The Major League Baseball (MLB) playoffs happen in October. It’s the most exciting time of the season as the American and National League teams face off for the ultimate prize. During the post-season, a series of rounds take place and the team that wins each league, contests for the World Series Championship. The MLB adopted a new format and in this post, we walk you through the question, how do MLB playoffs work?
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Summary of the MLB Playoffs
| Division winners | Teams: 30Leagues: American League (AL) and National League (NL) Qualifying teams: Six teams, three from each league |
| Wild Card Teams | Playoffs: 3 non-division winners with best league records Qualification: Regular season records |
| Playoff seedings | First seed: The division winner with the best record takes the top seed. Second seed: The second seed is the division winner with a second-best record. Third seed: The division winner with the third-best record is the third seed. Wild card seeds take the fourth, fifth and sixth. |
| Wild Cards Series | Teams: six teams from the AL and NL (three division winners and wild card teams) Formats: best of three Advancements: Division series |
| Division Series | Formats: Best of five-series Matchups: Top-seed vs fourth/fifth seed; Second-seed vs third/sixth seed |
| League Championship Series | Format: Best of seven series Matchups: Division winners from AL and NL |
| World Series | Format: Best of seven series Matchups: American League winner vs National League winner |
Playoffs Format
12 teams qualify for the MLB postseason, six each from the American and National Leagues. Previously, only 10 teams played in the playoffs. These teams come from three division winners and three wildcard teams.
The division winner with the best regular season record and second-best division winner gets the first and second seeds and automatically qualifies for the Division Series.
The remaining teams play a wild card series. The winner proceeds to the best-of-five division series. Any team that takes an unassailable lead wins. Division winners play in the League Championships Series in a best-of-four format.
The winners play in the World Series in a best-of-seven format and the team that wins the first four games is the World Series Champion.
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What Is the Home-Field Advantage?
The home-field advantage is when a team hosts more games than its opponents. In the Wild Card series, the team with the best regular season records has the home advantage.
The division winner with the best record gets the home advantage in the Division Series. In the League Championships, the same pattern takes place. The team with the best record gets home advantage. However, if it’s a wildcard team, the opponent has the advantage.
In the World Series, the team with the best record from the American League Championship Series (ALCS) and National League Championship Series (NLCS), gets the advantage and hosts the first, second, sixth and seventh games.
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2024 MLB Postseason Schedule
The MLB regular season ends on September 29 and the playoffs start on October 1. Here’s the schedule:
- October 1 – 3: Wild Card Round
- October 5 – 12: Divisional Round
- October 13 – 22 Championship Series Round
- October 25 – November 2: World Series
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FAQs
- Are playoff games best of 5 or 7? The MLB playoffs are played in a best-of-seven format.
- How do the playoffs work in the MLB? The playoffs are contested in four rounds, Wild Card Round, Divisional Round, League Championship Round and World Series.
- What is the new MLB playoff format bracket? The new MLB format consists of 12 teams, three wild cards and three division winners from each league, the American and National.
- How many games are played in the MLB division playoffs? The MLB season consists of 32 to 53 games.
- What team has the most wins in MLB history in a season? The 2001 Seattle Mariners and the 1906 Chicago Cubs share the record for the most wins, 116.
If you are asking “How does the MLB playoffs work”, we hope this article sheds more light. If you are a seasoned MLB fan, you will know this but if you are new to the game, it might sound complicated but take your time to understand it.
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