October Baseball: Are We Going to the Postseason?? An MLB Postseason Overview

July is fun—hot bats, big crowds, and long summer days—but let’s be real: we're already thinking about October.

And by "we", I do mean us Dodgers fans, because we have been going through a little bit of rough patch of late, and it's time to remember that last year - 2024 - we also had a downturn, some losing stretches of the season, but at the end of the day, it didn't matter.

Winning 100 games would be great. Not likely, but then again we won over 100 two years ago, only to get sent home immediately in the postseason.

More important:

Win the division.

Then win it all.

The MLB postseason is where legends are made.

Freddie Freeman walking it off with a grand slam last year during the World Series? On a bum ankle plus various other injuries? Come on.

Kike Hernandez turning into an absolute killer, pretty much every October ever? I mean, this is a guy who is a good player all year long, but when the calendar flips over, when it's October... He consistently finds a superior plane of baseball existence. His bat turns white hot. How can he hold it?? Fireproof batting gloves? Where do you find those, Amazon?!

If you’re new to baseball, or just trying to make sense of the playoff structure, this breakdown will help you follow the road to the World Series.

Right now, teams are jockeying for position, trying to stay healthy, and eyeing the upcoming trade deadline.

For fans of the Dodgers (or any contender), that means bullpen help, injury updates, and scoreboard-watching every night. Here’s how it all works.

*** MLB Postseason Overview ***

*** Teams That Make the Playoffs ***

12 teams total (6 from the American League [AL], 6 from the National League [NL]):

3 division winners per league (East, Central, West)

3 wild cards per league (best non-division-winning teams)

*** Seeding System (per league)***

#1 seed – Best record among division winners (gets a bye to the Division Series)

#2 seed – Second-best division winner (also gets a bye)

#3 seed – Worst division winner

#4 seed – Best wild card

#5 seed – Second-best wild card

#6 seed – Third-best wild card

*** Postseason Rounds ***

*** Wild Card Series (Best-of-3) ***

#3 vs #6 and #4 vs #5 (hosted entirely by the higher seed)

Dodgers Example: If the Dodgers finish as a wild card (e.g. #4 seed), they host a 3-game series.

*** Division Series (NLDS/ALDS, Best-of-5) ***

#1 seed plays winner of 4 vs 5

#2 seed plays winner of 3 vs 6

Dodgers Example:

If Dodgers are the #2 seed, they face the 3 vs 6 winner.

If they win the Wild Card Series, they advance to face a division winner.

*** Championship Series (NLCS/ALCS, Best-of-7)***

Two remaining teams in each league battle for a World Series berth

Dodgers Example: If they win the NLDS, they play in the NLCS.
World Series (Best-of-7)

NL Champion vs AL Champion

Dodgers Example: If they win the NLCS, they represent the National League in the World Series.

*** A Postseason Scenario Example ***

Let’s say the Dodgers finished the regular season like this:

Record: 98–64

2nd place in NL West, behind the Diamondbacks

Best wild card team in NL → #4 seed

*** Dodgers’ Path: ***

Wild Card Round: Dodgers (#4) host #5 (say, the Cubs)

NLDS: If they win, they face the #1 seed (Braves)

NLCS: Win again, they face the NLCS winner (maybe the Phillies)

World Series: Face the AL champion (say, the Yankees)