The 2025 Major League Baseball postseason was the playoff tournament of Major League Baseball (MLB) for the 2025 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 win-loss records) qualified for the postseason, for a total of twelve teams. First was the best-of-three-games Wild Card Series, with the two division winners with the best records in each league getting a bye. Next was the best-of-five-games Division Series. The victors advanced to the best-of-seven-games League Championship Series to determine the pennant winners, the champions of each league. These two teams played against each other in the 2025 World Series, which began on October 24.
In the American League, the Toronto Blue Jays returned for the fourth time in the last six years (2020, 2022–2023, 2025). Joining them were the New York Yankees, who made their eighth appearance in the last nine years (2017–2022, 2024–2025). The Seattle Mariners returned for the second time in the last four years (2022, 2025), and was their first postseason appearance as a division champion since 2001, ending the second-longest division title drought in the majors. Also returning were the Boston Red Sox, who made their first appearance since 2021 and the sixth in the last thirteen years (2013, 2016–2018, 2021, 2025). The Detroit Tigers made their second consecutive postseason appearance (2024–2025), and the Cleveland Guardians returned for the eighth time in the last thirteen years (2013, 2016–2018, 2020, 2022, 2024–2025).
In the National League, the Milwaukee Brewers clinched their seventh postseason berth in the last eight years (2018–2021, 2023–2025). Joining them were the Philadelphia Phillies, who returned for the fourth year in a row (2022–2025). The Chicago Cubs made their first postseason appearance since 2020 and their sixth appearance in the last eleven years (2015–2018, 2020, 2025). Also returning were the Los Angeles Dodgers, who made their thirteenth straight appearance (2013–2025), tying the New York Yankees for the second longest postseason appearance streak in MLB history (the Yankees previously made thirteen straight appearances from 1995 to 2007). Next up were the San Diego Padres, who returned for the fourth time in the last six years (2020, 2022, 2024–2025), and lastly were the Cincinnati Reds, who made their first postseason berth since 2020 (and first in a full season since 2013), marking the first time since then that both teams from Ohio made it to the postseason.
This was the first edition of the postseason since 2016 to not feature the Houston Astros, who previously made eight straight appearances from 2017 to 2024, and the first since 2014 to not feature either team from Texas. This was also the first postseason since 2017 to not feature the Atlanta Braves, who previously made seven straight appearances from 2018 to 2024.
The postseason began on September 30, 2025, and ended on November 2, 2025, with the Los Angeles Dodgers defeating the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series. The Dodgers repeated as World Series champions and won their ninth championship. They became the eighth franchise in MLB history to win back-to-back titles.
The 2025 postseason was one of the most competitive in recent MLB history, with only two sweeps occurring across the entire bracket. Two Division Series, as well as the ALCS and World Series, all went to winner-take-all elimination games. It was also the first time during the Wild Card Series era (post-2021) that three of the four series went to a decisive Game 3.
Teams
The following teams qualified for the postseason:
American League Toronto Blue Jays – 94–68, AL East champions (8–5 head-to-head vs. NYY) Seattle Mariners – 90–72, AL West champions Cleveland Guardians – 88–74, AL Central champions New York Yankees – 94–68 (5–8 head-to-head vs. TOR) Boston Red Sox – 89–73 Detroit Tigers – 87–75
National League Milwaukee Brewers – 97–65, NL Central champions Philadelphia Phillies – 96–66, NL East champions Los Angeles Dodgers – 93–69, NL West champions Chicago Cubs – 92–70 San Diego Padres – 90–72 Cincinnati Reds – 83–79
Playoff bracket
American League Wild Card Series
(3) Cleveland Guardians vs. (6) Detroit Tigers
This was the second postseason meeting in the history of the Guardians–Tigers rivalry. They last met in the ALDS the previous year, which the Guardians won in five games. This time, the Tigers returned the favor, defeating the Guardians in three games to advance to the ALDS for the second straight year.
Tarik Skubal pitched solid innings as the Tigers took Game 1. Game 2 remained tied through seven, then the Guardians put up five unanswered runs in the bottom of the eighth to even the series, capped off by a three-run home run by Bo Naylor. In Game 3, after the Guardians tied the score in the bottom of the fourth, Dillon Dingler hit a solo homer in the top of the sixth to put the Tigers ahead for good, and then the Tigers put up four more insurance runs in the top of the seventh to win 6–3 and advance. This was the Tigers’ first postseason victory over a team from their current division since winning the American League pennant in 1984.
(4) New York Yankees vs. (5) Boston Red Sox
This was the sixth postseason meeting in the history of the Yankees–Red Sox rivalry (1999, 2003, 2004, 2018, 2021). The Red Sox won the previous three meetings (2004, 2018, 2021). The Yankees defeated the Red Sox in three games to advance to the ALDS for the seventh time in nine years, marking their first postseason victory over the Red Sox since 2003.
Garrett Crochet pitched solid innings as the Red Sox won Game 1. Game 2 remained tied after seven innings, until Austin Wells hit a two-out RBI single to put the Yankees ahead for good as they evened the series. In Game 3, Cam Schlittler pitched eight innings of shutout ball as the Yankees won 4–0 to advance, defeating their archrival in the postseason for the first time in 22 years. The Yankees became the first team to win their wildcard series, in its current three-game format, after losing the first game of the series.
