2024 World Series has flex start if LCS matchups end early

On Thursday, MLB announced the schedule for the 2024 Postseason, scheduled to begin on Tuesday, October 1, and end on Saturday, November 2.

However, a built-in quirk in the schedule can allow the 2024 World Series to begin three days earlier if both LCS matchups end within five games.

The World Series is set to begin on Friday, October 25, per MLB’s release. But if both the ALCS and NLCS end in five or fewer games, the start of the World Series will be pushed up to Tuesday, October 22.

Here’s the full schedule for the Postseason.

• Wild Card Series: Tuesday, October 1 through Thursday, October 3
• Division Series: Saturday, October 5 through Saturday, October 12
• League Championship Series: Sunday, October 13 through Tuesday, October 22
• World Series: Friday, October 25 through Saturday, November 2
  • If LCS ends early, the World Series begins on Tuesday, October 22, and runs through Wednesday, October 30

This year, the Wild Card series will air across ESPN’s platforms, including ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2. The American League Division Series and Championship Series will air on TBS, truTV, and Max, while the National League Division Series and Championship Series will air on Fox and/or FS1.

The ability to start the World Series several days earlier is a massive tweak from MLB. In the spring, the NBA Conference Finals were both one-sided affairs. Still, without the ability to start the NBA Finals earlier, the series began a full week after the Dallas Mavericks dispatched the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Final. If both LCS matchups are sweeps this year, the World Series will begin just four days later instead of a full week.

The World Series potentially shifting start dates will also shift the series’ off days. The Fall Classic is scheduled to be off on Sunday, October 27, and Thursday, October 31. If the series starts earlier, it will be off on Thursday, October 24, and Monday, October 28. Notably, all four of those dates host NFL primetime games. In the adjusted schedule, the World Series will avoid going head-to-head with Vikings-Rams on Thursday Night Football and Giants-Steelers on Monday Night Football, while in the non-adjusted schedule, the series won’t be going head-to-head with Cowboys-49ers on Sunday Night Football and Texans-Jets on Thursday Night Football.

[MLB]