The 2024 Major League Baseball postseason was the playoff tournament of Major League Baseball (MLB) for the 2024 season. In each of the two leagues—National and American—the three division winners and three wild card teams (the remaining teams with the best records) participated in the postseason, for a total of twelve teams. First was the best-of-three Wild Card Series, with the two division winners with the best records getting a first-round bye. Next was the best-of-five Division Series. The victors advanced to the best-of-seven League Championship Series to determine the pennant winners, the champions of each league. These two teams played each other in the best-of-seven World Series. The postseason began on October 1 and ended on October 30.
In the American League, the New York Yankees returned to the postseason for the seventh time in the past eight seasons after missing the postseason last year. Joining them were the Cleveland Guardians, who returned to the postseason for the seventh time in the past twelve seasons. Next up were the Houston Astros, who returned to the postseason for the eighth time in a row and the ninth in the past ten seasons. Also returning were the Baltimore Orioles, who made their second straight appearance. The Detroit Tigers ended a decade of futility by returning to the postseason for the first time since 2014, ending the longest current playoff drought in Major League Baseball, which was tied with the Los Angeles Angels. The last team to make the postseason on the American League side were the Kansas City Royals, who clinched their first playoff berth since their 2015 championship season. The defending World Series champions, the Texas Rangers, were eliminated from postseason contention on September 20.
In the National League, the Milwaukee Brewers clinched their sixth appearance in the past seven seasons. Joining them were the Los Angeles Dodgers, who returned to the postseason for the twelfth straight time. Next up were the Philadelphia Phillies, who returned to the postseason for the third year in a row. Up next were the San Diego Padres, who returned to the postseason for the third time in the past five seasons. The last two teams on the NL side were the New York Mets, who returned to the postseason for the fourth time in the past ten seasons via a September 30th doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves, and the aforementioned Braves, who clinched their seventh straight appearance via the second game doubleheader against the Mets.
With the Mets and Braves clinching, the Arizona Diamondbacks, the defending National League champions, were eliminated from postseason contention. This marked the first time since 2007 where neither team from the previous year's World Series appeared in the postseason. In the Division Series, every series was tied 1–1 in the first two games for the first time in the history of the MLB postseason. The Dodgers defeated the Yankees in five games in the 2024 World Series. It was the Dodgers’ eighth championship in franchise history, tying the San Francisco Giants for the fifth-most World Series championships.
Teams
The following teams qualified for the postseason:
American League New York Yankees – 94–68, AL East champions Cleveland Guardians – 92–69, AL Central champions Houston Astros – 88–73, AL West champions Baltimore Orioles – 91–71 Kansas City Royals – 86–76 (7–6 head-to-head vs. DET) Detroit Tigers – 86–76 (6–7 head-to-head vs. KC)
National League Los Angeles Dodgers – 98–64, NL West champions Philadelphia Phillies – 95–67, NL East champions Milwaukee Brewers – 93–69, NL Central champions San Diego Padres – 93–69 Atlanta Braves – 89–73 (7–6 head-to-head vs. NYM)† New York Mets – 89–73 (6–7 head-to-head vs. ATL)†
†Both the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets had better head-to-head records with the 89–73 Arizona Diamondbacks (5–2 and 4–3, respectively), negating the need for a three-way tie-breaking scenario.
Playoff bracket
American League Wild Card Series
(3) Houston Astros vs. (6) Detroit Tigers
The Tigers swept the Astros to return to the ALDS for the first time since 2014, bringing an end to a streak of seven consecutive ALCS appearances for the Astros, which dated back to 2017.
Tarik Skubal pitched six solid innings, and the Tigers’ bullpen got out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Tigers took Game 1. In Game 2, the Astros took the lead in the bottom of the seventh, but it was quickly erased by a four-run eighth inning by Detroit, which was capped off by a base-clearing double by Andy Ibáñez that put the Tigers back in the lead for good.
This was the first playoff series win by the Tigers since 2013 and only the fourth postseason sweep in club history, having previously swept the ALCS in 1984, 2006, and 2012.
The loss to the Tigers marked the end of the Astros’ streak of eight straight postseason appearances, which started in 2017. The Astros’ eight-year streak was the second-longest in American League history behind only the New York Yankees, who made thirteen straight appearances from 1995 to 2007, and is the fourth-longest streak in MLB history.
(4) Baltimore Orioles vs. (5) Kansas City Royals
This was the second postseason meeting between the Royals and Orioles. Their previous postseason meeting was in the ALCS in 2014, which the Royals won in a four-game sweep before falling in the World Series. The Royals swept the Orioles to return to the ALDS for the first time since 2015, thus the Orioles extended their playoff-game-losing-streak to a league record ten games, a streak which started in the 2014 ALCS vs. the Royals.
Cole Ragans pitched six solid innings, and the Royals' bullpen held off the Orioles in three straight innings as the Royals took Game 1. In Game 2, the Royals took the lead in the top of the sixth inning when Bobby Witt Jr. hit an RBI single. The bullpen continued to hold down the Orioles as the Royals completed the two-game sweep. This was the first playoff series win by the Royals since the 2015 World Series.
National League Wild Card Series
(3) Milwaukee Brewers vs. (6) New York Mets
The Mets upset the Brewers in three games to advance to the NLDS for the first time since 2015.
