The Major League Baseball (MLB) is the premier baseball league in the United States and Canada, and each year the league hosts an exciting postseason tournament to crown a champion. The MLB playoff format for 2022 will be the same as it has been since 2012, with some minor tweaks. The MLB playoffs in 2022 will consist of 10 teams: three division champions, two wild card teams, and a wild card game. The teams will compete in a three-round tournament culminating in a best-of-seven World Series. In this article, we’ll look at the 2022 MLB playoff format in more detail, including the regular season schedule, the wild card game, and the postseason tournament.
Regular Season Schedule
The MLB regular season consists of 162 games, with each team playing 81 home games and 81 away games. The regular season is split into two halves, with the first half ending on July 6th, 2022 and the second half ending on September 28th, 2022. At the end of the regular season, the three division winners and two wild card teams will qualify for the postseason.
Divisional Races
The MLB playoff format for 2022 will feature three divisional races. The American League (AL) and National League (NL) each have three divisions: East, Central, and West. The divisional races will begin on April 1st, 2022 and will run until September 28th, 2022. The team with the best record in each division at the end of the regular season will be declared the divisional champion and will qualify for the postseason.
Wild Card Teams
In addition to the three division champions, two wild card teams will qualify for the postseason. The wild card teams are the two teams with the best records in each league that did not win their division. The wild card teams will be determined at the end of the regular season and will be seeded according to their regular season records.
Wild Card Game
The MLB playoff format for 2022 will also include a wild card game. This game will be played between the two wild card teams in each league and will be held on October 3rd, 2022. The winner of the wild card game will advance to the divisional series, while the loser will be eliminated from the postseason.
Divisional Series
The divisional series is the second round of the MLB playoffs in 2022. The divisional series will be a best-of-five game series between the three divisional champions and the wild card game winner. The divisional series is scheduled to begin on October 6th, 2022 and will conclude no later than October 16th, 2022. The winners of the divisional series will advance to the championship series, while the losers will be eliminated from the postseason.
Championship Series
The championship series is the third and final round of the MLB playoffs in 2022. This is a best-of-seven game series between the two divisional series winners. The championship series is scheduled to begin on October 20th, 2022 and will conclude no later than October 30th, 2022. The winner of the championship series will advance to the World Series, while the loser will be eliminated from the postseason.
World Series
The World Series is the final round of the MLB playoffs in 2022. This is a best-of-seven game series between the two championship series winners. The World Series is scheduled to begin on October 31st, 2022 and will conclude no later than November 11th, 2022. The winner of the World Series will be crowned the 2022 MLB champion.
Conclusion
The MLB playoff format for 2022 will feature 10 teams competing in a three-round tournament culminating in a best-of-seven World Series. The regular season will begin on April 1st, 2022 and will end on September 28th, 2022. The three division winners and two wild card teams will advance to the postseason, with the wild card game being held on October 3rd, 2022. The divisional series will be a best-of-five game series, with the championship series being a best-of-seven game series. The winner of the World Series will be crowned the 2022 MLB champion.