As the MLB playoffs approach, the anticipation is building for an exciting postseason showdown. It’s been a long season and it is finally time for playoff baseball. We are going to go over the basics of the playoffs, the conference leaders, and what players to watch out for during this postseason.
Playoff Basics
Back in 2022, the MLB revamped their postseason format and expanded the playoff field to 12 teams, introducing a best-of-three Wild Card Series. The new setup has six teams from each league, three division winners, and three Wild Card teams.
The No. 1 seed is the team with the best record in the league. No. 2 is the second best division winner, and No. 3 is the third-best division winner. The Wild Card teams are seeded 4-6 based on their records. The top two receive byes to the Division Series while the No. 3 and No. 4 seed face the No. 5 and No. 6 seeds in the Wild Card Series.
The Wild Card Series is played over three days wherever the higher-seeded team is located. The winners will advance to the Division Series. The No. 1 seed will play the winner of the fourth seed vs fifth seed series and No.2 will face the winner of the third seed vs sixth seed series.
The Division Series stays as a best-of-five series with a 2-2-1 format. The League Championship Series and the World Series are best-of seven in a 2-3-2 format. Starting this year, the World Series start date can shift depending on the end dates of the LCS rounds, with Game 1 tentatively scheduled for October 25 and a potential Game 7 on Nov. 2.
Any tiebreakers for identical records are solved mathematically, not on the field. Home-field advantage in the World Series goes to the team with the best regular-season record.
Conference Leaders
American League: New York Yankees, Cleveland Guardians, and the Houston Astros
American League (Wild Card): Kansas City Royals, Baltimore Orioles, and the Minnesota Twins
National League: Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Milwaukee Brewers
National League (Wild Card): San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets are tied for the last spot.
Players to Watch
Some players to watch for during the playoffs include:
Aaron Judge (New York Yankees) who is always a threat with his power at the plate
Shohei Ohtani (LA Dodgers) who brings his unique two-way dominance
Bobby Witt Jr. (Kansas City Royals) is coming out as one of the league’s brightest young stars
Chris Sale (Atlanta Braves) who brings a fiery arm
Gunnar Henderson (Baltimore Orioles) and his defensive versatility
Juan Soto (New York Yankees) who continues to be an amazing hitter
Bryce Harper (Philadelphia Phillies) has proven to be a good playoff performer
Jose Ramirez (Cleveland Guardians) who is a key piece of Cleveland’s offense
Yordan Alvarez (Houston Astros) is one of the most dangerous sluggers in baseball
We are in for some serious excitement. With the new playoff format and all of the amazing players, this postseason will be one to remember.
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