in 12 innings. *** Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the season was shortened to 60 games. By virtue of the eight-team postseason format used for that season, division runner-up Cleveland (35–25, .583) also qualified for the playoffs. The Indians were tied with the Chicago White Sox but won the runner-up honors with a better head-to-head record (Indians won the season series 8–2 over the White Sox). Other postseason teams In 1994, the Cleveland Indians were sitting atop the wild-card standings and would have qualified for the postseason as the AL's first wild card but on August 12 of that year, the season came to an early end due to a players strike, cancelling the remainder of the regular season and postseason. The 2006 Detroit Tigers were the first team from the Central to qualify as the wild card. MLB revamped the postseason starting in 2012, creating a new single-game playoff where two wildcards competed against each other while the division winners each received a bye. The winner of the American League wild card game moves on to face the top-seeded team of the AL in the American League Division Series. In 2013, the Indians became the first team from the AL Central to qualify as a wild card under the new postseason format. In 2014, the Kansas City Royals ended a 29-year postseason drought returning to the playoffs for the first time since winning the World Series in 1985. In 2020 only, eight teams, including the three division winners, played in a best-of-three Wild Card Series, with the winners advancing to the Division Series. Starting in 2022, the Wild Card field was increased to three teams, and along with the lowest-ranked division winner, qualified for the Wild Card Series to determine the remaining two slots in the Division Series. † – Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the season was shortened to 60 games. The White Sox were tied with the Cleveland Indians but lost the runner-up honors due to an inferior head-to-head record (White Sox lost the season series 2–8 over the Indians). Season results Notes and Tiebreakers Minnesota and Anaheim of the American League West were tied for the second and third seed, but the Twins were relegated to the third seed by losing the season series 5–4. Cleveland and Boston of the American League East were tied for the first and second seed, but the Indians were relegated