2024 World Series schedule: Why start date will be determined this weekend as MLB uses new scheduling quirk

The 2024 Fall Classic will get started on either Oct. 22 or Oct. 25 this year

The 2024 MLB World Series will get started next week -- we just don't know exactly when. The World Series schedule will be determined this weekend, and the Fall Classic could start on Tuesday, Oct. 22 if the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees close out their League Championship Series opponents by Saturday night. If the LCS round stretches beyond Saturday (meaning if either the ALCS or NLCS goes to six games), the 2024 World Series will get started on Friday, Oct. 25. The New York Mets enter Friday in a 3-1 hole against the Dodgers in the NLCS. The Cleveland Guardians, after a thrilling walk-off win on Thursday, are down 2-1 against the Yankees in the best-of-seven ALCS.

Major League Baseball introduced this new scheduling quirk this season, cutting down potential stagnant time between the LCS round and the Fall Classic. Both LCS matchups went seven games last year, so there was not much time off. However, in 2022, both the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies had four days off between clinching the pennant and playing World Series Game 1.

We'll know the start date of the World Series and the complete 2024 Fall Classic schedule either on Friday night or Saturday night. Here's a look at the potential dates for every game. Game times have not yet been announced.

2024 World Series schedule

Tuesday, Oct. 22 or Friday, Oct. 25
World Series Game 1: Dodgers/Mets vs. Yankees/Guardians

Wednesday, Oct. 23 or Saturday, Oct. 26
World Series Game 1: Dodgers/Mets vs. Yankees/Guardians

Friday, Oct. 25 or Monday, Oct. 28
World Series Game 3: Dodgers/Mets vs. Yankees/Guardians

Saturday, Oct. 26 or Tuesday, Oct. 29
World Series Game 4: Dodgers/Mets vs. Yankees/Guardians

Sunday, Oct. 27 or Wednesday, Oct. 30
*World Series Game 5: Dodgers/Mets vs. Yankees/Guardians

Tuesday, Oct. 29 or Friday, Nov. 1
*World Series Game 6: Dodgers/Mets vs. Yankees/Guardians

Wednesday, Oct. 30 or Saturday, Nov. 2
*World Series Game 7: Dodgers/Mets vs. Yankees/Guardians
*-if necessary

The Dodgers will have home-field advantage in the World Series if they win the NL pennant. The Yankees and Guardians would both have home-field advantage against the Mets.

Those four are the only teams left standing in the MLB playoff bracket. The Detroit Tigers, San Diego Padres, Kansas City Royals and Philadelphia Phillies were all eliminated in the League Division Series. The Milwaukee Brewers, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles and Houston Astros were all knocked out in the Wild Card Series to kick off October.

Here's a look at all the MLB playoff scores to date, plus the remaining LCS round schedule.

2024 MLB playoff scores

All times Eastern

Championship Series

Sunday, Oct. 13
NLCS Game 1: Dodgers 9, Mets 0 (Los Angeles leads 1-0)

Monday, Oct. 14
NLCS Game 2: Mets 7, Dodgers 3 (Series tied 1-1)
ALCS Game 1: Yankees 5, Guardians 2 (New York leads 1-0)

Tuesday, Oct. 15
ALCS Game 2: Yankees 6, Guardians 3 (New York leads 2-0)

Wednesday, Oct. 16
NLCS Game 3: Dodgers 8, Mets 0 (Los Angeles leads 1-0)

Thursday, Oct. 17
ALCS Game 3: Guardians 7, Yankees 5 (New York leads 2-1)
NLCS Game 4: Dodgers 10, Mets 2 (Los Angeles leads 3-1)

Friday, Oct. 18
NLCS Game 5: Mets vs. Dodgers, 5:08 p.m., FS1, Fubo (Try for free)
ALCS Game 4: Yankees vs. Guardians: 8:08 p.m., TBS

Saturday, Oct. 19
ALCS Game 5: Yankees vs. Guardians, 8:08 p.m., TBS

Sunday, Oct. 20
*NLCS Game 6: Dodgers vs. Mets, 8:08 p.m., FS1, Fubo (Try for free)

Monday, Oct 21
*ALCS Game 6: Yankees vs. Guardians, 5:08 p.m., TBS
*NLCS Game 7: Dodgers vs. Mets, 8:08 p.m., FS1, Fubo (Try for free)

Tuesday, Oct. 22
*ALCS Game 7: Yankees vs. Guardians, 7:38 p.m., TBS
*-if necessary

Division Series

Saturday, Oct. 5
ALDS Game 1: Guardians 7, Tigers 0 (Cleveland leads 1-0)
NLDS Game 1: Mets 6, Phillies 2 (New York leads 1-0)
ALDS Game 1: Yankees 6, Royals 5 (New York leads 1-0)
NLDS Game 1: Dodgers 7, Padres 5 (Los Angeles leads 1-0)

Sunday, Oct. 6
NLDS Game 2: Phillies 7, Mets 6 (Series tied 1-1)
NLDS Game 2: Padres 10, Dodgers 2 (Series tied 1-1)

Monday, Oct. 7
ALDS Game 2: Tigers 3, Guardians 0 (Series tied 1-1)
ALDS Game 2: Royals 4, Yankees 2 (Series tied 1-1)

Tuesday, Oct. 8
NLDS Game 3: Mets 7, Phillies 2 (New York leads 2-1)
NLDS Game 3: Padres 6, Dodgers 5 (San Diego leads 2-1)

Wednesday, Oct. 9
ALDS Game 3: Tigers 3, Guardians 0 (Detroit leads 2-1)
NLDS Game 4: Mets 4, Phillies 1 (New York wins series 3-1)
ALDS Game 3: Yankees 3, Royals 2 (New York leads 2-1)
NLDS Game 4: Dodgers 8, Padres 0 (Series tied 2-2)

Thursday, Oct. 10
ALDS Game 4: Guardians 5, Tigers 4 (Series tied 2-2)
ALDS Game 4: Yankees 3, Royals 1 (New York wins 3-1)

Friday, Oct. 11
NLDS Game 5: Dodgers 2, Padres 0 (Los Angeles wins 3-2)

Saturday, Oct. 12
ALDS Game 5: Guardians 7, Tigers 3 (Cleveland wins 3-2)

Wild Card Series

Tuesday, Oct. 1
AL Wild Card Series Game 1: Tigers 3, Astros 1 (Detroit leads 1-0)
AL Wild Card Series Game 1: Royals 1, Orioles 0 (Kansas City leads 1-0)
NL Wild Card Series Game 1: Mets 8, Brewers 4 (New York leads 1-0)
NL Wild Card Series Game 1: Padres 4, Braves 0 (San Diego leads 1-0)

Wednesday, Oct. 2
AL Wild Card Series Game 2: Tigers 5, Astros 2 (Detroit wins 2-0)
AL Wild Card Series Game 2: Royals 2, Orioles 1 (Kansas City wins 2-0)
NL Wild Card Series Game 2: Brewers 5, Mets 3 (Series tied 1-1)
NL Wild Card Series Game 2: Padres 5, Braves 4 (San Diego wins 2-0)

Thursday, Oct. 3
NL Wild Card Series Game 3: Mets 4, Brewers 2 (New York wins 2-1)