2022 MLB Playoff Bracket: Teams, Seeds & Schedule

MLB Playoff Seeds

Remaining teams as of October 24, 2022.

MLB Playoff Bracket Updates

• October 4: The playoff field is set. The #1 Astros and #2 Yankees receive byes in the AL, while the #3 Guardians will host the #6 Rays in the Wild Card round and the #4 Blue Jays will host the #5 Mariners. In the NL, the #1 Dodgers and #2 Braves receive byes. The #3 Cardinals host the #6 Phillies and the #4 Mets host the #5 Padres.
• September 26: The Phillies are now just 1.5 games up on the Brewers for the final Wild Card spot, while the Braves are 1.5 back of the Mets for the NL Central lead.
• September 19: The AL field looks set, with #6 seed Seattle holding a four-game lead on Baltimore, and AL Central-leading Cleveland 3.5 games up on the White Sox with just 16 games remaining. In the NL, the Phillies have dropped four in a row and are now just two games up on Milwaukee for the final Wild Card berth.
• August 15: Only a minor change after the weekend, with the Padres & Phillies swapping #5 and #6 spots in the NL Wild Card race.
• August 11: Despite identical 71-41 records, the Astros now hold the #1 seed thanks to their dominant head-to-head record against the Yankees. The Guardians have now moved a full game ahead of the Twins in the AL Central, while the Mariners and Rays have swapped their Wild Card spots. In the NL, the only seed movement comes in the Wild Card spots as the Phillies and Padres swap the #5 and #6 spots.
• August 5: There’s been some seeding movement going into Friday’s games. In the AL, the Mariners and Rays stay ahead of the Orioles, but swap the #5 and #6 seeds. It’s a little more complicated in the NL, however. The Brewers, Cardinals, and Phillies are all 57-48, but St. Louis now is #3 thanks to a better intra-division record in the Central, while Philadelphia keeps the #6 seed, due to a superior head-to-head record against Milwaukee.
• August 2: The Twins remain in the #3 spot in the AL but their lead in the Central is down to just one game and they are no longer favored in the MLB division odds.
• July 20: Only halfway through the season, the Yankees and Astros appear locked into the #1 and #2 seeds in the AL; their AL Pennant odds are significantly shorter than any other team, as a result. The Dodgers and Mets would receive byes to the Division Series in the NL if the playoffs started today. They Dodgers are currently tied with the Yankees for best World Series odds.

How Many Teams Make the MLB Playoffs?

The 2022 MLB playoff bracket is different than previous seasons. This is the first year of a revised, 12-team format.

Six teams from each league make the playoffs: the three division-winners (seeded #1 through #3) plus three Wild Card teams (seeded #4 through #6). The next section outlines how bracket is formatted. Follow this link to see the latest MLB playoff odds.

How Does the MLB Playoff Bracket Work?

The division-winner with the best record receives the #1 seed and a bye to the Division Series. The division-winner with the second-best record receives the #2 seed and also gets a bye into the Division Series. The division-winner with the third-best record receives the #3 seed and plays the Wild-Card team with the worst record (#6 seed) in a best-of-three series hosted by the division-winner. The best Wild-Card team (#4 seed) plays the second-best Wild-Card team (#5 seed) in another best-of-three series, hosted by the #4 seed.

The bracket is fixed; the winner of the #4 s #5 Wild-Card series plays the #1 seed in a best-of-five series. The winner of the #3 vs #6 Wild-Card series plays the #2 seed in a best-of-five series.

The League Championship Series and World Series remain best-of-seven series.

2022 MLB Playoff Schedule

MLB Wild Card 2022

The meaning of “Wild Card round” has changed significantly this year. In seasons past, the Wild Card Game was a one-game affair between the two non-division winners with the best records in each league.

This year, three Wild Card teams will make the playoffs and the Wild Card round will consist of two best-of-three series in each league.

As outlined above, the two division-winners with the best records in each league receive a bye to the  Division Series. The division-winner with the third-best record in each league must play the final Wild Card team in a best-of-three series hosted by the division-winner.

The #4 and #5 seeds in each league play each other in another best-of-three Wild Card series. The winner of the 4-vs-5 matchup plays the #1 seed. The winner of the 3-vs-6 matchup plays the #2 seed.

MLB Playoff Bracket FAQs

How does the new MLB playoffs work?

The new system is a 12-team format, six teams from each league. The top-two seeds in the AL and NL advance straight to the Division Series. The bottom four teams play best-of-three Wild Card series to determine the final two teams in the Division Series. The winners of the Division Series play a best-of-seven League Championship Series for a berth in the World Series.

How is the MLB playoff bracket determined?

The three division-winners from each league get the top-three seeds. The three-best non-division-winners get the three Wild Card berths. See question above for format.

How many MLB Wild Cards make the playoffs?

Starting in 2022, three Wild Card teams from each league qualify for the MLB playoffs.