The Major League Baseball (MLB) postseason kicks off this Tuesday, October 1, marking the beginning of the most exciting time of the year for sports fans. After an intriguing 162-game season, everything boils down to the playoffs, where only a few spots remain available as teams strive to secure their place in the postseason.
Teams Qualified for the Playoffs
In the current MLB playoff format, the postseason consists of the three division champions and three wildcard teams from each league.
In the American League, the New York Yankees, Cleveland Guardians, and Houston Astros have claimed division titles, while the Baltimore Orioles have secured a wildcard position. The final spot was claimed by the Kansas City Royals this past Sunday.
In the National League, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, and Milwaukee Brewers have been crowned division champions, while the San Diego Padres and New York Mets have secured wildcard spots this past Sunday.
How much will players earn per round in the MLB Playoffs?
The current system ensures players have a profitable postseason ahead, with earnings increasing as they advance in the playoffs.
The player's pool is funded by a percentage of the ticket revenue from various playoff stages: 50% from Wild Card Game revenue, 60% from the first three games of the Divisional Series, 60% from the first four games of the League Championship Series, and 60% from the first four games of the World Series.
With more than 40 playoff games to determine the World Series champion, the winning team could secure up to $107 million in total earnings.
This means that players who win the 2024 MLB Championship could take home over $250,000 each, not including additional bonuses for postseason awards like Series MVP or individual playoff performance bonuses.
But beyond the financial rewards, the ultimate prize is the glory and immortality of becoming a World Series champion.
How much money will players earn in the Wild Card Series?
It's challenging to determine exactly how much additional payment the players involved in this year's Wild Card Series will receive; it will depend on the revenue generated in each game. Fifty percent of the profits will go directly to player payments, and it's likely that the winning team will receive a bit more of that, along with their ticket to the Divisional Round.
MLB playoff bracket 2024
The top two seeds in each league get a bye through the first round.
American League
No. 1 seed: Yankees
No. 2 seed: Guardians
No. 3 seed: Astros
No. 4 seed: Orioles
No. 5 seed: Royals
No. 6 seed: Tigers
National League
No. 1 seed: Dodgers
No. 2 seed: Phillies
No. 3 seed: Brewers
No. 4 seed: Padres
No. 5 seed: Braves
No. 6 seed: Mets
ABC and ESPN will broadcast all four Wild Card Series games live. Following that, Fox and FS1 will cover the National League playoffs, while TBS and truTV will handle the American League playoffs. The World Series will be shown nationally on Fox.
For streaming, you can catch the action on Fubo, which offers a free trial, allowing you to test it out before committing.
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