Question: how many teams make the playoffs in mlb

title: Major League Baseball wild card
text: A `` wild card '' rule was used in the 1981 season after a players ' strike wiped out the `` middle third '' of the season . The owners decided that the winners ( in each division ) of either `` half '' of the abbreviated season would make playoffs , with the caveat that if the same team won both halves then the team from the division with the second - best record from the second half would enter the playoffs as a wild card . However , the wild - card rule was not actually used since all four divisions had different first half and second - half winners . As a result of the hastily contrived format , the Cincinnati Reds finished the regular season with the best record in all of baseball ( 66 - 42 . 611 ) but failed to qualify for the playoffs because they finished 0.5 game behind the Dodgers in the first half and 1.5 games behind the Astros in the second half . The Astros finished 8 games back in the first half and the Dodgers 6 back in the second .