When Are The Playoffs in Baseball?
It’s October, and that means playoff baseball! Here’s a quick guide to help you understand when the playoffs start and how they work.
Introduction
The MLB playoffs are a best-of-seven series played between the champions of each league—the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The AL champion plays the NL champion in the best-of-seven World Series.
The Playoffs in Baseball
The playoffs in baseball are a tournament held after the conclusion of the regular season to determine the sport’s champion. The tournament consists of four rounds of play. The three divisional winners in each league (the American and National Leagues) and a fourth wild-card team in each league play in the first round of the playoffs.
How the Playoffs Work
In baseball, the playoffs are a tournament held after the conclusion of the regular season to determine which team will represent each league in the World Series. Since 2012, the playoffs have consisted of four rounds: two wild-card games, four Division Series games, four League Championship Series games, and finally the World Series.
The two teams with the best records in each league (the American League and the National League) earn a bye into the League Championship Series. The next best four teams from each league compete in a best-of-five series called the Division Series. The winners of each Division Series move on to play in their respective League Championship Series. Finally, the winners of each League Championship Series meet in the best-of-seven World Series.
Who Makes the Playoffs?
In each league, there are three division winners and two wild card teams. The wild card teams are the two runner-up teams with the best records who didn’t win their divisions. The playoffs start with two one-game playoffs. The winners of those advance to the Divisional Series.
After the Wild Card games, the Divisional Series is a best-of-five series. The team with the best record in each league plays the winner of the Wild Card game with the worst record. The other two teams in each league play each other in the other Divisional Series.
The winners of each Divisional Series advance to their respective League Championship Series. The League Championship Series is also a best-of-seven series. The American League winner plays the National League winner in the World Series.
Conclusion
The MLB playoffs are some of the most exciting sporting events of the year. Tens of millions of people tune in to watch the best teams in baseball battle it out for a chance to play in the World Series.
The playoffs typically start in early October and end in late October or early November. The exact dates vary from year to year, but they are generally scheduled around the same time each year.
If you’re a baseball fan, make sure to mark your calendar for the MLB playoffs!
