The MLB playoffs include 12 teams, six from each league: three division winners and three wild cards. The top two division winners in each league get a bye past the first round, and everyone else plays a best of three Wild Card Series, all at the higher seed. From there it is a best of five Division Series, a best of seven League Championship Series and a best of seven World Series. MLB has used this format since 2022.
The Format Round by Round
| Round | Teams | Length | Home games | Matchups |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Card Series | 8 | Best of three | All games at the higher seed | No. 3 vs. No. 6, No. 4 vs. No. 5 |
| Division Series | 8 | Best of five | 2, 2, 1 (higher seed hosts Games 1, 2 and 5) | No. 1 vs. 4/5 winner, No. 2 vs. 3/6 winner |
| League Championship Series | 4 | Best of seven | 2, 3, 2 (higher seed hosts Games 1, 2, 6 and 7) | Division Series winners in each league |
| World Series | 2 | Best of seven | 2, 3, 2, better regular season record hosts | AL champion vs. NL champion |
How the Seeds Are Set
| Seed | Who gets it | First round |
|---|---|---|
| No. 1 | Division winner with the best record | Bye |
| No. 2 | Division winner with the second best record | Bye |
| No. 3 | Third division winner | Hosts No. 6 |
| No. 4 | Wild card with the best record | Hosts No. 5 |
| No. 5 | Second wild card | At No. 4 |
| No. 6 | Third wild card | At No. 3 |
A division winner is always seeded ahead of every wild card, even when a wild card team has the better record. That is why a strong second place team can open on the road against a division champion it finished ahead of.
Rules Fans Ask About
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is there reseeding? | No. The bracket is fixed, so the No. 1 seed always gets the 4 vs. 5 winner |
| Are there tiebreaker games? | No. Ties are broken by head to head record, then intradivision record, then interdivision record |
| How many games to win it all? | 11 for a team with a bye, 13 for a wild card team |
| Does the All-Star Game decide home field? | No. Home field in the World Series goes to the better regular season record |
| Most games a team can play | 22 for a wild card team that goes the distance in every round |
Why the Bye Matters
The top two seeds skip the Wild Card round entirely, which lets them reset their rotation and rest regulars, but it also means several days off before the Division Series. Wild card teams, meanwhile, open on the road in a series where one bad night can end the season. For the current standings behind the seeds, see MLB postseason seeding, and for tiebreaker details see MLB playoff tiebreaker rules.
More MLB Postseason
MLB playoff bracket · MLB playoff schedule · MLB playoffs TV schedule · World Series 2026
Format details from MLB.com.