The 2024 MLB postseason is proper round the nook, with lower than 10 days till the finish of the common season. The byes and division races appear principally settled, however there's nonetheless seeding up for grabs and a race for the ultimate wild card spot in the American League and National League.
How the MLB playoffs work has modified over the historical past of the sport, particularly of late. There was merely a World Series for 65 years (1903-1968) between the American League and National League pennant winners. Then got here the addition of a best-of-five — and finally best-of-seven — league championship sequence earlier than the World Series.
A wild card spot in every league was launched in 1994, with a five-game divisional sequence spherical earlier than the league championship sequence. In 2012, a second wild card crew was added to every league together with a one-game playoff between the two wild card teams earlier than the divisional spherical. There have been quickly eight teams from every league in the 2020 playoffs impacted by the pandemic. The present format went into impact forward of the 2022 MLB postseason.
Here's what it's good to learn about this 12 months's MLB playoffs, together with how the postseason format works, what number of teams qualify, and what teams are nonetheless in the postseason image:
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How many teams are in the 2024 MLB postseason?
There are 12 teams whole — six from the American League and 6 from the National League — that make the MLB playoffs.
The division winners of the AL East, AL Central and AL West, in addition to the NL East, NL Central and NL West, can be the prime three seeds in their respective leagues' playoff bracket. They are seeded in order of regular-season document. The three non-division winners with the next-best data in every of the American League and National League will qualify for the MLB postseason as wild-card teams.
Who's in the 2024 MLB playoffs?
The New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians had clinched American League playoff berths forward of video games being performed on Friday, Sept. 20 and lead the AL East and AL Central, respectively. The Los Angeles Dodgers had additionally clinched a National League playoff berth and lead the NL West. The Milwaukee Brewers have clinched the NL Central division title and can be one of the National League's prime three seeds in the MLB postseason.
If the 2024 MLB playoffs have been beginning earlier than video games being performed on Friday, Sept. 20, the Houston Astros can be the AL Central Division winner and the Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers can be the three wild card teams from the American League. The Philadelphia Phillies can be the NL East winners and the San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Mets can be NL wild card teams.
How do the MLB playoffs work?
The MLB playoffs expanded to a six-team bracket in each the American League and National League beginning with the 2022 postseason, eliminating the controversial single-elimination wild card recreation and transferring right into a format that includes a further spherical earlier than the division sequence and a bye for the finest regular-season teams.
The division winners in the American League and National League are the prime three seeds and seeded in order of regular-season document. The two finest teams in every respective league obtain a bye in the first spherical and advance to an AL or NL division sequence.
The different division winner in each the American League and National League (No. 3 seed) faces the third wild card crew, or No. 6 seed, in a wild card sequence. The different two wild card teams in every league — No. 4 and No. 5 seed — additionally face each other in a wild card sequence.
The winner of every American League and National League wild card sequence advances to play one of the prime two seeds in their respective league in a division sequence. The winner of every division sequence advances to the American League or National League Championship Series. The winners of the ALCS and NLCS play in the World Series.
What is the MLB playoff format for every postseason spherical?
The wild card sequence is a best-of-three video games format, with the first crew to win two video games advancing to the division sequence. All video games in the wild card sequence are performed at the dwelling stadium of the increased seed and performed on consecutive days, if doable.
The division sequence is nonetheless a best-of-five set-up, with the first crew to win three video games advancing to the American League or National League Championship Series. The increased seed hosts the first two video games of the division sequence, the decrease seed hosts Game 3 and Game 4 (if obligatory), and the increased seed hosts a possible Game 5.
The ALCS and NLCS are each best-of-seven sequence with the first crew to win 4 video games advancing to the World Series, which is additionally a best-of-seven sequence. The league championship sequence and the World Series are every a 2-3-2 format: The increased seed hosts the first two video games, the decrease seed hosts Games 3, 4 and 5 (if obligatory), and the increased seed hosts Games 6 and seven in the event that they're obligatory.
2024 MLB postseason schedule:
Wild Card Series (best-of-three):
Oct. 1:
- AL Wild Card Game 1
- NL Wild Card Game 1
Oct. 2
- AL Wild Card Game 2
- NL Wild Card Game 2
Oct. 3
- AL Wild Card Game 3 (if obligatory)
- NL Wild Card Game 3 (if obligatory)
Division Series (best-of-five):
Oct. 5
Oct. 6
Oct. 7
Oct. 8
Oct. 9
- ALDS Game 3
- NLDS Game 4 (if obligatory)
Oct. 10
- ALDS Game 4 (if obligatory)
Oct. 11
- NLDS Game 5 (if obligatory)
Oct. 12
- ALDS Game 5 (if obligatory)
League Championship Series (best-of-seven):
Oct. 13
Oct. 14
Oct. 15
Oct. 16
Oct. 17
Oct. 18
- ALCS Game 4
- NLCS Game 5 (if obligatory)
Oct. 19
- ALCS Game 5 (if obligatory)
Oct. 20
- NLCS Game 6 (if obligatory)
Oct. 21
- ALCS Game 6 (if obligatory)
- NLCS Game 7 (if obligatory)
Oct. 22
- ALCS Game 7 (if obligatory)
World Series (best-of-seven):
- Oct. 25: World Series Game 1
- Oct. 26: World Series Game 2
- Oct. 28: World Series Game 3
- Oct. 29: World Series Game 4
- Oct. 30: World Series Game 5 (if obligatory)
- Nov. 1: World Series Game 6 (if obligatory)
- Nov. 2: World Series Game 7 (if obligatory)
