When do the MLB playoffs start? Schedule, format and more

Playoff baseball is on the horizon.

The start of the 2023 MLB postseason is less than a month away, though the playoff picture is far from set in stone.

Some races, such as the NL East and West, are all but decided with the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers holding sizable leads. But others, such as battles for AL and NL wild-card spots, could come down to the final day of the regular season.

But, once the playoff field is set, what will the road to the World Series look like? From the schedule to the format and more, here's what you need to know about the 2023 MLB playoffs.

When does the regular season end for MLB?

Sunday, Oct. 1 is the final day of the 2023 regular season.

When do the 2023 MLB playoffs start?

The playoffs are slated to begin just days after the regular season ends, with the first postseason games set for Tuesday, Oct. 3.

How many teams make the MLB playoffs?

A total of 12 teams -- six from the AL and six from the NL -- make the postseason. There are three division champions and three wild-card teams from each league.

How will the 2023 MLB playoffs work?

Once the playoff field is set, the six teams in each league are seeded as follows:

• No. 1 seed: Best record among division winners
• No. 2 seed: Second-best record among division winners
• No. 3 seed: Third-best record among division winners
• No. 4 seed: Best record among wild card teams
• No. 5 seed: Second-best record among wild card teams
• No. 6 seed: Third-best record among wild card teams

The MLB postseason begins with the wild-card series where the No. 1 and 2 seeds receive a bye to the divisional series and the remaining teams compete in best-of-three showdowns. The wild-card series matchups are No. 3 versus No. 6 and No. 4 versus No. 5, with the higher seeds having home-field advantage for all three games.

There is no reseeding after the wild-card series, meaning the No. 1 seed will face the winner of the 4-5 matchup and the No. 2 seed will meet the winner of the 3-6 matchup in the divisional series.

The divisional series features a 2-2-1 best-of-five format, while the league championship series and World Series have a best of 2-3-2 best-of-seven format.

What is the 2023 MLB playoffs schedule?

Here's a look at this year's playoff schedule by round:

• Wild-card series: Oct. 3-5
• Divisional series: Oct. 7-14
• League championship series: Oct. 15-24

For a game-by-game breakdown of the postseason schedule, click here.

When does the 2023 World Series start?

Game 1 of the 2023 World Series is set for Friday, Oct. 27.

What is the 2023 World Series schedule?

Here's the full World Series schedule (Games 5-7 if necessary):

• Game 1: Friday, Oct. 27
• Game 2: Saturday, Oct. 28
• Game 3: Monday, Oct. 30
• Game 4: Tuesday, Oct. 31
• Game 5: Wednesday, Nov. 1
• Game 6: Friday, Nov. 3
• Game 7: Saturday, Nov. 4