Baseball Postseason Playoffs

The World Series was "born" in 1903, but postseason play began as early as the 1884 season. Major League Baseball does not recognize those games as an official part of World Series history, but they did set the foundation for "The Fall Classic." A match-up that remained constant from its start in 1903 through 1968.

In 1969, both the American and National League split into two divisions and the League Championship was created setting the stage for some thrilling postseason moments (outside of the World Series). The best-of-five League Championship Series switched to a best-of-seven series in 1985 to increase revenue and match the length of the World Series.

The 1981 season was a separate case. A mid-season player's strike split the season in half and upset fans - some of which still remain discontent with our national pastime. Major League Baseball hoped to recoup some of the lost revenue and win back the disinterested fans so an extra level of playoff games were played.

Three divisions were created in 1993 to make room for the expansion teams. East, Central, and West divisions are the most recent major alignment changes. Club owners voted on divisional team placements - though nobody truly understands why & how certain decisions were made — and in 1995 the playoffs introduced the Division Series.

A best-of-five series would determine who would play for the pennant and the three division champions would face off with a fourth "wildcard", determined by the second-place team with the best record from any of the three divisions. Baseball Almanac is pleased to present a series of charts meant to easily illustrate the history of postseason baseball.

Baseball Almanac Top Quote

"The playoffs are the wedge between the season and the World Series. If you lose, it means you won't be going to the greatest sports event in this country. It's the quagmire before the promised land. It's the Red Sea that has to be crossed. If you don't cross in to the World Series, you're a loser. You're forgotten by Thanksgiving." - Tim McCarver in Oh Baby, I Love it (1987)

Postseason At-A-Glance
1969 - 1980 : Best of Five Format

Year-by-Year Playoff Charts

Baltimore
3 Wins (East)
1969 New York
3 Wins (East)
Minnesota
0 Wins (West)
Atlanta
0 Wins (West)
Baltimore
3 Wins (East)
1970 Pittsburgh
0 Wins (East)
Minnesota
0 Wins (West)
Cincinnati
3 Wins (West)
Baltimore
3 Wins (East)
1971 Pittsburgh
3 Wins (East)
Oakland
0 Wins (West)
San Francisco
1 Win (West)
Detroit
2 Wins (East)
1972 Pittsburgh
2 Win (East)
Oakland
3 Wins (West)
Cincinnati
3 Wins (West)
Baltimore
2 Wins (East)
1973 New York
3 Wins (East)
Oakland
3 Wins (West)
Cincinnati
2 Wins (West)
Baltimore
1 Win (East)
1974 Pittsburgh
1 Win (East)
Oakland
3 Wins (West)
Los Angeles
3 Wins (West)
Boston
3 Wins (East)
1975 Pittsburgh
0 Wins (East)
Oakland
0 Wins (West)
Cincinnati
3 Wins (West)
New York
3 Wins (East)
1976 Philadelphia
0 Wins (East)
Kansas City
2 Wins (West)
Cincinnati
3 Wins (West)
New York
3 Wins (East)
1977 Philadelphia
1 Win (East)
Kansas City
2 Wins (West)
Los Angeles
3 Wins (West)
New York
3 Wins (East)
1978 Philadelphia
1 Win (East)
Kansas City
1 Win (West)
Los Angeles
3 Wins (West)
Baltimore
3 Wins (East)
1979 Pittsburgh
3 Wins (East)
California
1 Win (West)
Cincinnati
0 Wins (West)
New York
0 Wins (East)
1980 Philadelphia
3 Wins (East)
Kansas City
3 Wins (West)
Houston
2 Wins (West)

Postseason At-A-Glance
1981 - 1981 : Extra Round "Strike" Test

Year-by-Year Playoff Charts

New York
3 Wins (East)
New York
3 Wins (East)
1981 Montreal
2 Wins (East)
Montreal
3 Wins (East)
Milwaukee
2 Wins (East)
Philadelphia
2 Wins (East)
Oakland
3 Wins (West)
Oakland
0 Wins (West)
Los Angeles
3 Wins (West)
Los Angeles
3 Wins (West)
Kansas City
0 Wins (West)
Houston
2 Wins (West)

