Analyzing MLB Wild Card postseason matchups
Bob Nightengale breaks down each of the four Wild Card matchups to kick off the 2025 MLB postseason.
Major League Baseball’s extra innings format is different in the playoffs from the regular season, getting rid of the “ghost runner” starting on second base once a game goes beyond nine innings.
Unlike the previous six months of baseball, extra innings in the postseason will not feature the free runner that made its MLB debut in the 2020 COVID-shortened campaign and was used in the 2021 and 2022 regular seasons before being made a permanent rule for 2023.
In the playoffs, the bases will start empty in the 10th inning and beyond, a welcome sight for baseball purists who have begrudingly learned to accept the ghost runner rule ever since it was added to the game.
Do MLB playoffs have three batter minimum?
Yes, pitchers in the postseason must face a minimum of three batters or finish a half-inning. The rule was initially implemented in 2020 to cut down on mid-inning pitching changes as part of sweeping changes to increase baseball’s pace of play.
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