What Are The Baseball Wildcard Standings?
Contents
If you’re a baseball fan, you’re probably wondering what the current wildcard standings are. Here’s a quick rundown of where things stand as of today.
Introduction
In Major League Baseball, the Wild Card teams are the two teams in each league who have qualified for the postseason but did not win their respective divisions. The Wild Card was introduced in 1994, and since then has been contested every year except for strike-shortened seasons in 1995 and 2020.
The Wild Card teams play each other in a one-game playoff to determine who will advance to the Division Series. In 2012, Major League Baseball added a second Wild Card team to each league, and the two Wild Card teams now play each other in a best-of-three series.
As of 2020, the American League Wild Card teams are the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cleveland Indians. The National League Wild Card teams are the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers.
What are the baseball wildcard standings?
The baseball wildcard standings are the rankings of the teams in baseball who are vying for a spot in the playoffs. These standings are important because they give an indication of which teams are in the running for a postseason berth.
What is a wildcard?
In baseball, a wild card refers to a team that qualifies for the playoffs despite not winning its division. There are two wild card spots in each league (American and National). The top two wild card teams in each league face each other in a one-game playoff, with the winner advancing to the divisional series of the playoffs.
The term “wild card” was first used in MLB in 1994, when Major League Baseball expanded its playoffs to include eight teams (four from each league). The term is derived from poker, where a wild card is a card that can be used to represent any other card.
The current wild card system was instituted in 2012, when MLB realigned its divisions and added an extra playoff team to each league. Under the current system, there are four division winners and two wild card teams in each league. The top wild card team in each league faces the #4 seed in the divisional series, while the other wildcard team faces the #3 seed.
In the 2019 MLB season, the following teams are currently in contention for a wild card berth:
In the American League:
-Tampa Bay Rays (93-69)
-Cleveland Indians (92-70)
-Oakland Athletics (91-71)
-Boston Red Sox (84-78)
-Seattle Mariners (68-94)
In the National League:
-Washington Nationals (93-69)
-Milwaukee Brewers (92-70)
How do teams qualify for the playoffs?
In order to qualify for the playoffs, a team must first win their division. If there are not enough teams that win their division, the team with the best record in their league who did not win their division will qualify for the playoffs as a wildcard. The number of teams that qualify as wildcards varies from year to year.
What is the format of the playoffs?
The Major League Baseball playoff system has been in place since 1995, and while it has undergone some changes since then, the general format remains the same. After a 162-game regular season, the playoffs begin with two wild-card games. These are single-elimination games, with the winner advancing to the divisional round.
In the divisional round, the field is whittled down to eight teams: the four division winners and two wild-card winners. This round is a best-of-five series, meaning the first team to win three games advances to the next round.
The divisional round is followed by the best-of-seven championship series (also known as the pennant race), which determines who will represent each league in the World Series. Finally, the World Series is a best-of-seven matchup between the American League and National League champions.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the baseball wildcard standings are a great way to see which teams are close to clinching a playoff spot. Keep track of them throughout the season so you don’t miss out on any important games!