<P> In Major League Baseball ( MLB ) , the wild - card teams are the two teams in each of the two leagues ( American and National ) that have qualified for the postseason despite failing to win their division . Both teams in each league possess the two best winning percentages in their respective league after the three division winners . The wild card was first instituted in MLB in 1994 , with one wild - card team per league advancing to the Division Series in the postseason to face a division winner . In 2012 , the system was modified to add a second wild - card team per league and pit each league 's wild - card teams against each other in a play - in game -- the MLB wild - card game -- the winner of which would then advance to the Division Series and play the team with the best record . This system ensures that the team with the second - best record in each league , after the three division winners and the team with the first - best record in the league that is a non-division winner , will also get a postseason berth , even if it is n't a division champion . </P>
<P> In Major League Baseball ( MLB ) , the wild - card teams are the two teams in each of the two leagues ( American and National ) that have qualified for the postseason despite failing to win their division . Both teams in each league possess the two best winning percentages in their respective league after the three division winners . The wild card was first instituted in MLB in 1994 , with one wild - card team per league advancing to the Division Series in the postseason to face a division winner . In 2012 , the system was modified to add a second wild - card team per league and pit each league 's wild - card teams against each other in a play - in game -- the MLB wild - card game -- the winner of which would then advance to the Division Series and play the team with the best record . This system ensures that the team with the second - best record in each league , after the three division winners and the team with the first - best record in the league that is a non-division winner , will also get a postseason berth , even if it is n't a division champion . </P>
when did the wild card start in baseball
when did the wild card start in baseball
1994
1994