Major League Baseball’s playoff picture is complete as twelve teams have clinched spots, leaving only the first-round matchups to be decided. On the penultimate day of the regular season, Arizona, Houston, Miami, Texas, and Toronto all secured their playoff berths.
The best-of-three Wild Card Series is set to kick off on Tuesday at four different locations – Minnesota, Tampa Bay, Milwaukee, and Philadelphia. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, and the Los Angeles Dodgers, along with the AL West champions (either the Astros or Rangers), will enjoy first-round byes.
The upcoming October showdown promises to bring some familiar faces, particularly in the National League. The Braves, led by the dynamic Ronald Acuña Jr., aim to follow up their previous success and claim their second title in three years. The Los Angeles Dodgers, featuring stars like Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, also pose a formidable challenge.
In the American League, the upstart Baltimore Orioles, who had a remarkable 100-win season, look to capitalize on their recent success and make a deep playoff run. It is worth noting that the Houston Astros will be eyeing a repeat championship, aiming to become the first team to achieve this feat since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees won three titles in a row.
Here’s an overview of how the baseball playoffs will unfold as October approaches:
How Does Baseball’s Wild-Card Round Work?
In its second season, the best-of-three wild card format replaced the previous sudden death one-game format that had been in place since 2012. This change was made in 2022, apart from the COVID-19-affected 2020 season. Six teams from each of the American League and National League qualified for the postseason, including the three division winners from each league. The remaining three wild card teams in each league were the ones with the best records among those who didn’t win their division.
The top two division winners with the best regular-season records in each league receive a bye and do not compete in the wild card round. One significant advantage for the higher seed in these wild card series is the privilege of hosting all three games.
What Happens in the Event of Ties in the Standings?
If there is a tie for one of the playoff spots at the end of the 162-game regular season, mathematical tiebreakers are employed instead of an extra game. If head-to-head records don’t break the deadlock, the team with the best intradivision record will emerge as the winner in the tiebreaker. If this method fails, the process continues with more complex solutions until a resolution is reached.
Currently, the Miami Marlins hold a half-game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks for the second NL wild-card spot and possess the tiebreaker. There were reports that MLB would not assemble the two teams in New York on Monday to play out the final inning, which had been scheduled due to rain suspending the game when the Marlins had just taken a 2-1 lead in the top of the ninth. Thus, unless the Marlins lose and the Diamondbacks win on Sunday, the Marlins will secure the second wild card.