Postseason At-A-Glance
1982 - 1984 : Best of Five Format

Year-by-Year Playoff Charts

Milwaukee
3 Wins (East)
1982 St. Louis
3 Wins (East)
California
2 Wins (West)
Atlanta
0 Wins (West)
Baltimore
3 Wins (East)
1983 Philadelphia
3 Wins (East)
Chicago
1 Win (West)
Los Angeles
1 Win (West)
Detroit
3 Wins (East)
1984 Chicago
2 Wins (East)
Kansas City
0 Wins (West)
San Diego
3 Wins (West)

Postseason At-A-Glance
1985 - 1993 : Best of SevenFormat

Year-by-Year Playoff Charts

Toronto
3 Wins (East)
1985 St. Louis
4 Wins (East)
Kansas City
4 Wins (West)
Los Angeles
2 Wins (West)
Boston
4 Wins (East)
1986 New York
4 Wins (East)
California
3 Wins (West)
Houston
2 Wins (West)
Detroit
1 Win (East)
1987 St. Louis
4 Wins (East)
Minnesota
4 Wins (West)
San Francisco
3 Wins (West)
Boston
0 Wins (East)
1988 New York
3 Wins (East)
Oakland
4 Wins (West)
Los Angeles
4 Wins (West)
Toronto
1 Win (East)
1989 Chicago
1 Win (East)
Oakland
4 Wins (West)
San Francisco
4 Wins (West)
Boston
0 Wins (East)
1990 Pittsburgh
2 Wins (East)
Oakland
4 Wins (West)
Cincinnati
4 Wins (West)
Toronto
1 Win (East)
1991 Pittsburgh
3 Wins (East)
Minnesota
4 Wins (West)
Atlanta
4 Wins (West)
Toronto
4 Wins (East)
1992 Pittsburgh
3 Wins (East)
Oakland
2 Wins (West)
Atlanta
4 Wins (West)
Toronto
4 Wins (East)
1993 Philadelphia
4 Wins (East)
Chicago
2 Wins (West)
Atlanta
2 Wins (West)

