How Does the MLB Wildcard Work?

The Major League Baseball (MLB) postseason just got a whole lot wilder. With the expanded 12-team playoff format adopted for 2022, the playoff picture now includes 6 total wildcard teams across the American and National Leagues. This fundamental structure change has baseball fans asking: just how does the new MLB wildcard work?

This guide will walk through everything you need to know about wildcard teams before October baseball arrives. From how many wildcards make it per league to tiebreaker procedures, clinching scenarios, and more. Read on to get up to speed on the ins and outs of the MLB wildcard format.

What is the MLB Wildcard?

In MLB, the three division champions in each league automatically qualify for the postseason. The wildcard was introduced in 1994 to allow other excellent teams who finish second (or now third) in their division to still have a shot at the World Series.

Wildcard teams participate in the playoffs as the lowest seeds, sans the privilege of hosting home field advantage. But they still have a route to go all the way – several wildcard clubs have won it all over the years.

Up until 2012, there was just one lone wildcard team per league that made the playoffs. This was changed to include a second wildcard in each league through 2021.

And now in 2022, the playoff field has expanded even further to feature:

• 6 total wildcard teams
• 3 wildcards in both the American League and National League

Here is a summary of the key format history for the MLB wildcard:

Year	Wildcard Format
1994	1 wildcard team per league
2012-2021	2 wildcard teams per league
2022+	3 wildcard teams per league

The new 6-team wildcard setup ushers in a whole new postseason structure. Let‘s break down exactly how it works.

2022 MLB Wildcard Format

Starting this year, the top 2 division winners in each league get a first round bye into the League Division Series (ALDS and NLDS). This leaves the 3 division winners with the worst records and the 3 wildcard teams per league to duke it out in the new Wild Card Series round.

• The Wild Card Series is a best-of-three series
• The matchups are:
  • 3rd best division winner vs 3rd wildcard
  • 4th best division winner vs 2nd wildcard
  • 5th best division winner vs 1st wildcard
• All games hosted by better seed

The winners of these Wild Card Series will move onto the Division Series.

This format replaces the previous one-game Wild Card playoff. Now wildcards and bottom division champs have a bit more room for error in a short series.

Expanding from 10 to 12 postseason teams was negotiated as part of the new MLB collective bargaining agreement signed earlier in 2022.

Wildcard World Series Wins

Can wildcard teams actually go all the way and win the World Series? Absolutely!

Here are some of the most memorable wildcard World Series champions:

• 2022 Atlanta Braves: Entered playoffs as NL‘s #4 seed, defeated AL pennant winner Astros
• 2014 San Francisco Giants: Clinched NL‘s second wildcard, beat AL champ Royals
• 2011 St. Louis Cardinals: Were NL wildcard team, won World Series vs Texas Rangers
• 2003 Florida Marlins: Won World Series as NL wildcard vs Yankees
• 2002 Anaheim Angels: Won World Series as AL wildcard winner

The Marlins‘ 2003 team was the first ever wildcard club to win it all. The Angels followed it up the very next year.

In total, 6 wildcard teams have won the World Series over the history of the format. So wildcard clubs are definitely contenders.

Wildcard Standings

During the season, the standings track which teams are on pace to snag those precious wildcard spots. Just like how the division leaders are highlighted, you‘ll see the top 2-3 wildcard leaders marked in each league.

Here‘s an example wildcard standings table:

AL Wildcard Standings:

1. Blue Jays (86-67) - +2.0
2. Rays (84-69) - --  
3. Mariners (83-69) - 0.5 GB

This shows the Blue Jays in the #1 wildcard position with the Rays and Mariners next in line.

The key thing to note is the Games Behind (GB) statistic. This tells you how far back a team is from the leader. So the Mariners above are 0.5 GB the Rays for the #2 wildcard slot.

Games behind is calculated by taking the difference in wins and losses relative to the leading team. The MLB average rules are used to handle when teams have played different amounts of games.

As the season winds down, scores are updated daily and the wildcard rankings will shuffle. Any team within striking distance (e.g. within 5 GB) will still have a shot with each win.

Clinching a Wildcard Berth

Throughout September, teams will start clinching their spots according to the standings and magic numbers.

The magic number represents how many combined wins and losses by other contenders needed to clinch a playoff berth. For wildcards, it‘s primarily teams behind them in the standings that matter.

Let‘s say the Red Sox have a magic number of 6 for a wildcard position. This means any combination of Red Sox wins and Rays losses that add up to 6 guarantees Boston one of the wildcard entries.

MLB tiebreaker rules come into effect in the unlikely event that two teams end the regular season with the same record vying for a wildcard place. Here is how wildcard ties are broken:

1. Head-to-head record between the tied teams
2. Intra-division record
3. Record in final 81 games of season

Tiebreaker games will be played if teams are still knotted up after those steps.

With 3 spots per league but 6+ competitors typically in the hunt, it will be a battle to the finish for wildcard hopefuls to secure their playoff tickets. But that makes for exciting September baseball!

Wildcard Strategy

How teams approach the end-stage playoff push can vary based on whether they are division leaders or wildcard chasers.

Clubhouse mentality is one interesting aspect. Wildcard teams often adopt an "underdog" mentality for the playoffs, while division winners may be viewing themselves as the best team in their league, World Series favorite, etc.

Resting players is another key consideration. Division leaders will focus on health and having their starters fresh. Wildcard contenders may run their stars into the ground trying to clinch that last berth. Although with the Wild Card Series this year, even wildcards may opt to rest players since they‘ll need to win 2 games not just 1.

Wildcard clubs also have much less certainty around playoff pitching matchups and travel schedules. So the strategy gets trickier there.

Pros and Cons of the Expanded Playoffs

MLB‘s expanded 12-team postseason format is certainly controversial. Does it improve the game or detract from the traditional pennant chase format?

Potential Pros:

• More teams stay competitive deeper into the season
• Added excitement from playoff races and clinch scenarios
• Players on more clubs get the chance to experience October baseball
• More playoff games overall for fans to enjoy

Potential Cons:

• Division winners get less advantage over wildcards in early rounds
• Waters down historical World Series accomplishment
• Increased variance – hot wild card teams could knock out stellar division champs
• Rewarding mediocrity if sub-.500 clubs make it

The answer comes down to personal preference. Traditionalists generally lean against playoff expansion, while modern fans seem to approve the update.

At the negotiating table, the players union valued giving more athletes playoff bonuses and opportunities. And MLB likes having as many fanbases engaged as possible.

2022 Wildcard Race Predictions

We‘ve explored the format, history, standings, and implications of the MLB wildcard. To wrap up, here are my early predictions for how this year‘s wildcard races will shake out:

American League

1. Blue Jays
2. Rays
3. Mariners

Thoughts: Battle between Mariners and Orioles for the third spot

National League

1. Braves
2. Padres
3. Phillies

Thoughts: Tight race between Phillies/Giants/Brewers for the final two spots

It‘s going to be a wild sprint to the Wild Card Series finish! May the best teams prevail.