MLB Playoffs format, key dates, predictions and more for 2024

The MLB Playoffs may be four months away but, it's never too soon to get an idea of what the playoff picture may look like. Through the first two seasons of the month, baseball has already seen many twists and turns as well as surprise performances from some teams.

MLB Playoffs dates

The 2024 MLB Playoffs will officially start on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, with the Wild Card Series. The tentative date for the Divisional series to begin is Saturday, October 5, 2024, that date depends on the conclusion of the previous series.

The Championship series and the race for the pennant will begin on or around October 12, 2024 depending on the outcome and time frame of the division series. The 2024 World Series will then kickoff with a tentative date of October 22, 2024 and the MLB expects to have a World Series champion crowned by November 2, 2024.

MLB Playoffs format

The 2024 MLB Playoffs will be the same as they were in 2023 with the first and second-seeded teams in the American and National League getting a bye in the wild card series. The playoffs will begin with a best-of-three wild card series. The teams that are seeded No. 3 through No. 6 in the American and National League will play in this series. The No. 3 team will host the No. 6 team and the No. 4 team will host the No. 5 team. The best-of-three series will take place on consecutive days with no off days given.

The No. 1 overall seed will then host the winner of the No. 4 vs. No. 5 matchup and the No. 2 seed will then host the winner of the No. 3 vs. No. 6 matchup. The winner of each division series will then face each other in the championship series to win a pennant.

The winner of the American League Championship and the winner in the National League Championship will then faceoff for the World Series title. The World Series will be hosted by the team with the best regular season record.

MLB playoff lineup if the season ended today

It may be a bit of a reach to think about the Major League Baseball playoffs so early but, tinkering with the idea is always fun, especially for fans of teams who have gotten off to a hot start in 2024.

American League Playoff picture:

• The three division leaders in the AL are the New York Yankees, Cleveland Guardians and Seattle Mariners.

• As of right now, the Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals and Minnesota Twins hold the three American League Wild Card spots.

National League Playoff picture:

• The three division leaders in the NL are the Philadelphia Phillies, Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

• The three National League wild card spots are currently being held by the Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres and the Chicago Cubs.