How to Watch the 2023 MLB Playoffs Without Cable

The 2023 MLB Playoffs might as well be named “the Year of the Wild Card.” This year, 12 teams will compete instead of last year's 10, and the Wild Card Series has been expanded to four three-game contests instead of the usual Wild Card Games, which saw a single-elimination format. Following the Wild Card Series, fans will find a best-of-five Division Series. Each team has a long road ahead of them if they want to get their hands on a World Series pennant, but you don’t have to fight to watch the games – even if you don’t have cable. Follow our guide to watching the 2022 MLB playoffs below.

Here are a few of our favorite ways to stream the MLB playoffs:

	Price	Channels	Free Trial
#1	$64.99 – $154.99	140+	5 days	Watch Now
#2	$7.99 – $82.99	85+	30 days	Watch Now
#3	$74.99 – $94.99	220+	7 days	Watch Now
#4	$40 – $60	30+ – 130+	3 days	Watch Now

In today’s digital age, cable TV is becoming less and less of a necessity for many households. Modern streaming services offer attractive options to TV-watchers and sports fans that rival cable in terms of selection and beat the pants off cable in price. MLB fans who need complete playoff access will need to find every channel broadcasting MLB playoff game.

The Wild Card Series kicking off the 2022 MLB playoffs will be shown across ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC. Each matchup gives fans three games at the same stadium. You’ll be able to find these games on any streaming service where you can find those three channels. Our detailed breakdown of which network will broadcast which game can be found below.

American League

Houston Astros vs. Seattle Mariners

The Astros took home the victory after game one, but these division rivals still have more to go. The Astros come into the Divison Series fresh off a bye week, while the Mariners had to scratch and claw their way through the Wild Card Series and only got two days of rest after trouncing the Blue Jays. The Astros went 12-7 against the Mariners in the regular season, and after this first game, they are definitely looking to keep their momentum. 

Cleveland Guardians vs. New York Yankees

The Yankees, like the Astros, come into the Divison Series off a first-round bye (it's good to be AL East champs), while the Guardians, like the Mariners, had to make their way through the Wild Card Series, where they beat the Rays in only two games. During the regular season, the Yankees beat the Guardians five out of six times, meaning the Guardians have their work cut out for them if they want to make it to the next round. 

National League

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Diego Padres

The Padres, after a hard-fought three-game victory against the Mets, take on the NL West champions, the Dodgers, in the National League Division Series. The Dodgers went 14-5 against the Padres in the regular season and more than doubled the Padres' score: the Dodgers outscored them 109-47. Let's see if the underdog Padres have what it takes to flip the script on the powerhouse Dodgers.

Atlanta Braves vs. Philadelphia Phillies

These two rivals seem the most evenly matched out of any pair thus far — the Braves beat the Phillies 11 of 19 times in the regular season but only outscored the Phillies by three runs. Regardless of who takes this Divison Series title, this is likely going to be the most exciting (read: hard to predict) match-up of the Divison Series. The Phillies took game one by one run — get ready for some riveting games to come. 

Finding access to the networks with your favorite MLB playoff content is easier than ever with the number of live TV streaming services available. These services offer viewers access to the specific channels they want and need and let them trim away the ones they don’t, and users aren’t tied down by contracts like they are with cable TV. Once-exclusive events like the World Series are now available without a cable subscription.

Watching the road to the World Series doesn’t have to be as hard as playing for it. Here are some of the best ways to watch the MLB playoffs without cable. 

Hulu has long been a favorite of on-demand streamers, and, over the past few years, it has also become an excellent choice for live TV. Hulu + Live TV offers a lot of great channels, including most of the ones baseball fans care about at this time of year: FOX, FS1, and TBS. Only MLB Network is missing.

fuboTV bills itself as the best live TV streaming service for sports fans. Does it back up that claim? fuboTV's channel list includes FS1 and MLB Network. The bad news is that fuboTV doesn't have FOX, which can be an important network for MLB fans during the playoffs.

Sling TV is a skinny bundle designed to cater to your preferences. Using a combination of base bundles and add-on bundles called “Extras,” you can customize your channel selection to ensure you get everything you want without paying for any filler. Sling TV’s channel offerings include FS1 and MLB Network. That's a killer lineup for MLB fans.

YouTube TV

YouTube TV is Google’s entry into the skinny-bundle derby, and it’s a worthy one. YouTube TV pairs a great and user-friendly app with a nice channel selection that includes FOX, FS1, and MLB Network. Our YouTube TV review has more about what to expect with this service.

Free Over-the-Air TV

FOX has the rights to the World Series, which means the biggest games of the postseason will air on the company’s flagship network. That means cord-cutters can get the big games for free over the air. In most areas, you’ll be able to pick up FOX (as well as the other major networks) for free over the air with an antenna. If you’re not sure which antenna is right for you, then check out our helpful antenna guide.

MLB Gameday Audio and Other Radio Solutions

We love the MLB.TV streaming service, but you can’t watch the postseason with MLB.TV alone — the service requires a pay TV login to watch postseason games. But here’s the good news: Your MLB.TV subscription includes MLB Audio, which keeps right on truckin’ through the postseason with no blackouts. That means you can hear your local radio announcers call each game (none of that “unbiased” stuff — and no Joe Buck) through the MLB At Bat app. You can also grab an MLB Audio subscription on its own.

If you aren’t dead set on getting local radio broadcasts, then you could listen to ESPN Radio’s national coverage instead. The broadcasts are available for free on ESPN Radio’s website and app. You could also, of course, just use a regular radio. Your local ESPN Radio affiliate station will no doubt be broadcasting the game. Baseball is uniquely suited to radio, and if you have never tried listening instead of watching, you may want to give it a shot!

The MLB postseason is good at playing ball with streaming devices and platforms, so you can use Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, and Chromecast to watch all the matchups on your big-screen TV. The chart below provides all the details.

If you like playoff baseball, then you have excellent taste. But regular-season MLB action can also be a lot of fun. There’s not quite as much at stake in a random June game as there is during a September playoff game, but it’s still a good time. If you want to follow regular-season baseball, our guide to watching MLB without cable can help. If you're only in it for the high-stakes games, then make sure you don't miss the fight for the World Series pennant, either, by following our guide to watching the World Series without cable once the dust has settled and we know which teams survived the MLB Playoffs.