Overview
- The postseason field was finalized after the regular season ended, with the Wild Card best-of-three series scheduled for Sept. 29 through Oct. 1 and all games played at the higher seed's home park.
- Milwaukee finished with the MLB-best record and is the National League No. 1 seed while Tampa Bay is the American League No. 1, and both plus the NL No. 2 Los Angeles Dodgers and AL No. 2 Cleveland bypass the Wild Card round.
- Wild Card matchups are New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros vs. Chicago White Sox, San Diego Padres vs. Chicago Cubs, and Atlanta Braves vs. Philadelphia Phillies.
- Player availability could shift short-term expectations, with reports noting Aaron Judge's calf strain as a factor for the Yankees' outlook entering the Wild Card games.
- Analysts and Baseball Prospectus argue the current three-Wild-Card format can reward weaker division winners and create unfair early pairings, and the issue is gaining attention as MLB and the players negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement.