2024 Major League Baseball postseason

The 2024 Major League Baseball postseason is the playoff tournament of Major League Baseball (MLB) for the 2024 season. The winners of the Wild Card Series will face the two best division winners (seeds) in each league in the Division Series, and the victors will advance to the League Championship Series to determine the pennant winners who will play each other in the 2024 World Series. The postseason began on October 1.^[1][2]

2024 Major League Baseball postseason

Tournament details
Dates	October 1 – November 2, 2024[a]
Teams	12
← 2023 2025 →

In the American League, the New York Yankees became the first team in the league this season to clinch a postseason berth on September 18; they returned to the postseason for the seventh time in the past eight seasons, after missing the postseason last year. On September 19, the Cleveland Guardians returned to the postseason for the seventh time in the past 12 seasons. On September 24, the Houston Astros returned to the postseason for the eighth time in a row and the ninth in the past 10 seasons, and the Baltimore Orioles returned for the second time in a row. On September 27, the Detroit Tigers returned to the postseason for the first time since 2014, ending the longest current playoff drought in Major League Baseball, which was tied with the Los Angeles Angels.^[3] The same day, the Kansas City Royals clinched their first playoff berth since their 2015 championship season. The defending World Series champions, Texas Rangers, were eliminated from postseason contention on September 20.^[4]

In the National League, the Milwaukee Brewers became the first team of 2024 as well as the first team in the league this season to clinch a postseason berth on September 18. The Los Angeles Dodgers returned to the postseason for the 12th time in a row on September 19, which remains the longest active playoff streak in major North American professional sports. The Philadelphia Phillies returned to the postseason for the third time in a row on September 20, the San Diego Padres returned to the postseason for the third time in the past five seasons on September 24, the New York Mets returned to the postseason for the fourth time in the past ten seasons on September 30 via the first game doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves, and the Braves returned to the postseason on September 30 via the second game doubleheader against the Mets.

With the Mets and Braves clinching, the Arizona Diamondbacks, the defending National League champions, were eliminated from postseason contention. This marked the first time since 2007 where neither team from the previous year’s World Series will appear in the playoffs.^[5]

The three teams that are division winners in each league and the top three non-division winners (wild cards) qualified for the playoffs. The top two division winners receive byes to the ALDS or NLDS while the other teams have to play in the wild-card round.

The following teams qualified for the postseason:

American League

1. New York Yankees – 94–68, AL East champions and best record in the AL^[6][7][8]
2. Cleveland Guardians – 92–69, AL Central champions^[9][10][11]
3. Houston Astros – 88–73, AL West champions^[12][13]
4. Baltimore Orioles – 91–71^[14]
5. Kansas City Royals – 86–76 (secured #5 seed based on winning head-to-head series tiebreaker 7–6 vs. DET)^[15]
6. Detroit Tigers – 86–76 (6–7 head-to-head vs. KC)^[16]

National League

1. Los Angeles Dodgers – 98–64, NL West champions and best record in the NL and MLB^{[17][18][19][20]}
2. Philadelphia Phillies – 95–67, NL East champions^{[21][22][23][24]}
3. Milwaukee Brewers – 93–69, NL Central champions^[25]
4. San Diego Padres – 93–69^[26]
5. Atlanta Braves – 89–73(7–6 head-to-head vs. NYM)†^{[citation needed]}
6. New York Mets – 89–73 (6–7 head-to-head vs. ATL)†^{[citation needed]}

†Both the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets had better head-to-head records with the 89–73 Arizona Diamondbacks (5–2 and 4–3, respectively), negating the need for a three-way tie-breaking scenario.^{[citation needed]}

(3) Houston Astros vs. (6) Detroit Tigers

Detroit won the series, 2–0.

This was the first postseason meeting between the Astros and the Tigers. The Astros won the regular season series against the Tigers 4–2. The Tigers swept the Astros to return to the ALDS for the first time since 2014, bringing an end to a streak of seven consecutive ALCS appearances for the Astros, which dated back to 2017.

Tarik Skubal pitched six solid innings and the Tigers’ bullpen got out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Tigers took Game 1. In Game 2, the Astros took the lead in the bottom of the seventh but it was quickly erased by a four-run eighth inning by Detroit, which was capped off by a base-clearing double by Andy Ibáñez that put the Tigers back in the lead for good. This was the first playoff series win by the Tigers since 2013 and only the fourth postseason sweep in club history, having previously swept the AL Championship Series in 1984, 2006, and 2012.

(4) Baltimore Orioles vs. (5) Kansas City Royals

Kansas City won the series, 2–0.

