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One of the issues that separated Major League Baseball and the MLBPA during the offseason lockout was the number of postseason teams each season.
The two sides eventually agreed on 12 teams, shaking up the postseason bracket.
The wild-card round was established in 2020 thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic-shortened season and was thought to be a temporary solution, but it is here to stay.
Here's everything you need to know about the wild-card round that begins Friday afternoon:
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A view of Busch Stadium during a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers in St. Louis Oct. 7, 2014. (David E. Klutho/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
HOW IT WORKS
Outside the 2020 season, this is the third time the MLB postseason has expanded since the 1995 season. After three division winners and one wild card from 1995 to 2011, the 2012 season saw two wild-card teams, which spawned the Wild Card Game — one game, do or die, winner faces the top seed in the Division Series, loser goes home. Until last season.
Beginning this year, there are now three wild-card teams along with the three division winners in each league. Much like the NFL's old playoff format, the top two seeds receive a "bye" into the Division Series.
This weekend, the No. 3 seeds (the division winner with the worst record of the three) will host the No. 6 seeds in a best-of-three series with all three games being played on consecutive days at the higher seed's ballpark. The No. 4 seeds are hosting the No. 5 seeds.
WHO'S PLAYING
The third-seeded Cleveland Guardians, who won the AL Central, will welcome the sixth-seeded Tampa Bay Rays, while the Seattle Mariners will travel north to Toronto to face the fourth-seeded Blue Jays.
A view of the 2020 Wild Card Series logo on the LED scoreboard during batting practice prior to Game 1 of the Wild Card Series between the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field in Cleveland Sept. 29, 2020. (Joe Sargent/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
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In the National League, the fifth-seeded San Diego Padres are flying east to go against the fourth-seeded New York Mets. The NL Central-winning St. Louis Cardinals will host the Philadelphia Phillies.
WHAT'S NEXT
To ensure the top seed in each league would not face a division winner in the Division Series, there will not be reseeding. The top-seeded Houston Astros will face the winner of the Mariners-Blue Jays series in the best-of-five ALDS, while the New York Yankees will have home-field advantage against either the Rays or Guardians.
The NL's top-seeded Los Angeles Dodgers await either the Mets or Padres in the next round, while the defending World Series champion Atlanta Braves will go up against either the Cardinals or Phillies.
A general view during pregame ceremonies for the National League wild-card game between the New York Mets and the San Francisco Giants at Citi Field Oct. 5, 2016, in New York City. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
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The Division Series remains best-of-five, while the Championship Series and World Series each still are best-of-seven.
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