As of 8/22/10:
AL:
Tampa Bay 76-48 --
Boston 71-54 5.5 GB
Chicago White Sox 67-57 9.0 GB
Toronto 64-59 11.5 GB
Los Angeles Angels 62-62 14.0 GB
NL:
Philadelphia 70-53 --
St. Louis 67-54 2.0 GB
San Francisco 69-56 2.0 GB
Colorado 63-60 7.0 GB
Florida 62-61 8.0 GB
Chat with our AI personalities
They participate in the postseason playoffs by virtue of posting the best records among non-division winner. Each league has three division winners and one wild card compete for the chance to play in the World Series.
No, only division winners can host the divisional round of the playoffs.
The National League and the American League have three divisions each - East, Central and West, the three division winners plus two Wild Card teams make the playoffs. The 2 Wild Card teams in the American League will play each other in a one-game playoff and the 2 Wild Card teams in the National League will play each other in a one-game playoff. The winner of the one-game playoff will advance and will play the team with the best record and the other two teams will face off against one another. The first round of playoffs are called the Division Series, whichever team wins 3 games wins the series and advances to the next round which is the Championship Series which leaves it down to just 2 teams in each league which means they'll have to play each other. The team in the Championship Series that wins 4 games advances to the World Series. Home field advantage during the Postseason is typically determined based on the teams' regular season record however this changes once it goes to the World Series which was already determined as a result of the All-Star Game in July.
In the Major Leagues, the three teams that lead the Division in both leagues will make the Playoffs and the two teams from both leagues with the best record that don't lead the division will also make the Playoffs. Additionallly the two Wild Card teams in the American League will play each other in a one-game playoff and the two Wild Card teams in the National League will also play each other in a one-game playoff. The winner of the American League Wild Card game will continue on to the Division Series in order to play the Divisional Winner with the best record and the winner of the N.L. Wild Card game will also have to face the Divisional record with the best record but in the National League. The Divisional Series is a best of 5 series, the two winners in the A.L. will go on to face each other in the Championship Series and the 2 winners in the N.L. will also go on to face each other in the Championship Series which is a best of 7 series. The winners of the Championship Series will face each other in the World Series which is also a best of 7 series.
The 1997 and 2003 Florida Marlins won World Series as wild cards. Two other National League teams have pulled off the feat: The 2011 St. Louis Cardinals and the 2014 San Francisco Giants.
The baseball stat WC means Wild Card as how many games back in the league race a team is.