MLB Playoffs 2023: Explaining Wild Card Format, Divisional Series and More

The 2023 MLB regular season is in the rear-view mirror and now, the 12 best teams in baseball will battle for the opportunity to hoist the Commissioner's Trophy as World Series champions.

To get there, though, they must advance through their respective league's Wild Card, Divisional and Championship series.

What do those series look like and which teams can fans expect to see chase their dreams starting Tuesday, October 3.

AL Standings

Brandon Sloter/Image Of Sport/Getty Images

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 28: Baltimore Orioles players pose for a group photo after defeating the Boston Red Sox to win the American League East at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 28, 2023 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Image Of Sport/Getty Images)

1. Baltimore Orioles (best AL record)
2. Houston Astros (second-best division winner record)
3. Minnesota Twins (third-best division winner record)
4. Tampa Bay Rays (best record among wild card qualifiers)
5. Texas Rangers (second-best record among wild card qualifiers)
6. Toronto Blue Jays (third-best record among wild card qualifiers)

NL Standings

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PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 13: Ronald Acuna Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves reacts after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies to clinch the NL East at Citizens Bank Park on September 13, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

1. Atlanta Braves (best NL record) 
2. Los Angeles Dodgers (second-best division winner record)
3. Milwaukee Brewers (third-best division winner record)
4. Philadelphia Phillies (best record among wild card qualifiers)
5. Miami Marlins (second-best record among wild card qualifiers)
6. Arizona Diamondbacks (third-best record among wild card qualifiers)

Wildcard Format

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PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 30: Jazz Chisholm Jr. #2 of the Miami Marlins celebrates after a 7-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates to clinch a National League Wildcard berth at PNC Park on September 30, 2023 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)

A three-game series has replaced the single-game format that was in effect from 2012-19 and returned for a hot second in 2021.

The third and fourth seeds from each league will host the Wild Card round games by way of their superior records. The three-game series will take place across consecutive days.

In the NL, the sixth-seeded Arizona Diamondbacks will travel to Milwaukee to face the NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers while the defending NL champion Philadelphia Phillies host their division rivals Miami Marlins.

Over in the AL, the Toronto Blue Jays battled the AL Central Minnesota Twins while the Texas Rangers, fresh off of letting the AL West title slip from their grasp, will travel to Tampa to meet the Rays.

The first and second seeds in each league receive byes to the Divisional Series. This year, the dominant Atlanta Braves (with a league-best 104-58 record) and the perennial postseason attendees, the Los Angeles Dodgers (100-62), sit atop the National League while the feel-good story of the season, the Baltimore Orioles (101-61), and Houston Astros (90-72) top the American League.

Those four teams will benefit from a short break before battling the winners of the Wild Card series beginning Saturday, October 7.

The Orioles and Braves, as the top seeds in each league, will face the lowest remaining seed while the second seeded Astros and Dodgers will square off with the highest remaining seeds.

The winners of the two AL series will meet for the league championship. Ditto the NL series.

The winners of those two teams will meet in the 2023 World Series.