The Major League Baseball (MLB) has officially released the schedule for the 2024 postseason, marking significant changes and providing clarity on the pathway to the World Series. The regular season will conclude on Sunday, September 29, setting the stage for a postseason packed with action and some notable adjustments to the format.
No More One-Game Playoffs
One of the most significant changes this year is the elimination of the one-game playoffs. In previous years, teams vied for a spot in the division series through a high-stakes, single-elimination game. This year's format opts for a more structured approach, with the Wild Card Series becoming a three-game face-off. This alteration ensures a fairer competition, reducing the vulnerability of teams with strong seasons to an early exit due to a single game's performance.
Structure of the Wild Card Series
The Wild Card Series will commence on Tuesday, October 1. In this revised format, the third division winner and the top Wild Card team in each league will host the series, mitigating the travel stress on teams and providing a home-field advantage during this critical early stage.
The action continues with Game 2 scheduled for Wednesday, October 2, and if necessary, Game 3 will take place on Thursday, October 3. This setup ensures teams have an equitable opportunity to advance based on their performance over multiple games rather than a single outing.
Division Series Highlights
The Division Series will begin on Saturday, October 5. The format gives the top two division winners in each league the opportunity to host Games 1, 2, and, if required, Game 5. This structure rewards teams with strong regular-season records by allowing them to play the majority of their series games at home.
National League Division Series (NLDS) Game 2 is set for Sunday, October 6, followed by American League Division Series (ALDS) Game 2 on Monday, October 7. The schedule intensifies with NLDS Game 3 on Tuesday, October 8, and both ALDS Games 3 and potential NLDS Game 4s arriving on Wednesday, October 9. Any necessary ALDS Game 4 will occur on Thursday, October 10, and NLDS Game 5, if needed, is slotted for Friday, October 11. ALDS Game 5, should it be required, will occur on Saturday, October 12.
League Championship Series
The National League Championship Series (NLCS) kicks off on Sunday, October 13. Following this, both NLCS Game 2 and the first game of the American League Championship Series (ALCS) will be contested on Monday, October 14. Game 2 of the ALCS is scheduled for Tuesday, October 15, while NLCS Game 3 will be on Wednesday, October 16. The following day, Thursday, October 17, features both NLCS Game 4 and ALCS Game 3.
Potentially, ALCS Game 4 and NLCS Game 5 will be held on Friday, October 18. Should the series extend, ALCS Game 5 will occur on Saturday, October 19, followed by potential NLCS Game 6 on Sunday, October 20, and ALCS Game 6 coupled with NLCS Game 7 on Monday, October 21. The final ALCS Game 7 is scheduled for Tuesday, October 22, if needed.
World Series Schedule
The World Series schedule is contingent on the completion of the League Championship Series. If concluded by Saturday, October 19, the World Series will begin on Tuesday, October 22. However, if the Championship Series stretch longer, the World Series is set to kick off on Friday, October 25, aligning with the traditional start later in October.
Game 2 of the World Series is slotted for Saturday, October 26, followed by a travel day. This pause precedes Games 3 and 4, which will be held on Monday, October 28, and Tuesday, October 29, respectively. If necessary, Game 5 will be contested on Wednesday, October 30. Should the series extend to a full seven games, Game 6 will take place on Friday, November 1, and the decisive Game 7 on Saturday, November 2.
The World Series home-field advantage is awarded to the team with the superior regular-season record, hosting Games 1, 2, and, if necessary, Games 6 and 7. This recognizes and rewards the consistency of teams' performance throughout the regular season, adding another layer of strategy and anticipation as teams jockey for positioning throughout the year.
With these structural adjustments and detailed scheduling, the 2024 MLB playoffs promise to deliver clarity and consistency. Fans can look forward to a thrilling postseason as teams battle through a well-defined and rigorous schedule on the road to crowning the next World Series Champion.