The MLB Playoffs 2021 might not be slated to take place until October, but with the way the current baseball season is going, it seems there is already a good indicator of what might be about to come in the next few months.
With the MLB season already providing a number of World Series Champion contenders, this year’s competition is arguably one of the most exciting to have taken place, with plenty still to play for despite having headed into the second half of the season.
Favourites to win MLB World Series 2021
According to Unibet Indiana at the time of writing, both the Houston Astros and the Los Angeles Dodgers have an equal chance of winning the 2021 World Series this year.
The LA Dodgers have been made a favourite to retain their crown from last season, as their performances suggest that they have no desire to give over their title without any reluctance. However, the San Francisco Giants appear to be a major contender this season as they recently defeated the Dodgers to illustrate their credentials as a World Series champion.
Houston Astros currently have a similar record to the Dodgers and appear to be placed in a strong position in the American League West, although a contest against the AL East franchise, Boston Red Sox, could be on the cards and one that will pose a huge challenge.
The Chicago White Sox are another baseball organization that is thought to be favoured to be a potential World Series challenger this season, as they have continued to perform impressively in the AL Central and make a number of watchers take note, considering all of the injuries they have had throughout the MLB season.
Playoffs Format
The MLB Playoffs have followed the same format since 2012, although for new fans of the sport, it might not be one that is too clear to begin with. Nonetheless, once an individual gets their head around the brackets and the format, it is something that becomes rather crystal clear as the postseason gets underway.
One of the biggest changes, though, for this year’s edition is that the 2021 postseason will return to just 10 teams instead of the 16 that it had been expanded to in 2020. This means five baseball franchises will compete from each of the National League and American League for the opportunity to be the World Series Champions.
Both, the American and National leagues will be involved in a separate bracket, which is similar to many of the professional sports that are played within the United States of America. The first game to be played will consist of the two wild card teams that will be consisted as a winner-takes-all game.
There will then be two best-of-five Division Series (LDS) games that will feature the wild-card winner and the winner of each division, which will then lead on to the best-of-seven League Championship Series (LCS).
Once this process has been completed, the postseason will then culminate in a best-of-seven World Series that will see the winners of the American League Championship Series (ALCS) and the National League Championship Series (NLCS) compete against each other for the biggest honours in baseball. The World Series is expected to commence on October 26 and run through to November 3, should a Game 7 be required to determine the overall winner.
There are a number of games that can be played following this format, with the schedule allowing for a minimum of 26 postseason games to be played, although this number can increase exponentially as a maximum number of 43 games is possible if the series played go the distance on each occasion.
Schedule
This is the current schedule that has been designed for the 2021 MLB playoffs, with the first postseason games set to be played just a couple of days following the conclusion of the regular season:
- National League and American League wild-card games: Oct. 5-6
- American League and National League Division Series: Oct. 7-14
- NL and AL Championship Series: Oct. 15-24
- 2021 World Series: Oct. 26- Nov. 3
Although there is still plenty to play for and a long way to go, the games will come thick and fast, thus making October and the MBL Playoffs 2021 appear in a flash!
