How does the MLB playoffs bracket work?
The 2023 playoffs has begun full-flegedly. Fans are waiting to watch their favorite team compete. Before diving into the games, let's take a look at how the MLB playoff bracket works.
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MLB game [Image Credit- CBS Sports]
Many people are experiencing confusion regarding the changes in MLB’s playoffs. The pandemic led to modifications in the 2020 campaign, causing the league to change some of its ways. The year 2021 witnessed a return to a state of overall normalcy. Nevertheless, the postseason was modified in 2022 to encompass six teams per league. Keeping track of everything is no easy task. Presenting a summary explaining the current operation of the system and providing a preview of forthcoming developments.
Previously, there were only five teams from each league in the playoffs, but now there are six teams as mentioned earlier. The playoffs will now include three wild-card teams from each league, in addition to the three division winners. Teams with equal wins and losses won’t encounter a Game 163 this year. Match will be used to settle any ties.
In order to find a winner, the second portion of games in the league will be completed, including one additional game from the first portion. Regardless of your preferences, the once controversial Wild Card Game, featuring single-elimination matches, will cease to exist. The format was modified in the previous year to include a three-game Wild Card Series. The team that is ranked higher will organize the series, which will span over three days.
The division winner from a different division does not face any consequences in the initial rankings despite a wild-card team having a better record. The original rankings remain unchanged. The top two teams get a break in the first round and automatically move on to the next round called the Division Series. In the Wild Card Series, the third-ranked team will go head-to-head with the sixth-ranked team, whereas the fourth-ranked team will clash with the fifth-ranked team.
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The Wild Card series will be a best-of-five-game series
The team positioned at the top will battle against the successful team amongst the numbered teams. The Division Series runner-up will face off against the victor of the Wild Card Series, a best-of-five-game series. It is possible to convert a cluster of six elements into a succession of three. Throughout the tournament, the team rankings will remain unchanged.
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Front Office Sports]](https://firstsportz.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Q_1696401828.jpg)
The manner in which the series is conducted remains unchanged, consisting of a total of five games. The team that has a superior ranking enjoys the privilege of playing a larger number of games in their own stadium. There is nothing fresh to report. For both the World Series and League Championship Series, the best-of-seven format is still employed.
First, two games are played in one place. Then, three games are played at a different place. Subsequently, two more matches are played at the initial site. Holding the most wins during the regular season grants a team the opportunity to have World Series games played in their own stadium.
If both teams possess an identical record of wins and losses, the tiebreaker rules will come into effect in order to determine which team will have the opportunity to play at their own stadium. The total count of games in the postseason will range from 32 to 53, contingent on the length of the series.
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Kaushani Chatterjee
(2158 Articles Published)