Postseason At-A-Glance
1994 - 2011 : Wildcard Team / Modern Playoffs

Year-by-Year Playoff Charts

Strike Season
x Wins (n/a)
Strike Season
x Wins (n/a)
1994 Strike Season
x Wins (n/a)
Strike Season
x Wins (n/a)
Strike Season
x Wins (n/a)
Strike Season
x Wins (n/a)
Strike Season
x Wins (n/a)
Strike Season
x Wins (n/a)
Strike Season
x Wins (n/a)
Strike Season
x Wins (n/a)
Strike Season
x Wins (n/a)
Strike Season
x Wins (n/a)
Cleveland
3 Wins (Central)
Cleveland
4 Wins (Central)
1995 Atlanta
4 Wins (East)
Atlanta
3 Wins (East)
Boston
0 Wins (East)
Colorado
1 Win (Wildcard)
Seattle
3 Wins (West)
Seattle
2 Wins (West)
Cincinnati
0 Wins (Central)
Cincinnati
3 Wins (Central)
New York
2 Wins (Wildcard)
Los Angeles
0 Wins (West)
New York
3 Wins (East)
New York
4 Wins (East)
1996 Atlanta
4 Wins (East)
Atlanta
3 Wins (East)
Texas
1 Wins (West)
Los Angeles
0 Wins (Wildcard)
Baltimore
3 Wins (Wildcard)
Baltimore
1 Win (Wildcard)
St. Louis
3 Wins (Central)
St. Louis
3 Wins (Central)
Cleveland
1 Win (Central)
San Diego
0 Wins (West)
Cleveland
3 Wins (Central)
Cleveland
4 Wins (Central)
1997 Florida
4 Wins (Wildcard)
Florida
3 Wins (Wildcard)
New York
2 Wins (Wildcard)
San Francisco
0 Wins (West)
Baltimore
3 Wins (East)
Baltimore
2 Win (East)
Atlanta
2 Wins (East)
Atlanta
3 Wins (East)
Seattle
1 Win (West)
Houston
0 Wins (Central)
Cleveland
3 Wins (Central)
Cleveland
2 Wins (Central)
1998 San Diego
4 Wins (West)
San Diego
3 Wins (West)
Boston
1 Wins (Wildcard)
Houston
1 Win (Central)
New York
3 Wins (East)
New York
4 Wins (East)
Atlanta
2 Wins (East)
Atlanta
3 Wins (East)
Texas
0 Wins (West)
Chicago
0 Wins (Wildcard)
New York
3 Wins (East)
New York
4 Wins (East)
1999 Atlanta
4 Wins (East)
Atlanta
3 Wins (East)
Texas
0 Wins (West)
Houston
1 Win (Central)
Boston
3 Wins (Wildcard)
Boston
1 Win (Wildcard)
New York
2 Wins (Wildcard)
New York
3 Wins (Wildcard)
Cleveland
2 Wins (Central)
Arizona
1 Win (West)
Seattle
3 Wins (Wildcard)
Seattle
2 Wins (Wildcard)
2000 St. Louis
1 Win (Central)
St. Louis
3 Wins (Central)
Chicago
0 Wins (Central)
Atlanta
1 Win (East)
New York
3 Wins (East)
New York
4 Wins (East)
New York
4 Wins (Wildcard)
New York
3 Wins (Wildcard)
Oakland
0 Wins (West)
San Francisco
1 Win (West)
Seattle
3 Wins (West)
Seattle
1 Wins (West)
2001 Atlanta
1 Win (East)
Atlanta
3 Wins (East)
Cleveland
2 Wins (Central)
Houston
0 Wins (Central)
New York
4 Wins (East)
New York
4 Wins (East)
Arizona
4 Wins (West)
Arizona
3 Wins (West)
Oakland
2 Wins (Wildcard)
St. Louis
2 Wins (Wildcard)
Minnesota
3 Wins (Central)
Minnesota
1 Win (Central)
2002 St. Louis
1 Win (Central)
Arizona
0 Wins (West)
Oakland
2 Wins (West)
St. Louis
3 Wins (Central)
Anaheim
3 Wins (Wildcard)
Anaheim
4 Wins (Wildcard)
San Francisco
4 Wins (Wildcard)
Atlanta
2 Wins (East)
New York
1 Win (East)
San Francisco
3 Wins (Wildcard)
Minnesota
1 Win (Central)
New York
4 Wins (East)
2003 Chicago
3 Wins (Central)
Atlanta
2 Wins (East)
New York
3 Wins (East)
Chicago
3 Wins (Central)
Boston
3Wins (Wildcard)
Boston
3 Wins (Wildcard)
Florida
4 Wins (Wildcard)
Florida
3 Wins (Wildcard)
Oakland
2 Wins (Westl)
San Francisco
1 Win (West)
Minnesota
1 Win (Central)
New York
3 Wins (East)
2004 St. Louis
4 Wins (Central)
Los Angeles
1 Win (West)
New York
3 Wins (East)
St. Louis
3 Wins (Central)
Boston
3 Wins (Wildcard)
Boston
4 Wins (Wildcard)
Houston
3 Wins (Wildcard)
Houston
3 Wins (Wildcard)
Anaheim
0 Wins (West)
Atlanta
2 Wins (East)
New York
2 Wins (East)
Los Angeles
1 Win (West)
2005 Houston
4 Wins (Wildcard)
Houston
3 Wins (Wildcard)
Los Angeles
3 Wins (West)
Atlanta
1 Win (East)
Boston
0 Wins (Wildcard)
Chicago
4 Wins (Central)
St. Louis
2 Wins (Central)
San Diego
0 Wins (West)
Chicago
3 Wins (Central)
St. Louis
3 Wins (Central)
Oakland
3 Wins (West)
Oakland
0 Wins (West)
2006 St. Louis
4 Wins (Central)
St. Louis
3 Wins (Central)
Minnesota
0 Wins (Central)
San Diego
1 Win (West)
Detroit
3 Wins (Wildcard)
Detroit
4 Wins (Wildcard)
New York
3 Wins (East)
New York
3 Wins (East)
New York
1 Win (East)
Los Angeles
0 Wins (Wildcard)
Boston
3 Wins (East)
Boston
4 Wins (East)
2007 Arizona
0 Wins (West)
Arizona
3 Wins (West)
Los Angeles
0 Wins (West)
Chicago
0 Wins (Central)
Cleveland
3 Wins (Central)
Cleveland
3 Wins (Central)
Colorado
4 Wins (Wildcard)
Colorado
3 Wins (Wildcard)
New York
1 Win (Wildcard)
Philadelphia
0 Wins (East)
Boston
3 Wins (Wildcard)
Boston
3 Wins (Wildcard)
2008 Los Angeles
1 Win (West)
Los Angeles
3 Wins (West)
Los Angeles
1 Win (West)
Chicago
0 Wins (Central)
Tampa Bay
3 Wins (East)
Tampa Bay
4 Wins (East)
Philadelphia
4 Wins (East)
Philadelphia
3 Wins (East)
Chicago
1 Win (Central)
Milwaukee
1 Win (Wildcard)
New York
3 Wins (East)
New York
4 Wins (East)
2009 Los Angeles
1 Win (West)
Los Angeles
3 Wins (West)
Minnesota
0 Wins (Central)
St. Louis
0 Wins (Central)
Los Angeles
3 Wins (West)
Los Angeles
2 Wins (West)
Philadelphia
4 Wins (East)
Philadelphia
3 Wins (East)
Boston
0 Wins (Wildcard)
Colorado
1 Win (Wildcard)
Texas
3 Wins (West)
Texas
4 Wins (West)
2010 Philadelphia
2 Wins (East)
Philadelphia
3 Wins (East)
Tampa Bay
2 Wins (East)
Cincinnati
0 Wins (Central)
New York
3 Wins (Wildcard)
New York
2 Wins (Wildcard)
San Francisco
4 Wins (West)
San Francisco
3 Wins (West)
Minnesota
0 Wins (Central)
Atlanta
1 Win (Wildcard)
Detroit
3 Wins (Central)
Detroit
2 Wins (Central)
2011 St. Louis
4 Wins (Wildcard)
St. Louis
3 Wins (Wildcard)
New York
2 Wins (East)
Philadelphia
2 Wins (East)
Tampa Bay
1 Win (Wildcard)
Texas
4 Wins (West)
Milwaukee
2 Wins (Central)
Arizona
2 Wins (West)
Texas
3 Wins (West)
Milwaukee
3 Wins (Central)

