Major League Baseball today approved a new expansion for the postseason. Two additional wild card teams will make the playoffs and participate in a one game elimination playoff with the other wild card winners.
BREAKING: 2012 Postseason to feature 10-team format that includes 2 additional Wild Cards and elimination game in each league prior to DS.
— MLB (@MLB) March 2, 2012
Also an additional rule change that the league has approved is the home-away structure of the Divisional Series.
Additional change due to new MLB format is that division series will be in a 2-3 format rather than 2-2-1.
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) March 2, 2012
This is big news for those teams that could be just barely outside of the wild card. The Washington Nationals for instance could improve enough this season that they just may be able to get one of these wild card spots. While there are some criticisms for this post season expansion, Major League Baseball still has the lowest number of teams in postseason play compared to every other major sports league in North America.