The new collective bargaining agreement between MLB and the MLBPA expanded the postseason schedule to include 12 teams instead of the previous 10, and turned the one-off Wild Card game into a three-game series.'
This means the baseball playoffs are bigger and more exciting, and regular-season division standings matter more than ever.
With the regular season wrapping up Oct. 5, 2022, the Wild Card Series is scheduled to run Oct. 7-10, 2022.
How Are Wild Card Teams Chosen and How Does it Work?
Under the new format, the two division-winning teams in each league with the best records advance to the postseason as the top two seeds, and receive a bye in the Wild Card Series. The third division-winning team of each league will move forward as the No. 3 seed.