Major League Baseball has utilized a wild card playoff system since 2012 to expand the number of teams that qualify for the postseason each year beyond just the division winners. The initial wild card format included one wild card team from each league that would play a single-elimination wild card playoff game against each other to determine who would advance to the division series round.

In the years since the introduction of wild cards, MLB has continued to tweak and expand the wild card playoff structure to allow for more teams to quality for postseason play each season. Starting with the 2022 MLB playoffs, there will be three wild card teams from each league that earn the right to participate in the opening wild card round.

Here is a more in-depth look at the current wild card playoff format in MLB:

The regular season now concludes with three teams in each league earning wild card spots. The team with the best regular season record among the wild card teams is designated the top wild card and gets a bye into the second round of the wild card playoffs. The two remaining wild card teams in each league face off in two single-elimination wild card series – one game each. The winner of each wild card series advances to face the top wild card team.

So in summary – the #4 and #5 seeded wild card teams based on regular season record play each other in a one-game playoff. The winner advances to then play the #3 seeded wild card team, who gets to host that game by virtue of having the best record among the three wild card clubs. This ensures the top wild card team gets home field advantage for at least one game in the wild card round.

The wild card round is held exclusively on the first Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday after the conclusion of the regular season. This allows for a full division series round starting the following Friday. All wild card games are scheduled concurrently to maximize television viewership for the start of the MLB playoffs each year.

The wild card structure aims to balance rewarding excellent regular season performance with further incentivizing teams to compete throughout the 162-game schedule until the very end. A third wild card slot in each league means more teams believe they are still in playoff contention even if they trail the division leaders in September. It also grows interest in the early rounds by featuring automatic win-or-go-home, high-stakes games to begin the postseason.

Some critics argue the wild card format devalues winning a division championship. Teams can now make the playoffs even if they finish behind multiple other clubs in their own division. There is also debate around whether three wild card slots in each league may be too many, thus watering down the importance and prestige of qualifying for October. MLB will surely continue evaluating to determine if adjustments are needed to the wild card structure moving forward.

The addition of a third wild card berth per league starting in 2022 means a total of six wild card playoff teams across the American and National Leagues. This expanded format aims to create more drama and excitement at the beginning stages of the MLB playoffs each fall while still driving teams to play their hardest throughout the full regular season schedule. Only time will tell if three wild cards strikes the right balance or if potential future changes could improve the wild card playoff system even more. In either case, the implementation of wild card teams has undoubtedly helped grow the popularity of baseball postseason play in the modern era.