - Sean McDonough, Jessica Mendoza, Ben McDonald, Jeff Passan

. Game 2 - Wednesday, October 2 - Royals at Orioles - ESPN, 4:30 PM (ET) - Sean McDonough, Jessica Mendoza, Ben McDonald, Jeff Passan

. * Game 3 (if nec.) - Thursday, October 3 - Royals at Orioles - ESPN, 4:00 PM (ET) - Sean McDonough, Jessica Mendoza, Ben McDonald, Jeff Passan

National League Wild Card Series (NLWC):

| (6) New York Mets vs. (3) Milwaukee Brewers -- New York Mets wins series, 2-1 (Series begins on Tuesday, October 1)

 - vs. -

. Game 1 - Tuesday, October 1 - Mets at Brewers - ESPN, 5:30 PM (ET) - Jon Sciambi, Doug Glanville, Jesse Rogers

. Game 2 - Wednesday, October 2 - Mets at Brewers - ESPN, 7:30 PM (ET) - Jon Sciambi, Doug Glanville, Jesse Rogers

. Game 3 - Thursday, October 3 - Mets at Brewers - ESPN, 7:00 PM (ET) - Jon Sciambi, Doug Glanville, Jesse Rogers

| (5) Atlanta Braves vs. (4) San Diego Padres -- San Diego wins series, 2-0 (Series begins on Tuesday, October 1)

 - vs. - 

. Game 1 - Tuesday, October 1 - Braves at Padres - ESPN, 8:30 PM (ET) - Karl Ravech, Eduardo Pérez, David Cone, Buster Olney

. Game 2 - Wednesday, October 2 - Braves at Padres - ESPN2, 8:30 PM (ET) - Karl Ravech, Eduardo Pérez, David Cone, Buster Olney

. * Game 3 - Thursday, October 3 (if nec.) - Braves at Padres - TBD - Karl Ravech, Eduardo Pérez, David Cone, Buster Olney

• 2024 MLB Postseason: Wild Card Series - Daily Television Schedule (feat. commentator assignments)

| Tuesday, October 1

. Game 1 - Tigers at Astros - ABC, 2:30 PM (ET) - Michael Kay, Todd Frazier, Tim Kurkjian, Alden González

. Game 1 - Royals at Orioles - ESPN2, 4:00 PM (ET) - Sean McDonough, Jessica Mendoza, Ben McDonald, Jeff Passan

. Game 1 - Mets at Brewers - ESPN, 5:30 PM (ET) - Jon Sciambi, Doug Glanville, Jesse Rogers

. Game 1 - Braves at Padres - ESPN, 8:30 PM (ET) - Karl Ravech, Eduardo Pérez, David Cone, Buster Olney

| Wednesday, October 2

. Game 2 - Tigers at Astros - ABC, 2:30 PM (ET) - Michael Kay, Todd Frazier, Tim Kurkjian, Alden González

. Game 2 - Royals at Orioles - ESPN, 4:30 PM (ET) - Sean McDonough, Jessica Mendoza, Ben McDonald, Jeff Passan

. Game 2 - Mets at Brewers - ESPN, 7:30 PM (ET) - Jon Sciambi, Doug Glanville, Jesse Rogers

. Game 2 - Braves at Padres - ESPN2, 8:30 PM (ET) - Karl Ravech, Eduardo Pérez, David Cone, Buster Olney

| Thursday, October 3

. Game 3 - Mets at Brewers - ESPN, 7:00 PM (ET) - Jon Sciambi, Doug Glanville, Jesse Rogers

- 🛈 Sources: SportsLogos.Net (logos) & ESPN Press Room (national broadcast information)

Mandatory credit to Chris Creamer (SportsLogos.Net) for the MLB team logos that were used for the purposes of this MLB postseason press release.

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