The regular season is a marathon. October is a sprint with a bracket. If you’ve ever wondered why some teams get a week off while others play right away, here’s the postseason in plain English.
First, who gets in?
Twelve teams make the MLB playoffs: six from the American League and six from the National League. In each league, the three division winners claim seeds No. 1 through No. 3, ranked by regular-season record. The three best remaining teams take the Wild Card spots, seeds No. 4 through No. 6. Each league runs its own bracket until its champion advances to the World Series.
The Wild Card Series: win two to move on
The top two division winners in each league, seeds No. 1 and No. 2, skip this round. Seed No. 3 hosts No. 6, and No. 4 hosts No. 5. Each matchup is a best-of-three series, with every game at the higher seed’s ballpark. That means a team can be eliminated in just two games, and a Wild Card club can still make a deep run.
Division Series: the bracket takes shape
The Wild Card winners join the rested top seeds in the best-of-five Division Series. Seed No. 1 faces the winner of No. 4 versus No. 5; seed No. 2 faces the winner of No. 3 versus No. 6. There is no reseeding after the Wild Card round. The first club to three wins advances.
League Championship Series: one pennant per league
The two remaining American League teams meet in the ALCS, while the National League finalists meet in the NLCS. These are best-of-seven series. Win four games, claim the league pennant, and book a ticket to the World Series.
World Series: one champion
The AL champion faces the NL champion in a best-of-seven World Series. The first team to four wins is crowned MLB champion. The exact teams and game dates change every year, so check MLB’s official postseason hub for the current bracket and schedule.
The quick version
12 teams → Wild Card Series (best of 3) → Division Series (best of 5) → League Championship Series (best of 7) → World Series (best of 7). The top two seeds in each league earn a first-round bye. Everyone else has to play their way through October.
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