In 2012, Major League Baseball added an additional round to the playoffs called the Wild Card Round. This added two additional wild card teams, one from each league, to make the total number of playoff teams in MLB jump from 8 to 10. The wild card round features a single-elimination game, or games if necessary, between the two wild card teams to determine who moves on to the Division Series.
The format starts with the three division winners in each league earning automatic bids to the postseason. The team with the best regular season record in each league earns the number 1 seed and a first round bye. The two remaining division winners are seeded 2nd and 3rd based on winning percentage.
In addition to the three division winners, the two teams in each league with the next best regular season records that did not win their division qualify for the wild card spots. These teams are seeded 4th and 5th based on their winning percentage.
The 4th and 5th seeded wild card teams then play in a one-game playoff, hosted by the team with the higher seed, to determine who advances to face the top seeded division winner in the best-of-five Division Series. This single game wild card playoff is a sudden death game where the winner moves on and the loser goes home for the offseason.
When Major League Baseball added the wild card round, many fans and analysts worried it could diminish the significance and pressure of winning a division. It has made the regular season more exciting down the stretch as teams fight not just for division titles but also the last wild card spots. More teams are kept meaningful races longer into September which has increased interest and television ratings for MLB.
While winning the division is still viewed as the most direct path to advancing in the playoffs, the possibility of sneaking in as a wild card has kept hope alive for more fan bases deeper into the season. With only one game deciding a team’s fate in the wild card round, any team is just nine innings away from shocking the baseball world. Momentum and pitching matchups can trump records in a short series, instilling an element of chaos that has captivated viewers.
Controversy has also surrounded the one-game wild card format. A single mistake or fluke play can send a team home for the year despite a strong overall record. Many argue it is not a true test of a team’s talent and quality. Some have suggested expanding it to a three-game mini-series would provide a bit more of an opportunity for the better team to show itself over multiple games. Others counter that the tension and drama of winner-take-all single elimination is compelling as fans.
While not a perfect system, MLB’s wild card round has achieved the goal of increasing the number of teams still playing in October. With more fan bases engaged deeper into the season and exciting single game showdowns to start the playoffs, the one-game wild card format has added another dimension to the baseball postseason. Even teams that underperform division rivals still have a shot if they can peak at the right time and embrace the challenge of surviving such a high-pressure winner-take-all contest.
Of the over 150 wild card games held so far, many have lived up to the hype with walk-off wins, stunning comebacks and nail-biting finishes. The unpredictability of a single game provides the opportunity for legendary moments. While not ideal for some traditionalists, the wild card round has breathed new life into the playoff race and given hope to underdog teams facing seemingly insurmountable odds in their pursuit of reaching the World Series. With so much on the line and fortunes able to change in an instant, the intensity and drama MLB’s wild card format creates has captivated both diehard baseball fans along with more casual viewers tuning in for the postseason excitement.
As MLB continues to find ways to expand the popularity of baseball playoffs, the number of wild card teams may one day increase further. Even with just two wild cards per league currently, the winner-take-all high stakes matchup creates perfect postseason theatre. The promise of sudden death, anything-can-happen drama has been a huge success by any metric and fun new tradition for baseball in October. While a 162 game regular season leaves little room for error in determining champions, MLB’s innovative wild card round ensures that reaching the playoffs also provides nail-biting, pressure filled showdowns to start the tournament.