Postseason At-A-Glance
2012 - 2019 : Wildcard Game / Modern Playoffs

Year-by-Year Playoff Charts

Detroit
3 Wins (Central)
Detroit
4 Wins (Central)
2012 St. Louis
3 Wins (Wildcard * )
St. Louis
3 Wins (Wildcard)
Oakland
2 Wins (West)
Washington
2 Wins (East)
New York
3 Wins (East)
New York
0 Wins (East)
San Francisco
4 Wins (West)
San Francisco
3 Wins (West)
Baltimore
2 Wins (Wildcard * )
Cincinnati
2 Wins (Central)
* Defeated Texas in AL Wild Card Game * Defeated Atlanta in NL Wild Card Game
Detroit
3 Wins (Central)
Detroit
4 Wins (Central)
2012 St. Louis
3 Wins (Wildcard)
St. Louis
3 Wins (Wildcard)
Oakland
2 Wins (West)
Washington
2 Wins (East)
New York
3 Wins (East)
New York
0 Wins (East)
San Francisco
4 Wins (West)
San Francisco
3 Wins (West)
Baltimore
2 Wins (Wildcard)
Cincinnati
2 Wins (Central)
TBD
0 Wins (TBD)
TBD
0 Wins (TBD)
2013 TBD
0 Wins (TBD)
TBD
0 Wins (TBD)
TBD
0 Wins (TBD)
TBD
0 Wins (TBD)
TBD
0 Wins (TBD)
TBD
0 Wins (TBD)
TBD
0 Wins (TBD)
TBD
0 Wins (TBD)
TBD
0 Wins (TBD)
TBD
0 Wins (TBD)
Year-by-Year Playoff Charts | Researched by Baseball Almanac, Inc.
baseball almanac flat baseball

baseball almanac fast facts

Did you know that the 1997 Florida Marlins were the first Major League team to win a wildcard, a Division Series, a pennant and a World Series in the same season?

Review each chart and put together your own lists or answer questions asked about various levels of playoffs. If you need World Series data, please review our main World Series section. Trivia questions about major league playoffs can easily be made and answered using the charts above.

Do you like divisional play or do you long for the days of winner-take-all? Would that format work? Should their be another round of playoffs? Share your opinion on Baseball Fever today.