With the Major League Baseball season about to get underway, the long journey to the World Series begins with a demanding 162-game regular season that tests every aspect of the roster.
The MLB is known for its long season, that spans from early spring through fall to ultimately crown a World Series Champion. Here is the journey every team takes as they try to reach the World Series.
Regular Season (162 Games)
All 30 MLB teams play 162 games, every team plays each other in the regular season at least once.
Intradivision: 52 games, thirteen games against each of the four divisional opponents.
Intraleague: 64 games, six or seven games against the other ten teams in the same league (American or National).
Interleague: 46 games, one three-game series against fourteen teams from the opposite league and an additional 4-game series against a "natural rival."
Teams are split into two leagues:
American League (AL): Consists of 15 teams across East, Central, and West divisions, founded in 1901.
National League (NL): Is the oldest active professional sports league founded in 1876. It consists of 15 teams divided into East, Central, and West divisions.
Each league has three divisions:
AL East, AL Central, and AL West
NL East, NL Central, and NL West
Every division consists of five teams
Standings & Playoff Qualification
The regular season ultimately determines the postseason positioning, with Division winners and Wild Card teams advancing into October.
At the end of the regular season, 12 teams advance to the playoffs:
Six from the American League
Six from the National League
There are three division winners and three wildcard teams (next best records) in each league. The top two division winners in both leagues earn a first-round bye, giving them a direct path to the Division Series.
MLB Postseason Format
The playoffs have four elimination rounds:
Wild Card Series: Best-of-three series, all games are held at the higher seeds stadium. The wild-card teams face a division winner (not a top-2 division seed).
Division Series (ALDS & NLDS): Best-of-five series, top seeds enter the bracket after a bye in the wildcard round.
League Championship Series (ALDS & NLDS): Best-of-seven series, determines the AL and NL League Champion.
World Series: Best-of-seven series, AL Champion vs NL Champion, winner is crowned MLB Champion.
World Series
A marathon of a season gradually builds toward baseballs biggest stage. Where only the most elite teams survive the road to the World Series.
Held each October, home-field advantage is awarded to the team with the better regular season record. The AL and NL Champion compete to earn the title of World Series Champion.
