With the short baseball season, the Major League Baseball (MLB) playoffs are already underway and this is everything you need to know. The MLB decided to have sixteen teams in the playoffs instead of ten, so the season could be longer. The first few rounds will be the best of three games. Afterward, it is the best of five games. From there on, the World Series will be the best of seven games. 

The Chicago Cubs and White Sox with over 30 wins in the regular season both earned themselves a spot in the bracket. And that hasn’t happened since 2008. For the Cubs, this playoff appearance is no surprise anymore and they know exactly how to handle it. On the other hand, the Sox have not made an appearance in over a decade, so this is a first for many of their players.

José Abreu, Tim Anderson and Lucas Giolito all made their playoff debut for the White Sox on Sept. 29 against the Oakland A’s. The Sox won their first game 4-1 but lost their second and third. It’s the first time the A’s have advanced in the playoffs since 2006. 

The Cardinals and Marlins, who each had an outbreak of COVID-19 within their teams, also made the playoffs. Throughout the regular season, the Cardinals had thirteen positive tests, while the Marlins had twenty. Both teams won their first playoff game, but the Cardinals lost their last two against the San Diego Padres. The Marlins advanced to the next round after defeating the Cubs 2-0. 

Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas is allowed to have a limited number of fans for the World Series and National League Championship Series (NCLS) games. 11,500 fans can attend each game, about a third of the stadium capacity. Everyone is required to wear masks unless eating or drinking. No tickets will be sold to anyone within the first six rows to prevent people from getting too close to the players.  

According to CBS Sports, the Los Angeles Dodgers are the favorites to win the World Series this year. With over 40 wins in the season, they easily clinched their division and are already doing well in the playoffs. They won their first game against the Milwaukee Brewers and are hoping to go all the way for their seventh World Series title. This has been a short season, but there is still plenty of excitement to go around.