The 2022 MLB postseason introduced a radical new playoff format
In short: For the first time since 2012, Major League Baseball expanded its postseason to include six teams per league. This shift introduced a new hierarchy of byes and Wild Card matchups, fundamentally changing how teams navigate the road to the World Series and ending decades-long droughts for several franchises.
The 2022 season marked a significant structural departure for MLB. Under the revised format, the top two division winners in each league received a first-round bye directly into the Division Series. The third seed, the lowest-ranked division winner, hosted the sixth seed, while the fourth seed hosted the fifth seed in a best-of-three Wild Card series. This was a departure from previous years, and it also saw the implementation of new tie-breaking procedures using head-to-head records to avoid tiebreaker games.
The tournament produced several historic milestones. By reaching their tenth straight postseason, the Los Angeles Dodgers hold the longest active streak across the four major North American professional sports leagues, following the Pittsburgh Penguins' 2023 Stanley Cup playoff absence. Meanwhile, the Seattle Mariners and Philadelphia Phillies both ended significant postseason droughts—the Mariners' being the longest active drought across all four major North American sports leagues, ending a stretch of futility since 2001.
The postseason concluded on November 5, with the Houston Astros defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in six games to secure their second franchise championship. This series holds the record for being played on the latest date ever for a World Series game. The tournament also saw significant upsets, such as the New York Mets becoming the first 100-win team to be eliminated before reaching the Division Series since the format's permanent implementation in 1995.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: 2022 Major League Baseball postseason
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/history-2022-major-league-baseball-postseason.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
Related
More in Born on this day · More in History · Latest · A–Z · All topics
