Wild Card Series

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The Wild Card Series (formerly known as Wild Card Game from 2012 to 2019 and in 2021) are games that serve as the opening round of the Major League Baseball (MLB) postseason. A single wild card game was first instituted in 2012; this became a best-of-three playoff wild card series in 2020 as a one-off, and became permanent (albeit with fewer teams playing than in the 2020 series) for the 2022 season.[1][2][3]

Under the current playoff structure, there are two series in both the American League (AL) and National League (NL). The lowest-seeded division winner and three wild card teams in each league play in a best-of-three series after the end of the regular season. The winners of each league's wild card rounds advance to face the two-best division winners in that league's Division Series. This expansion of the postseason also abolished any regular-season-extending tie-breaker games.

Format

Under the format adopted in 2022, six teams in each league are assigned seeds for the postseason. In each league, the three division winners are seeded #1–3, per their relative winning percentages. The worst division winner is automatically given the No. 3 seed even if one or all other wild-card teams has a better record.[4][5] Also in each league, the three teams with the best winning percentages among non-division winning teams are wild cards, seeded #4–6, per their relative winning percentages. Any ties are broken using a set of MLB tie-breaking procedures; as such, no tie-breaking games (colloquially known as "Game 163") are contested.

The top two division winners in each league receive first-round byes to the Division Series. The remaining four teams, seeds No. 3 through No. 6, play in two best-of-3 wild card series, with the higher seed hosting all games. These two series are: No. 3 hosting No. 6, and No. 4 hosting No. 5.

In the Division Series, the winner of the No. 4 vs. No. 5 series faces the No. 1 seed, and the winner of the No. 3. vs. No. 6 series faces the No. 2 seed. The bracket structure in each league looks as follows:

  Wild Card Series
Best-of-3
    Division Series
Best-of-5
    League Championship Series
Best-of-7
                           
      1  Best division winner  
  4  Wild Card team #1          
  5  Wild Card team #2          
       
      2  Second-best division winner    
  3  Worst-division winner        
  6  Wild Card team #3  

History

The Wild Card round was initially introduced in 2012 as a single-game playoff between two wild-card teams in each league, with the winner advancing to the Division Series. With the adoption of MLB's new collective bargaining agreement in November 2011, baseball commissioner Bud Selig announced that a new playoff system would begin within the next two years; the change was ultimately put into place in 2012.[6] This format was used through the 2019 season.

For the 2020 postseason, following a shortened 60-game regular season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, MLB held a one-off Wild Card Series with eight teams in each league, thus a total of 16 playoff teams. Division champions were seeded 1–3 by record, the second-place teams seeded 4–6 by record, and the two teams with the next-best records were seeded seventh and eighth.[7] Matchups were contested as best-of-three series rather than individual games. MLB returned to the previous format of one Wild Card Game per league for the 2021 postseason, before it changed to two best-of-three Wild Card series per league the next year.

As of the beginning of the 2023 postseason, 28 of the 30 MLB franchises have reached the Wild Card round of the postseason (either a Wild Card Game or the Wild Card Series). The New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays each have the most appearances with five, and have the most wins during the Wild Card round with three each. The Milwaukee Brewers, the Oakland Athletics, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Toronto Blue Jays each have the most losses during the Wild Card round, with three each.

The 2014 San Francisco Giants won the National League Wild Card Game and went on to win that season's World Series.

Analysis

Through the 2021 postseason, Wild Card Game winners have gone on to compile an overall 9–9 record in League Division Series, with Wild Card Game winners going 4–5 in the ALDS and 5–4 in the NLDS. Two Wild Card Game winners have gone on to win the World Series (the 2014 Giants and the 2019 Nationals). The 2014 postseason featured the first series sweeps involving a Wild Card Game winner; both in favor of the AL Wild Card Kansas City Royals, who swept the Los Angeles Angels in the ALDS and the Baltimore Orioles in the ALCS. The Royals then met the San Francisco Giants in the 2014 World Series, the second all-Wild Card fall classic, which the Giants won in seven games. The first all-Wild Card World Series had also involved the Giants, who lost the 2002 World Series to the then-Anaheim Angels in seven games.

In the sixteen games played since the new Wild Card system began in 2012, five have been shutouts. In eight of the eleven others, the losing team scored three or fewer runs. There have only been two games in which the losing team scored more than six runs: the 2017 NL Wild Card Game in which the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the Colorado Rockies by a score of 11–8; and the 2014 AL Wild Card Game which featured the Kansas City Royals beating the Oakland Athletics 9–8 in 12 innings. The margin of victory has been four runs or more in eight of the sixteen games played. Only three games have been decided by exactly one run: the 2014 Royals-Athletics game, the 2018 Rockies-Cubs game, and the 2019 Nationals-Brewers game.

Results

Through the 2021 postseason, visiting teams and home teams have each won nine of the 18 games played. There have been five shutouts, each of which has been won by the visiting team, including three consecutive shutouts in the 2014–2016 NL editions. Two of the three extra innings games have been won by the home team. Three games have ended in walk-off victory for the home team, with the 2021 NL edition being the only one in regulation.

