Since 1995, Major League Baseball has had more than division winners play in the postseason with the introduction of the wild card positions in each league. The wild card allowed two second-place teams in each league to make the postseason, and we have seen five wild card teams win the World Series — three in the National League (Florida Marlins in 1997 and 2003 and St. Louis Cardinals in 2011), and two in the American League (Anaheim Angels in 2002 and Boston Red Sox in 2004).
Five other teams have made it to the World Series, and MLB had its first-ever All Wild-Card World Series in 2002 (Angels over the San Francisco Giants). The wild card should have started in 1994, but the strike cancelled the end of the season and the postseason.
In 2012, Major League Baseball added a second wild card in each league. Now, the three division winners plus the two teams with the next best records make the postseason. The two wild card teams play a single game to see who advances to the division series. The 2012 Cardinals won the N.L. Wild Card and advanced to the NLCS. They came the closest wild card team to winning it all so far under the new format, but they did not reach the World Series.
In 2013, three teams from the N.L. Central made the postseason. The St. Louis Cardinals won the division. The Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds made the postseason as the wild card teams. The Reds finished in third place in the division but had a better record than any other non-division winners in the National League, so they won the second N.L. Wild Card. Neither wild card winner, though, made it to the World Series.
Now, as the 2014 season enters its final few weeks, a situation that sometimes occurs in the NBA, NHL, and NFL could actually occur in Major League Baseball. Although a long shot at this point, we have the possibility of two third-place teams — one from each league — reach the postseason with a legitimate chance of making the World Series. As of September 7, here is how the 2014 wild card standings look.
As play begins on September 7, the standings show the San Francisco Giants comfortably in the lead for the top wild card spot by four games. The lead looks very safe, but with three weeks left, the cliche “anything can happen” still holds true.
Should the Giants hit a major snafu, then two N.L. Central teams have a chance at sneaking in: the Milwaukee Brewers (second place) and Pittsburgh Pirates (third). The Atlanta Braves would also have to fall, but since those three teams are all within a half-game of each other, an unusual but possible scenario could unfold.
In the American League, the Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners hold the top two spots. Right behind them are the Detroit Tigers (1.5 games back) and Cleveland Indians (4.5). Oakland and Seattle are second and third in the A.L. West as are Detroit and Cleveland in the A.L. Central. For both Central trams to make it, we would have to see a major slump by the two West teams.
Of course, the third-place teams will have to first make the postseason for the World Series to host them, but it is possible. It is much more of a certainty in the American League barring a continuing Athletics’ collapse. As mentioned, the N.L. would need for San Francisco to completely disappear, but remembering what happened to the 2011 Braves and Red Sox makes that situation seem much more possible.
It is highly unlikely that we will see two third place-teams reach the Fall Classic at any time, including this year. However, if the postseason continues with its current format, then the possibility still exists that we will — one day — see an all third-place World Series.
PHOTO CREDIT: Sports Logos.net
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