Everything you need to know about MLB playoffs: Number of teams, format and more

The final day of the 2024 MLB regular season is just under two weeks away, and the playoff race is heating up. Over the next few days, a dozen teams will secure their spots in the postseason, vying for the opportunity to compete for the World Series title.

As the playoff picture begins to clarify, here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming postseason:

When does the MLB season end?

The final day of the 2024 regular season is Sunday, Sept. 29.

When do the MLB playoffs start?

Just two days after the regular season wraps up, the postseason will begin on Tuesday, Oct. 1.

How many teams make the MLB playoffs?

A total of 12 teams -- six from each league -- make the postseason.

How many wild cards are in the MLB playoffs?

The playoff field in each league consists of three division winners and three wild-card teams.

What teams have made the MLB playoffs so far?

Two teams have officially qualified for the postseason so far:

American League

New York Yankees
National League

Milwaukee Brewers (NL Central champions)

How do the MLB playoffs work?

The MLB playoff format seeds teams 1-6 in each league, with the three division winners making up the top three seeds followed by the three wild-card teams. The top two seeds in each league receive a bye to the Division Series.

The remaining four teams in each league compete in a best-of-three Wild Card Series where the higher-seeded team has home-field advantage for all three games. The matchups are No. 3 vs. No. 6 (third-best division winner vs. third-best wild-card team) and No. 4 vs. No. 5 (best wild-card team vs. second-best wild-card team).

Do the MLB playoffs reseed?

There is no reseeding in the MLB playoffs, meaning the top seed in each league will face the winner of the 4-5 matchup in the Division Series, while the No. 2 seed draws the winner of the 3-6 matchup.

How many games are in an MLB playoff series?

The Wild Card Series has a best-of-three format where the higher seed hosts all three games. The Division Series is best of five with a 2-2-1 format where the higher seed hosts Games 1, 2 and 5.

Both the League Championship Series and the World Series have a best-of-seven, 2-3-2 format where the higher seed hosts Games 1, 2, 6 and 7.