Key
bold Wild Card Game winner
Lost tie-breaker game to reach Wild Card Game (arrow links to game)
Won tie-breaker game to reach Wild Card Game (arrow links to game)
Reached League Championship Series
Reached World Series
Won World Series

American League Wild Card Game

Year Visitor Manager Score Host Manager
2012 Baltimore Orioles Buck Showalter 5–1 Texas Rangers Ron Washington
2013 Tampa Bay Rays Joe Maddon 4–0 Cleveland Indians Terry Francona
2014 Oakland Athletics Bob Melvin 8–9 (12) Kansas City Royals Ned Yost
2015 Houston Astros A. J. Hinch 3–0 New York Yankees Joe Girardi
2016 Baltimore Orioles Buck Showalter 2–5 (11) Toronto Blue Jays John Gibbons
2017 Minnesota Twins Paul Molitor 4–8 New York Yankees Joe Girardi
2018 Oakland Athletics Bob Melvin 2–7 New York Yankees Aaron Boone
2019 Tampa Bay Rays Kevin Cash 5–1 Oakland Athletics Bob Melvin
2021 New York Yankees Aaron Boone 2–6 Boston Red Sox Alex Cora

National League Wild Card Game

Year Visitor Manager Score Host Manager
2012 St. Louis Cardinals Mike Matheny 6–3 Atlanta Braves Fredi González
2013 Cincinnati Reds Dusty Baker 2–6 Pittsburgh Pirates Clint Hurdle
2014 San Francisco Giants Bruce Bochy 8–0 Pittsburgh Pirates Clint Hurdle
2015 Chicago Cubs Joe Maddon 4–0 Pittsburgh Pirates Clint Hurdle
2016 San Francisco Giants Bruce Bochy 3–0 New York Mets Terry Collins
2017 Colorado Rockies Bud Black 8–11 Arizona Diamondbacks Torey Lovullo
2018 Colorado Rockies Bud Black 2–1 (13) Chicago Cubs Joe Maddon
2019 Milwaukee Brewers Craig Counsell 3–4 Washington Nationals Dave Martinez
2021 St. Louis Cardinals Mike Shildt 1–3 Los Angeles Dodgers Dave Roberts

Wild Card Series

After the shortened 60-game regular season of 2020, the first round of the MLB postseason consisted of four Wild Card Series in each league, each series being a best-of-three hosted by the higher seed. Eight teams from each league participated: three division winners, three division runners-up, and two wild card teams (the two remaining teams with the best records, based on winning percentage). Thus, while each league's Wild Card Series featured a total of eight teams, there were still only two wild card qualifiers per league.

Starting in 2022, a modified version of the Wild Card Series was used. However, only three Wild Cards qualify along with the lowest-seeded division winner.

Key
E1 C1 W1 Division winners for East, Central, West
E2 C2 W2 Division runners-up for East, Central, West
WC Wild card teams
bold Wild Card Series winner

American League Wild Card Series

Year Higher seeded team Manager Games Lower seeded team Manager
2020 Tampa Bay RaysE1 Kevin Cash 2–0 Toronto Blue JaysWC Charlie Montoyo
Oakland AthleticsW1 Bob Melvin 2–1 Chicago White SoxWC Rick Renteria
Minnesota TwinsC1 Rocco Baldelli 0–2 Houston AstrosW2 Dusty Baker
Cleveland IndiansC2 Sandy Alomar Jr.[lower-alpha 1] 0–2 New York YankeesE2 Aaron Boone
2022 Cleveland Guardians C1 Terry Francona 2–0 Tampa Bay RaysWC Kevin Cash
Toronto Blue JaysWC John Schneider 0–2 Seattle MarinersWC Scott Servais
2023 Minnesota TwinsC1 Rocco Baldelli 2–0 Toronto Blue JaysWC John Schneider
Tampa Bay RaysWC Kevin Cash 0–2 Texas RangersWC Bruce Bochy

National League Wild Card Series

Year Higher seeded team Manager Games Lower seeded team Manager
2020 Los Angeles DodgersW1 Dave Roberts 2–0 Milwaukee BrewersWC Craig Counsell
Atlanta BravesE1 Brian Snitker 2–0 Cincinnati RedsWC David Bell
Chicago CubsC1 David Ross 0–2 Miami MarlinsE2 Don Mattingly
San Diego PadresW2 Jayce Tingler 2–1 St. Louis CardinalsC2 Mike Shildt
2022 St. Louis Cardinals C1 Oliver Marmol 0–2 Philadelphia PhilliesWC Rob Thomson
New York MetsWC Buck Showalter 1–2 San Diego PadresWC Bob Melvin
2023 Milwaukee Brewers C1 Craig Counsell 0–2 Arizona DiamondbacksWC Torey Lovullo
Philadelphia PhilliesWC Rob Thomson 2–0 Miami MarlinsWC Skip Schumaker

Appearances by team

In the sortable tables below, teams are ordered first by number of wins, then by number of appearances, and finally by year of first appearance. These records reflect series outcomes of the 2020 Wild Card Series, not individual games. In the "Season(s)" column, bold years indicate winning appearances.

