2006-09-19 17:19:20 · 8 answers · asked by KG 2 in Sports ➔ Baseball
its the team that wins the most games without winning their division
2006-09-22 09:06:17 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Kimtastic: The Wildcard doesn't necessarily have the 4th best record in the league. It can have the 2nd best record in the league.
For example, take a look at last year's final standings; the NL Wildcard, Houston, had the 3rd best record in the league. San Diego, the NL West winner from last year, actually had the 7th best record in the league. The Padres were just the best team in the worst division in the entire MLB, and ended up 2 games over .500.
Anyway, the AL is divided into 3 divisions. There are only 4 teams that make it into the AL playoffs. 3 of those teams are the ones who have the best record in their division. The AL Wildcard is the team that has the best record out of the remaining 11 teams that did not win their respective divisions. The AL Wildcard is the 4th and final team that qualfies for the playoffs.
The same explanation goes for the NL Wildcard, except that the NL Wildcard is the the best of the 13 remaining NL teams that did not win their respective divisions. There are 2 more teams in the NL.
2006-09-20 02:16:06 · answer #2 · answered by Ry 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The wildcard goes to the 4th team in each of the 2 leagues. The Highest winning teams in each of the 3 divisions get an automatic spot in the playoffs. The 4th spot, the Wild Card works like the wild card in the NFL. A team that did not win the division still has a chance to make the playoffs if he has the best record outside the 3 Division winners.
2006-09-20 00:26:01 · answer #3 · answered by travis_a_duncan 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Each of the two Leagues (AL and NL) has three Divisions... East, Central, and Western divisions. Each Division at end of year, has a champion (the team with most wins in that division). Those three teams each get an automatic bid to playoffs. Then, since the three division winners have the three best records in Leagues, to even out the format to 4 teams in the playoffs, they take a 4th team (a Wildcard team), from one of the 3 divisions. the wildcard team is the team with the 4th best record in League.
2006-09-20 00:33:41 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The team in the American league that does not win a division but still has the most wins in the AL without the division win, still gets to play in the post season
2006-09-21 05:38:39 · answer #5 · answered by Southie9 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The AL Wild Card goes to the team who has the best record in the American League who is not leading their division.
2006-09-20 10:51:54 · answer #6 · answered by Andrew B 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it's for the next best record in that division
2006-09-21 16:40:12 · answer #7 · answered by Steven W 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
best record outside the three division winners.
2006-09-20 18:40:41 · answer #8 · answered by jojo 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