MLB Wild Card tiebreaker scenarios explained

With the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays and Oakland Athletics fighting for a playoff spot, here’s how the tiebreakers work.

In the final week in the baseball regular season, it’s looking more and more likely that the AL Wild Card could be decided via tiebreaker. None of the above teams can really separate themselves from the pack, and that’s a compliment to the talent pool the upper-echelon of MLB has to offer.

So, what are the tiebreaker scenarios?

The first is most obvious. If two teams tie for a Wild Card spot, the best head-to-head record advances. The second tiebreaker is intradivision record.

MLB Wild Card tiebreakers

Three teams tied for two spots

The three teams tied would choose designations as Club A, B, or C. First Club A gets to host Club B, with the winner getting the first Wild Card spot. Then, Club C faces the loser of Club B vs Club A, with the winner of that second game going to the Wild Card game.

Two teams tied for second Wild Card spot

Those two teams would simply play a play-in game, with the winner advancing to the Wild Card game.

Three teams tied for second Wild Card spot

This would play out in similar fashion to three teams being tied for two spots, with teams choosing designations, and the winner of Club A vs Club B having to face the winner of Club C vs Club A-Club B loser. The only difference in, there’s only 1 spot up for grabs.

Four-team tie for second WC spot

The likelihood of this is small, but the teams would choose Clubs A-D designation. The winner of Club A vs Club B would face Club C vs Club D winner. Then the winner of THAT game would go to the Wild Card Game.

Four-team tie for two Wild Card spots

This is the same scenario as explained above, but with two spots up for grabs.

We won’t get into five-team scenarios just yet, but Jeff Passan did and it’s…a lot.

American League Wild Card standings

AL Wild Card standings can be found via this link, thanks to MLB.com.

When is Game 163

Any tiebreaker game between two teams would be held on Monday, Oct. 4 for the right to play in the AL Wild Card Game on Oct. 5.