The regular season is over, the playoff matchups are set, and now the excitement really begins.
Get ready for October baseball as MLB's postseason kicks off with wild card quadrupleheaders on Tuesday and Wednesday. (Even though those games are being played in September.)
The Los Angeles Dodgers have their sights set on a third consecutive World Series championship, a feat last accomplished by the New York Yankees from 1998-2000. But there are several other worthy challengers looking to knock them off.
The Milwaukee Brewers had the best regular-season record in the majors at 103-59, followed by the Dodgers at 100-62 and the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL at 98-64. But as we all know, anything can happen in the playoffs.
MLB playoff format
Here's how the MLB playoffs work,
with the six teams from each league participating.
- The top two division winners (best overall record) in each league receive an automatic bye into the division series. (AL: Tampa Bay Rays, Cleveland Guardians; NL: Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers)
- The third division winner in each league (as the No. 3 seed) hosts the third wild card team (the No. 6 seed) in a best-of-3 series. (AL: Chicago White Sox at Houston Astros; NL: Philadelphia Phillies at Atlanta Braves)
- The other two wild card teams (Nos. 4 and 5 seeds) play each other, with the higher-seeded team hosting all three games. (AL: Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees; NL: Chicago Cubs at San Diego Padres)
- The winner of the 4 vs. 5 matchup plays the No. 1 overall seed in a best-of-5 division series, while the 3 vs. 6 winner plays the No. 2 seed.
- The winners of those series face each other in a best-of-7 league championship series, with the winners advancing to the World Series.
MLB playoff schedule
The MLB postseason begins on Tuesday, Sept. 29 with Game 1 of each of the four wild card series. If necessary, a decisive Game 3 is set for two days later on Thursday, Oct. 1.
MORE: MLB wild card playoff game times revealed
All four division series will start on Saturday, Oct. 3. If Game 5 is needed, those will be played on Friday, Oct. 9 in the National League and Saturday, Oct. 10 in the American League. The best-of-five division series is played in a 2-2-1 format.
The National League Championship Series will begin on Sunday, Oct. 11 while the American League Championship Series starts the next day on Oct. 12. The LCS round is a best-of-seven with a 2-3-2 format. If necessary, Game 7 is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 19 in the NLCS and Tuesday, Oct. 20 in the ALCS.
The World Series will begin on Friday, Oct. 23. A winner-take-all Game 7 would be played on Saturday, Oct. 31, if necessary.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How do MLB playoffs work? Format, matchups, schedule
