The 2024 MLB Playoff schedule kicks off on October 1st, 2024. Similar to last season, the Wild Card round of play starts the playoffs for both the American and National Leagues. The opening round is a best of three game playoff that is played on three consecutive days (or until one team wins two games). The playoff schedule concludes with the 2024 World Series that starts on Tuesday, October 22nd, 2024.
How Many MLB Teams Make the Playoffs?
Starting in 2022, MLB changed up the playoff format to get more teams involved. This resulted in the expanded Wild Card round of play that we enjoy today. There will be 12 teams who earn a spot in the 2024 MLB postseason. Six teams from both the National and the American League earn spots. Three of these are divisional winners and three earn spots as Wild Cards.
What is the 2024 MLB Playoff Schedule?
Please keep in mind that October is a long way away. Major League Baseball (MLB) can always adjust the days / times as they deem fit for the good of the game or deconfliction with other events. Beyond the Wild Card Series, the dates can fluctuate based on how long each series takes. If the 2024 World Series goes the full seven games, then we will see the “October Classic” wrap up in November again this postseason.
Wild Card Series (Best of 3 games): October 1-3, 2024
Division Series (Best of 5): October 5-10.
Championship Series (Best of 7): October 11-20.
World Series Schedule (Best of 7): October 22-November 2.
How Many Rounds of Play are in the MLB Playoffs?
The 2024 MLB Playoffs have four rounds of play. Each round is a series between two teams playing a “best of” single elimination formatted bracket. If you are new to baseball (or just haven’t paid attention in a while), the rounds are: Wild Card, Divisional, League Championship, and the World Series. In the past, MLB had used a single-elimination Wild Card Game but scrapped that format with the most recent changes to the playoffs.
How Does the Wild Card Series Work?
First, MLB uses this seeding format for both the American and National League. The #1 seed in each league has the best record period. The #2 seed has the second best record and is a division winner. The #3 seed is the third best record for a division winner. #4, #5, and the #6 seeds are the best records of the non-divisional winners. Then, in the Wild Card Series, #3 plays #6, and #4 plays #5. To minimize delays, there are no off-days in the Wild Card round. The better seed will host all three games (if necessary to play three).
Who Gets Home-Field Advantage in the World Series?
No more All-Star game nonsense for home field advantage. Now, the team with the best regular season record gets the World Series home field advantage. They will host the first game regardless of seeding. If there is a game 7, it will also be played on their field. If both teams have the same regular season records, then the standard MLB divisional tiebreaker rule set is used to determine who has the advantage. Once that is all set, then MLB finalizes the 2024 World Series schedule for us.
How Does the MLB Division Title Tiebreaker Work?
With the change in the MLB Playoff format, there is no longer the possibility for a 163rd game to determine a tiebreaker. Instead, MLB first uses the two teams’ head-head records. If they are still tied, then the following metrics are used: record against other teams in their division, record against other teams in their league but outside their division. Then, the record of their last half of intraleague games. If still tied somehow, then those + 1 more.
Can I get a 2024 MLB Playoff Bracket?
If you are more of a visual type that prefers a bracket, we have a printable 2024 MLB playoff bracket for you. The bracket is in PDF format and is fillable for you to project potential playoff possibilities for the postseason. Everyone will be following the Yankees and the Dodgers this season to see if we see them both face off in the 2024 World Series. Odds are, both teams will not make it since that is the beauty of baseball. It will be a fun season.
