Major League Baseball Wild Card

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In Major League Baseball (MLB), a wild card refers to two teams in each of the two leagues (American and National) that qualify for the postseason despite failing to win their division. Except for each league's three division winners, the wild cards have the best winning percentage in their league.

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One wild card (1994–2011) [edit]

The wild card was instituted in 1994 when MLB expanded from two to three divisions per league. From 1969 through 1993, division leaders in each league advanced to the League Championship Series, with the winners of each LCS meeting in the World Series. The three-division leagues (through 2011), rather than one team getting a "bye", had four teams in each league's playoffs. In order to maintain a single-elimination tournament format, a wild card was added to each league, to create a fourth playoff berth. It was established for the MLB playoffs in 1994 (which were canceled because of the player's strike) with the intention of having more teams in the postseason.

Historic anomalies [edit]

A "wild card" rule was used in the 1981 season after a players' strike wiped out the "middle third" of the season. The owners decided that the winners (in each division) of either "half" of the abbreviated season would make playoffs, with the caveat that if the same team won both halves then the team from the division with the second-best record from the second half would enter the playoffs as a wild card. (All four divisions had different first-half and second-half winners.)

Two wild cards (2012–present) [edit]

On November 17, 2011, MLB announced that it would be adding two wild card teams to the postseason, implementing a format that was proposed in 1999.[1] [2] The two wild card teams in each league face each other in a one-game playoff. The winner of this game advances to meet the top seed in the Division Series. The revised playoff system began with the 2012 season.[3]

Wild-card winners by year and by most wild-card titles [edit]

For each league's list of wild-card winners by year and teams with most wild-card titles, see:

Combined Wild Card Game, division-series, LCS, and World Series record as wild-card winners [edit]

Wild-card team Series record* Playoffs
Florida/Miami Marlins 6–0 Won 1997 World Series and 2003 World Series
Anaheim Angels/Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 3–0 Won 2002 World Series
Boston Red Sox 6–6 Won 2004 World Series[4]
St. Louis Cardinals 4–2 Won 2011 World Series[5]
New York Mets 3–2 Lost 2000 World Series to New York (AL), 4–1[6]
San Francisco Giants 2–1 Lost 2002 World Series to Anaheim, 4–3
Houston Astros 3–2 Lost 2005 World Series to Chicago (AL), 4–0[7]
Detroit Tigers 2–1 Lost 2006 World Series to St. Louis Cardinals, 4–1
Baltimore Orioles 2–2 Lost 1996 American League Championship Series to New York (AL), 4–1.[8]
Colorado Rockies 2–3 Lost 2007 World Series to Boston Red Sox, 4–0[9]
Seattle Mariners 1–1 Lost 2000 American League Championship Series to New York (AL), 4–2.
New York Yankees 1–4 Lost 2010 American League Championship Series[10]
Los Angeles Dodgers 0–2 Lost 2006 National League Division Series[11]
Atlanta Braves 0–2 Lost 2010 National League Division Series[12]
Chicago Cubs 0–1 Lost 1998 National League Division Series
Oakland Athletics 0–1 Lost 2001 American League Division Series
Milwaukee Brewers 0–1 Lost 2008 National League Division Series
Tampa Bay Rays 0–1 Lost 2011 American League Division Series
Texas Rangers 0–1 Lost 2012 American League Wild Card Game

(*) – Counts one-game wild card playoff in the statistics.

Facts [edit]

  • The following teams have won the World Series as a wild-card team: Marlins (1997 and 2003), Angels (2002), Red Sox (2004), and Cardinals (2011), meaning that three consecutive titles were won by a wild card (2002–2004).
  • A wild-card team appeared in the World Series each year from 2002–2007.
  • The Angels beat the Giants in the 2002 World Series, the only time when both teams were wild cards.
  • The Baltimore Orioles, in 1996, were the first wild-card team to win a Division Series.
  • The Florida Marlins, in 1997, were the first wild-card team to reach the World Series, the first to win a World Series (1997), and, by winning in 2003, the first to win the World Series twice as a wild card. Also, the Marlins are the only team to win a World Series without winning a division title.
  • The Red Sox have been a wild card team seven times, with the Yankees appearing four times, and the Rockies three times.
  • The following teams have won the wild card in consecutive years: Red Sox (1998–1999, 2003–2005, 2008–2009), Astros (2004, 2005), Mets (1999, 2000), and Cardinals (2011, 2012).

See also [edit]

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Footnotes [edit]

  1. ^ Lacques,Gabe (2010-11-17). "MLB adds 2 wild cards, moves Astros to AL". USA Today. Retrieved 2011-12-02. 
  2. ^ Dreslough, Clay (1999-09-26). "Fixing the Wild Card". Sports Mogul Inc. Retrieved 2011-12-02. 
  3. ^ Bloom, Barry M. (March 2, 2012). "Addition of Wild Card berths finalized for 2012". MLB.com. MLB.com. 
  4. ^ ; also: Lost 1998 American League Division Series; Lost 1999 American League Championship Series; Lost 2003 American League Championship Series; Lost 2005 American League Division Series; Lost 2008 American League Championship Series; Lost 2009 American League Division Series.
  5. ^ The Cardinals also: Lost 2001 National League Division Series and 2012 National League Championship Series.
  6. ^ The Mets also: Lost 1999 National League Championship Series.
  7. ^ The Astros also: Lost 2004 National League Championship Series.
  8. ^ The Orioles also: Lost 2012 American League Division Series.
  9. ^ The Rockies also: Lost 1995 National League Division Series; Lost 2009 National League Division Series.
  10. ^ The Yankees also: Lost 1995 American League Division Series; Lost 1997 American League Division Series; Lost 2007 American League Division Series.
  11. ^ The Dodgers also: Lost 1996 National League Division Series.
  12. ^ The Braves also: Lost 2012 National League Wild Card Game.

External links [edit]
American League
National League
Pre-2012 Playoffs
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