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MLB’s postseason has 12 teams: six in the American League and six in the National League. Each league’s top two division winners receive a bye to the Division Series; the other four teams play a best-of-three Wild Card Series. The Division Series is best-of-five, so a team must win three games to advance.
How do teams qualify and get seeded?
Each league sends six teams to the postseason: its three division winners and three Wild Cards. The division winners are seeded first through third, with the two best records receiving the top two seeds and a bye through the Wild Card round. The Wild Cards are seeds 4, 5 and 6, ranked by record among the Wild Card qualifiers. MLB’s format explainer describes this 12-team structure.
How does the Wild Card bracket feed into the Division Series?
In each league, the No. 3 seed hosts No. 6, while No. 4 hosts No. 5. Both matchups are best-of-three, and the higher seed hosts every game. Their Division Series opponents are set in advance:
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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →| Wild Card matchup | Division Series opponent |
|---|---|
| No. 3 vs. No. 6 | No. 2 seed |
| No. 4 vs. No. 5 | No. 1 seed |
The bracket does not reseed after the Wild Card round. For example, if No. 6 beats No. 3, it still faces No. 2; it does not move to No. 1 based on the result or its record. MLB’s format FAQ and playoff format explainer describe the fixed assignments.
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What does best-of-five mean in the Division Series?
The first team to win three games takes the series. A fifth game is only necessary if each team has won twice after four games. The Division Series home pattern is 2-2-1:
- The higher seed hosts Games 1 and 2.
- The lower seed hosts Games 3 and 4, if needed.
- The higher seed hosts Game 5, if needed.
Thus, the higher seed has home-field advantage, but must win on the road if the series reaches Games 3 or 4. MLB’s FAQ specifies this best-of-five format and home sequence.
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What happens after the Division Series?
Each Division Series winner advances to its league’s best-of-seven League Championship Series. The American League and National League champions then meet in a best-of-seven World Series. MLB outlines the later rounds in its postseason format explainer.
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No. The automatic runner placed on second base to begin extra innings in regular-season games is not used in postseason games, according to MLB’s format FAQ.
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What are the 2026 Division Series dates?
For the 2026 season only, MLB scheduled all four Division Series to begin Saturday, October 3. Potential fifth games were scheduled for Friday, October 9, in the NLDS and Saturday, October 10, in the ALDS. MLB noted that the schedule is subject to change; consult its postseason hub for current schedule information. These dates are not permanent parts of the format.
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