The playoffs are here.
This MLB postseason will truly be like no other, with an expanded format and bubble sites after the first round. There’s no traditional Wild Card Game. Instead, all 16 teams that qualified for playoffs begin their postseason journeys with a best-of-three series at the higher seed’s home field.
Then, off to the bubbles in Texas and California. The Division Series are best-of-five sprints, with no off days in between. The League Championship Series and World Series are best-of-seven.
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Even with playoff expansion, the final week of the regular season was rife with playoff implications. The Cardinals and Brewers clinched the final two playoff spots on Sunday, rounding out the MLB postseason picture.
Here’s how the playoff field stacks up: