October baseball is special because just about anything can happen.
Some bats get cold, while others get hot, and teams captivate their fanbases by making a run to win MLB’s ultimate prize. Long before the World Series begins, though, a group of eight contenders take the field for the wild-card round. And while the name may suggest those teams qualified for the postseason by chance, there’s nothing lucky about some runs that have been made by wild-card teams.
MLB’s wild card is unique in that it isn’t just a one-off — teams square off more than once to ensure the squad that is best suited to advance will move on. The league adopted a new wild-card format in 2022, and it has produced entertaining results.
Here is what to know about MLB’s wild-card series, including the bracket and format in the American and National Leagues.
MORE: Full guide to the number of games, rules and more in the MLB wild-card round
Are MLB wild card games best of 3?
Yes, MLB wild card series are best-of-three.
The current format, which was instituted in 2022, has the No. 4 seed host the No. 5 seed, while the No. 3 seed hosts the No 6 seed. The first team to two wins advances to the divisional round.
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MLB playoff bracket
Here is the 2025 MLB playoff bracket.
In 2025, the American League has a pair of wild-card matchups between divisional foes as the No. 3 Cleveland Guardians host the No. 6 Detroit Tigers, while the No. 5 Boston Red Sox visit the No. 4 New York Yankees.
In the National League, the No. 6 Cincinnati Reds will visit the No. 3 Los Angeles Dodgers while the No. 4 Chicago Cubs host the No. 5 San Diego Padres.
MORE: The full history of Yankees vs. Red Sox in the postseason
MLB playoff format
The MLB playoffs consists of four rounds: wild card, divisional series, championship series and World Series.
The wild-card round contains two best-of-three series in each conference. The No. 3 seed hosts the No. 6 seed and the No. 4 seed hosts the No. 5 seed. All three games are played at the home stadium of the higher seed.
In the divisional series, the winner of the 3-6 series advances to face the No. 2 seed, while the winner of the 4-5 series advances to face the No. 1 seed. The divisional series is a best-of-five series where the higher seed hosts Games 1 and 2 and a possible Game 5. The lower seed hosts Games 3 and 4, if necessary.
The championship series is a seven-game series between the two divisional-series winners. The higher seed hosts Games 1, 2, 6, and 7, if necessary, while the lower seed hosts Games 3 through 5.
The World Series is also a best-of-seven series played between the pennant winners in each conference. This seven-game series also follows a 2-3-2 format, with the team that holds a higher regular-season record hosting Games 1, 2, 6, and 7, if necessary.
MORE: All-time list of perfect games in MLB history
