The wild card was first introduced in both the American League and National League in 1995. Prior to that, only the division winners in each league made the postseason. With the addition of a wild card, this meant an additional two teams per year now qualified for the playoffs besides just the three division winners. Initially there was only one wild card team per league.
This original format remained in place through 2011. Under this format, the team with the best record among the non-division winners in each league earned the lone wild card berth. This kicked off a sudden-death wild card playoff game hosted by the wild card team for many years. If the wild card team won this game, they advanced to play the top seed in the League Division Series.
In 2012, Major League Baseball expanded the playoffs again by adding a second wild card team in both the AL and NL. This was done to further incentivize more teams to chase playoff spots down the stretch and remain competitive later in the season. With two wild cards now, the team with the best record got a bye straight to the LDS, while the other two wild card teams faced off in a new Wild Card Game.
The current wild card format has remained consistent since 2012. In each league, the three division winners automatically qualify for the postseason. The teams that finish with the two best records among the remaining non-division winners claim the wild card spots. The wild card team with the better record gets a bye, while the others play in the Wild Card Game.
This one-game wild card playoff is now a do-or-die showdown that greatly increases the drama. It has produced many unbelievable and memorable games over the years. The winner advances to then face the team with the bye in the League Division Series. The LDS is still a best-of-five game series as it was prior to the wild card’s existence.
Having two wild card spots as opposed to just one opened up the playoffs to more teams and cities. It has helped brighten the postseason pictures in both leagues quite a bit. More fan bases are given hope to follow their teams deeper into October. Smaller market and mid-market teams that may have previously been left out have a better shot now with two wild cards.
Some debate remains about whether the current format truly achieves competitive balance. Many feel it still favors large, big payroll division winners who can coast to a title. Others counter that small markets like Oakland and Tampa Bay have had success in recent years thanks to the expanded wildcards. No playoff scheme is perfect, but MLB has certainly aimed to strengthen the regular season pennant races by adapting the wildcard over the decades.
The playoff ratio has been a point of ongoing discussion as well. As more teams make the postseason, some argue it watered down the significance of winning a division. On the other hand, boosters note that 16 of 30 teams (53%) making the MLB playoffs is comparable to other US pro leagues like the NFL (12 of 32 or 38%), NHL (16 of 31 or 52%), and NBA (16 of 30 or 53%).
Going forward, further expansion seems possible. A 14-team playoff with three wild cards per league could happen at some point. This would match the NFL’s 14 playoff teams and increase the cutoff to allow over half the teams to qualify. Others insist the current 10-team playoff format remains balanced and engages more cities and clubs just right without lowering the regular season value too much. Time will tell if adjustments remain on the horizon.
Since being introduced, the wild card has objectively strengthened MLB’s pennant races and created new levels of drama in September. It has helped popularize teams and given hope to smaller markets. No system will make every fan base happy, but this new pathway to the playoffs has rewarded excellent performance rather than just divisional success. Even if tweaks continue, the wild card’s impact on heightening MLB’s regular season excitement and giving more teams a chance at postseason glory seems here to stay for the foreseeable future.
