Playoff format

Baseball's postseason begins with two American and two National League best-of-five division series featuring each league's three division winners and a wild-card team. Both NL series will begin Wednesday, Oct. 3, and run Wednesday-Thursday-Saturday-Sunday-Tuesday. But the AL series are staggered, one running Wednesday-Friday-Sunday-Monday-Wednesday, the other Thursday-Friday-Sunday-Monday-Wednesday. The series that starts Wednesday has three off days as opposed to two.

The team with the best record in the AL will have the right to decide whether it will start its division series Wednesday or Thursday (next year, the NL has the choice). That team must make its selection no later than one hour following the completion of the game that finalizes which club has the best record or finalizes the series matchups, whichever is later. Major League Baseball is expected to announce the schedules immediately after the team has made its decision.