This was the second postseason meeting between the Royals and Orioles. Their previous postseason meeting was in the 2014 ALCS, which was won by the Royals in a four-game sweep before falling in the World Series. The Orioles won the regular season series against the Royals 4–2. The Royals swept the Orioles to return to the ALDS for the first time since 2015, thus the Orioles extended their playoff-game-losing-streak to a league record ten games.

Cole Ragans pitched six solid innings and the Royals' bullpen held off the Orioles in three straight innings as the Royals took Game 1. In Game 2, the Royals took the lead in the top of the sixth inning when Bobby Witt Jr. hit an RBI single. The bullpen continued to hold down the Orioles as the Royals completed the two-game sweep. This was the first playoff series win by the Royals since 2015.

(3) Milwaukee Brewers vs. (6) New York Mets

New York won the series, 2–1.

This was the first postseason meeting between the Brewers and the Mets. The Brewers won the regular season series against the Mets 5–1. The Mets upset the Brewers in three games to advance to the NLDS for the first time since 2015.

In Game 1, the Brewers took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning, but the Mets put up five unanswered runs in the top of the fifth thanks to an RBI single from Jose Iglesias, and a pair of two-run singles from Mark Vientos and J. D. Martinez, which gave them the win. In Game 2, the Mets led going into the bottom of the fifth, but the Brewers rallied to even the series thanks to two home runs from Jackson Chourio and a two-run home run from Garrett Mitchell. Game 3 started as a pitchers duel between both teams as neither team put up a run through six and a half innings, then the Brewers struck first in the bottom of the seventh as the Mets surrendered back-to-back home runs to Jake Bauers and Sal Frelick. However, things quickly came apart for Milwaukee as they surrendered a three-run home run to Pete Alonso, which put the Mets ahead for good as they would close out the series.

This was the first playoff series win by the Mets since winning the National League pennant in 2015.

(4) San Diego Padres vs. (5) Atlanta Braves

San Diego won the series, 2–0.

This is the second postseason meeting between the Padres and Braves. They last met in the 1998 NLCS, which the Padres won before ultimately losing in the World Series. The Padres won the regular season series against the Braves 4–3. The Padres swept the Braves to return to the NLDS for the third time in five years.

Michael King pitched seven innings of shutout baseball as the Padres took Game 1 by a 4–0 score. In Game 2, the Padres jumped out to a 5–1 lead in the bottom of the second, and Robert Suárez shut down a late rally by the Braves in the top of the ninth to complete the sweep.

(1) New York Yankees vs. (5) Kansas City Royals

Series tied, 0–0.

† If necessary

This will be the fifth postseason meeting between the Yankees and Royals. The two teams had a bitter rivalry during the late 1970s and early 1980s^[36], as both faced each other in the American League Championship Series in 1976, 1977, 1978, and 1980, with the Yankees winning the former three and the Royals winning the latter series in a sweep.

(2) Cleveland Guardians vs. (6) Detroit Tigers

Series tied, 0–0.

† If necessary

This is the first postseason meeting between the Guardians and the Tigers. The Guardians won the regular season series against the Tigers 7–6.

(1) Los Angeles Dodgers vs. (4) San Diego Padres

Series tied, 0–0.

† If necessary

This will be the third postseason meeting in the history of the Dodgers–Padres rivalry. They previously met in the NLDS in 2020 and 2022, with Los Angeles sweeping the former series and San Diego winning the latter series in one of the biggest upsets in postseason history.

(2) Philadelphia Phillies vs. (6) New York Mets

Series tied, 0–0.

† If necessary

This will be the first postseason meeting in the history of the Mets-Phillies rivalry.

Television coverage

Coverage of the four Wild Card Series will be produced by ESPN, and all games will be distributed across ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC.

Both the American League Division Series and American League Championship Series will be on TBS and TruTV.

Fox Sports will have coverage of both of the National League Division Series, National League Championship Series on Fox and FS1 and the World Series exclusively on Fox for the 25th consecutive year.

Spanish language broadcasts will be available on ESPN Deportes for ESPN/ABC games, Fox Deportes for Fox Sports games, and Univision Deportes for TNT Sports games. Univision and TUDN will also air Game 1 of the World Series, the first time a World Series game has aired on broadcast television in Spanish.^[37][38]

Streaming

TBS's games will be available on the streaming service Max's Bleacher Report Sports Add-on tier. ESPN, TBS, and Fox's games will be streamed on their respective apps.

Radio

ESPN Radio will air the entire Major League Baseball postseason.^[39]

• Major League Baseball Standings and Expanded Standings – 2024