Baseball Instruction/WILD CARD

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Expert: - 9/6/2007


Question
Please explain, how works, the WILD CARD system in the major league baseball, in other words, what is the WILD CARD in the major league?

Answer
Sergio,

In each league in major league baseball (American and National) four teams make the post season playoffs.  However, there are only three divisions in each league.  So, the winner of each division makes the playoffs and the team that has the best record in the league (without winning their division) is the fourth team in the playoffs.  That fourth team is considered the wild card.

Fictional example:

West
San Francisco 90-72
Arizona 88-74

Central
St. Louis 100-62
Chicago 90-72

East
Atlanta 94-68
Florida 92-70

In this scenario, Atlanta, St. Louis, and San Francisco make the playoffs and the fourth team is Florida, because they have the next best record in the league.

Hope this helps!

Brian

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Brian Flaspohler

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Questions about baseball rules, general information about the game, statistical analysis, questions about players, questions about Baseball records. I am a member of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) and a lifelong baseball fanatic. Don't ask me questions about training - this is not my area of expertise.

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