MLB Playoffs Are Here

After six months, 162 games, and one hot summer, the MLB playoffs have arrived.

The journey to the World Series is unfolding, filled with intriguing storylines.

• Will the Dodgers, after a season with less scrutiny, secure their second consecutive World Series title?
• Can the Seattle Mariners, Milwaukee Brewers, and San Diego Padres, all searching for their first championship, finally break through?
• Will the Philadelphia Phillies avoid another title-less playoff season, making it three years in a row?
• Can the Cleveland Guardians end their 77-year title drought following an impressive September comeback? What about the Detroit Tigers, who hope to snap their 41-year dry spell as a wild card? And the Cincinnati Reds, can they finally end theirs after 35 years?
• Will the top-seeded Toronto Blue Jays be able to claim their first title since winning back-to-back in 1992-93?
• Can the New York Yankees, last year’s AL pennant winners, finish the job this time? Will the Boston Red Sox manage to secure their tenth title?

There aren’t any clear “super teams” this year. Honestly, I don’t have any favorites either. The postseason is wide open, and it feels like any team could emerge as the champion.

The landscape looks promising. The Brewers, Phillies, and Dodgers topped their divisions, while the Cubs, Padres, and Reds earned wild card spots. In the American League, the Blue Jays, Mariners, and Guardians clinched divisions, with races in the AL East and Central going down to the wire. The Yankees, Red Sox, and Tigers represent the wild cards.

Since the playoff expansion to six teams per league, MLB has maintained a format of three rounds leading up to the World Series.

The Wild Card Round features the top three series, with the higher-seeded team playing all potential games at home. The top division winner with the worst record faces a wild card team with the third-best record. In the NL, the Reds will travel to Los Angeles to face the Dodgers, while the Tigers will venture to Cleveland to challenge the Guardians. The Cubs, as the fourth seed, will hold court at Wrigley Field against the Padres. In the AL, the Yankees, as the fourth seed, will host the fifth-seeded Red Sox—a classic rivalry match.

No, the teams aren’t reseeded after the wild card round, meaning it’s possible for a higher seed to face a lower seed.

The two division winners with the best records in each league automatically advance past the wild card round. In the NL, that’s the Brewers and Phillies; in the AL, it’s the Blue Jays and Mariners.

In the next round, called the Division Series, the top seeds face the 4-5 match winners, with higher seeds playing games 1 and 2 at home, while lower seeds host games 3 and 4. If necessary, a fifth game returns to the higher seed’s home.

Following that, the Championship Series leads into the final two series.

Home Field Advantage in the World Series

In the World Series, which team will enjoy home field advantage? The teams with better regular season records will host games 1, 2, 6, and 7 (if needed), while their opponents will take games 3, 4, and 5 (if needed).

Playoff Rules Change

There are notable differences between regular season rules and playoff rules.

• In the regular season, extra innings start with a runner on second base—referred to as “zombie runners.” This rule aims to speed up the game and minimize injuries. However, the playoffs revert to traditional extra inning rules without any base runners.
• Replay challenges also differ: managers get one in the regular season but two in the postseason.

How Much is the Game?

So, what’s the atmosphere like? In the playoffs, inter-inning breaks extend by 30 seconds for more commercials, although the pitch clock ensures that games maintain a similar pace as in the regular season. Most matches still wrap up in under three hours.

What Happens When It Rains?

Take the 2008 World Series, for example. The Phillies won after a rain delay during a critical Game 5 against the Rays, which involved a messy schedule. Major League Baseball wants to avoid that scenario in the future; if rain is even a possibility, the game may be postponed. If a game is interrupted, it won’t be shortened and will resume until completed.

When Will the Playoffs Begin?

The wild card round kicks off on Tuesday, September 30th, with the Division Series beginning on Saturday, October 4th. The ALCS starts on Sunday, October 12th, followed by the NLCS on Monday, October 13th. The World Series is set to begin on Friday, October 24th.