In Game 1, the Brewers took a 4–3 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning, but the Mets put up five unanswered runs in the top of the fifth thanks to an RBI single from Jose Iglesias, and a pair of two-run singles from Mark Vientos and J. D. Martinez, which gave them the win. In Game 2, the Mets led going into the bottom of the fifth, but the Brewers rallied to even the series thanks to two home runs from Jackson Chourio and a two-run home run from Garrett Mitchell. Game 3 started as a pitchers' duel between both teams as neither team put up a run through six and a half innings, then the Brewers struck first in the bottom of the seventh as the Mets surrendered back-to-back home runs to Jake Bauers and Sal Frelick. However, things fell apart for Milwaukee in the ninth inning as Brewers' closer Devin Williams surrendered a three-run home run to Pete Alonso, which put the Mets ahead for good as they would close out the series. Alonso's home run was the first go-ahead home run while trailing in the 9th inning or later in a winner-take-all game in postseason history.
This was the first playoff series win by the Mets since winning the National League pennant in 2015.
(4) San Diego Padres vs. (5) Atlanta Braves
This was the second postseason meeting between the Padres and Braves. They last met in the NLCS in 1998, which the Padres won in six games before coming up short in the World Series. The Padres swept the Braves to return to the NLDS for the third time in five years.
Michael King pitched seven innings of shutout baseball as the Padres took Game 1 by a 4–0 score. In Game 2, the Padres jumped out to a 5–1 lead in the bottom of the second, and Robert Suárez shut down a late rally by the Braves in the top of the ninth to complete the sweep.
The loss to the Padres marked the end of the Braves’ seven-year postseason appearance streak, which began in 2018. The Braves' seven-year streak was the longest by the franchise since their fourteen-year streak from 1991 to 2005 (excluding 1994, when the season was canceled due to a strike), and is the fifth longest streak in postseason history.
American League Division Series
(1) New York Yankees vs. (5) Kansas City Royals
This was the fifth postseason meeting between the Yankees and Royals. The two teams had a bitter rivalry during the late 1970s and early 1980s, as both faced each other in the ALCS in 1976, 1977, 1978, and 1980, with the Yankees winning the former three and the Royals winning the latter series in a sweep. The Yankees once again defeated the Royals, this time in four games, to advance to the ALCS for the fourth time in eight years.
Game 1 was a slugfest between both teams as that game's five lead changes were the most ever in a postseason MLB game. The game went back-and-forth until Alex Verdugo hit an RBI single to score Jazz Chisholm Jr. in a 6–5 Yankees victory. Game 2 saw the Royals score four unanswered runs off Carlos Rodón and the bullpen held the Yankees to even the series, headed to Kansas City. In Game 3, both teams went neck-and-neck until Giancarlo Stanton hit a go-ahead home run to give the Yankees the lead, and Luke Weaver closed the game with a five-out save, preserving a one-run lead as the Yankees took a 2–1 series lead. In Game 4, Gerrit Cole pitched seven solid innings while Weaver had another save as the Yankees won 3–1 and advanced to the ALCS.
With the win, the Yankees improved their postseason record against the Royals to 4–1.
(2) Cleveland Guardians vs. (6) Detroit Tigers
This was the first postseason meeting in the history of the Guardians–Tigers rivalry. The Guardians defeated the Tigers in five games to return to the ALCS for the first time since 2016.
Lane Thomas led the way for the Cleveland offense with a three-run home run in the bottom of the first inning as the Guardians blew out the Tigers in Game 1. Game 2 was a pitchers' duel between both teams as the game remained scoreless through eight innings until Kerry Carpenter hit a three-run home run off of Emmanuel Clase with two outs in the top of the ninth to even the series headed to Detroit. In Game 3, the Tigers prevailed by a 3–0 score yet again to take the series lead, as Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson both had RBI doubles. However, their lead would not hold. In Game 4, the Tigers held a 3–2 lead going into the seventh, but it was quickly erased as David Fry hit a two-run home run to put the Guardians ahead for good and force a decisive fifth game back in Cleveland. In Game 5, the Tigers again jumped out in the lead as Carpenter scored Trey Sweeney with an RBI single, but it wouldn't hold as Thomas hit a grand slam off of Tigers' ace Tarik Skubal, which ultimately ended the series.
This was the Tigers' first loss in Game 5 of the ALDS. Previously, they had won their last three series-deciding games in 2011, 2012, and 2013.
The ALDS Game 5 win for Cleveland ended an eight-game losing streak in winner-take-all postseason games dating back to the 1997 World Series, when they were known as the Cleveland Indians.
Both teams would meet again in the Wild Card round the next year, in which the Tigers returned the favor and upset the Guardians in three games.
National League Division Series
(1) Los Angeles Dodgers vs. (4) San Diego Padres
This was the third postseason meeting in the history of the Dodgers–Padres rivalry. They previously met in the NLDS in 2020 and 2022, with Los Angeles sweeping the former and San Diego winning the latter in one of the biggest upsets in postseason history. The Dodgers defeated the Padres in five games to advance to the NLCS for the ninth time in sixteen years (2008, 2009, 2013, 2016–2018, 2020–2021, and 2024).