With the win by the Yankees, the playoff history between these two teams is tied at three series wins each.
National League Wild Card Series
(3) Los Angeles Dodgers vs. (6) Cincinnati Reds
This was the second postseason meeting between the Reds and Dodgers. They last met in the NLDS in 1995, which the Reds won in a sweep. On the 30th anniversary of their previous postseason meeting, the Dodgers returned the favor, sweeping the Reds to advance to the NLDS for the 13th year in a row.
Shohei Ohtani and Teoscar Hernández both hit two home runs each as the Dodgers blew out the Reds in Game 1. The Dodgers became the fifth team to have two players hit multiple home runs in one postseason game. Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched solid innings and the Dodger offense once again overwhelmed the Reds in an 8–4 win to complete the sweep. This was the only Wild Card series of the 2025 postseason that was a sweep.
With the series loss, the Reds extended their playoff game losing streak to eight games, dating back to the 2012 NLDS, and the NL Central moved to 0–10 in postseason series since 2019.
(4) Chicago Cubs vs. (5) San Diego Padres
This was the second postseason meeting between the Cubs and Padres. They last met in the NLCS in 1984, which the Padres won in five games before falling in the World Series. This time, the Cubs returned the favor, defeating the Padres in three games to advance to the NLDS for the first time since 2017.
In Game 1, the Cubs won 3–1 while using six different pitchers throughout the game. In Game 2, a two-run homer by Manny Machado in the top of the fifth helped secure a shutout victory for the Padres as they evened the series. However, history would not repeat itself, as Cubs reliever Andrew Kittredge stopped a rally by the Padres in the top of the ninth to secure the series win for the Cubs. This was the first playoff series win by the Cubs since 2017.
The Cubs’ victory ended a streak of ten straight postseason series losses for the NL Central dating back to the 2019 NLCS.
American League Division Series
(1) Toronto Blue Jays vs. (4) New York Yankees
The Yankees and Blue Jays finished the 2025 season with identical regular-season records of 94–68, with Toronto winning the tiebreaker due to winning eight out of 13 regular-season games between the two teams. The Blue Jays handily defeated the defending American League champion Yankees in four games to advance to the ALCS for the first time since 2016.
The series started disastrously for the Yankees, as the Blue Jays' offense overwhelmed the Yankees’ pitching staff in back-to-back blowout wins in Games 1 and 2 to take a 2–0 series lead headed to the Bronx, with the most notable moment being Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hitting the first postseason grand slam for the Blue Jays in Game 2. The Yankees overcame a 6–1 Blue Jays lead by scoring eight unanswered runs to take Game 3, in part thanks to a three-run homer by Aaron Judge in the bottom of the fourth and a solo homer in the bottom of the fifth from Jazz Chisholm Jr.. However, that was all the Yankees could manage as the Blue Jays took Game 4 by three runs despite using eight different pitchers. This was the first postseason series win by the Blue Jays since 2016.
(2) Seattle Mariners vs. (6) Detroit Tigers
In one of the closest and most grueling playoff series in postseason history, the Mariners narrowly defeated the Tigers in five games to return to the ALCS for the first time since 2001.
Game 1 was the first of two extra-inning contests. A two-run homer by Kerry Carpenter gave the Tigers the lead in the top of the fifth inning, then Julio Rodríguez tied the game in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI single, which ended up forcing extras. In the top of the eleventh, Zach McKinstry's RBI single put the Tigers in the lead for good, and Keider Montero shut down the Mariners in the bottom of the inning. In Game 2, Jorge Polanco hit two solo home runs off Tarik Skubal, but Spencer Torkelson hit a two-run RBI double in the top of the eighth to tie the game. Rodríguez put the Mariners back in the lead in the bottom of the eighth with an RBI single to even the series headed to Detroit. Seattle won their first LDS game since 2001. In Game 3, Eugenio Suárez, J. P. Crawford, and Cal Raleigh all homered for the Mariners as they won by four runs to take the series lead. In Game 4, Riley Greene, Javier Báez, and Gleyber Torres all homered for the Tigers as they blew out the Mariners to force a decisive fifth game back in Seattle.
Game 5 was the most memorable contest of the series. After Carpenter gave the Tigers the lead with yet another two-run homer in the top of the sixth, Leo Rivas tied the game in the bottom of the seventh with an RBI single, forcing extras. After seven scoreless innings, the Tigers’ pitching staff ultimately ran out of gas as the Mariners prevailed in the bottom of the fifteenth with Polanco's bases-loaded walk-off single. Game 5 was the longest winner-take-all postseason game in MLB history, in both innings and elapsed time.
National League Division Series
(1) Milwaukee Brewers vs. (4) Chicago Cubs
This was the first postseason meeting in the history of the Brewers–Cubs rivalry, also known as the I-94 Rivalry. The Brewers defeated the Cubs in five games to return to the NLCS for the first time since 2018.