NEW YORK (AP) — The World Series could extend into November for the fourth straight year and will start on a Friday for the third consecutive time.
AL Division Series will have an extra scheduled off day between Games 1 and 2, a format that allows a team to have the same pitchers start Games 1 and 4, and Games 2 and 5 on normal four days’ rest. Last year, NL Division Series had the extra off day.
Major League Baseball said Thursday the Series will start on Oct. 25, putting a possible seventh game on Nov. 2. The Series went into November for the first time in 2001, when the 9/11 terrorist attacks caused the regular season to end a week later than originally scheduled. The latest a Series game has been played was Nov. 5, when Houston beat Philadelphia in Game 6 in 2022.
Before 2022, the World Series had not started on a Friday since 1915.
All four best-of-three Wild Card Series are scheduled for consecutive days from Oct. 1-3.
Twelve teams make the playoffs under the format that began in 2022. The top two teams in each league get first-round byes, while the No. 3 seed faces No. 6 and No. 4 plays No. 5. The higher seed will be home in each best-of-three series.
In the best-of-five Division Series, the top seed plays the 3-vs.-6 winner and the No. 2 seed plays the 4-vs.-5 winner. The Division Series will have the familiar format of the higher seed home for Games 1 and 2, and, if necessary, Game 5.
AL Division Series start on Oct. 5, have an off day followed by a game on Oct. 7, then switch to the other cities on Oct. 9-10. After another travel day, Game 5s would be played Oct. 12.
NL Division Series also will start Oct. 5-6 followed by travel day and switch to the other sites for games on Oct. 8-9. Game 5s would be Oct. 11.
The NL Championship Series starts Oct. 13 and the AL Championship Series the following day, with off days after Game 2s and Game 5s.
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