American League

Apps Team Wins Losses Win % Season(s)
5 Tampa Bay Rays 3 2 .600 2013, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023
5 New York Yankees 3 2 .600 2015, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021
2 Houston Astros 2 0 1.000 2015, 2020
4 Oakland Athletics 1 3 .250 2014, 2018, 2019, 2020
4 Toronto Blue Jays 1 3 .333 2016, 2020, 2022, 2023
3 Cleveland Guardians 1 2 .333 2013, 2020, 2022
3 Minnesota Twins 1 2 .333 2017, 2020, 2023
2 Baltimore Orioles 1 1 .500 2012, 2016
2 Texas Rangers 1 1 .500 2012, 2023
1 Kansas City Royals 1 0 1.000 2014
1 Boston Red Sox 1 0 1.000 2021
1 Seattle Mariners 1 0 1.000 2022
1 Chicago White Sox 0 1 .000 2020

National League

Apps Team Wins Losses Win % Season(s)
2 San Francisco Giants 2 0 1.000 2014, 2016
2 Arizona Diamondbacks 2 0 1.000 2017, 2023
2 Los Angeles Dodgers 2 0 1.000 2020, 2021
2 San Diego Padres 2 0 1.000 2020, 2022
2 Philadelphia Phillies 2 0 1.000 2022, 2023
4 St. Louis Cardinals 1 3 .250 2012, 2020, 2021, 2022
3 Pittsburgh Pirates 1 2 .333 2013, 2014, 2015
3 Chicago Cubs 1 2 .333 2015, 2018, 2020
2 Atlanta Braves 1 1 .500 2012, 2020
2 Colorado Rockies 1 1 .500 2017, 2018
2 Miami Marlins 1 1 .500 2020, 2023
1 Washington Nationals 1 0 1.000 2019
2 Cincinnati Reds 0 2 .000 2013, 2020
2 New York Mets 0 2 .000 2016, 2022
3 Milwaukee Brewers 0 3 .000 2019, 2020, 2023

Game results by team

Updated through the 2023 postseason. These records reflect individual game results of the 2020 Wild Card Series.

File:Joe Maddon in 2013 (9553142672).jpg
Joe Maddon has managed both the Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago Cubs to Wild Card Game victories.
Team League Appearances Individual games
Games Series Win–loss record Winning pct.
Arizona Diamondbacks NL 1 1 3–0 1.000
Atlanta Braves NL 1 1 2–1 .667
Baltimore Orioles AL 2 0 1–1 .500
Boston Red Sox AL 1 0 1–0 1.000
Cincinnati Reds NL 1 1 0–3 .000
Chicago Cubs NL 2 1 1–3 .250
Chicago White Sox AL 0 1 1–2 .333
Cleveland Guardians AL 1 2 2–3 .400
Colorado Rockies NL 2 0 1–1 .500
Houston Astros AL 1 1 3–0 1.000
Kansas City Royals AL 1 0 1–0 1.000
Los Angeles Dodgers NL 1 1 3–0 1.000
Miami Marlins NL 0 2 2–2 .500
Milwaukee Brewers NL 1 2 0–5 .000
Minnesota Twins AL 1 2 2–3 .400
New York Mets NL 1 1 1–3 .250
New York Yankees AL 4 1 4–2 .667
Oakland Athletics AL 3 1 2–4 .333
Philadelphia Phillies NL 0 2 4–0 1.000
Pittsburgh Pirates NL 3 0 1–2 .333
San Diego Padres NL 0 2 4–2 .667
San Francisco Giants NL 2 0 2–0 1.000
Seattle Mariners AL 0 1 2–0 1.000
St. Louis Cardinals NL 2 2 2–5 .286
Tampa Bay Rays AL 2 3 4–4 .500
Texas Rangers AL 1 1 2–1 .667
Toronto Blue Jays AL 1 2 1–4 .200
Washington Nationals NL 1 0 1–0 1.000

The following current MLB teams have not yet appeared in a Wild Card playoff:

American League: Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels

Records

Single team
  • Most runs scored: 12, New York Yankees vs. Cleveland Indians, Game 1 of the 2020 ALWC[8]
  • Most hits: 17, Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Colorado Rockies, 2017 NLWC[9]
Both teams
  • Most runs scored: 20, St. Louis Cardinals (9) vs. San Diego Padres (11), Game 1 of the 2020 NLWC[8]
  • Most hits: 30, Colorado Rockies (13) vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (17), 2017 NLWC[9]
Other
  • Largest run differential: 9, New York Yankees (12) vs. Cleveland Indians (3), Game 1 of the 2020 ALWC[10]
  • Longest game, by time: 297 minutes (4:57), Tampa Bay Rays vs. Cleveland Guardians, Game 2 of the 2022 ALWCS[11]
  • Longest game, by innings: 15, Tampa Bay Rays vs. Cleveland Guardians, Game 2 of the 2022 ALWCS[11]

See also

Notes

  1. In 2020, Alomar was designated as Cleveland's interim manager in lieu of Terry Francona who missed the postseason due to health concerns.

References

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