Editing American League Division Series (section)

===Determining the matchups===
The ALDS is a best-of-five series where the divisional winner with the best winning percentage in the regular season hosts the winner of the [[Wild Card Series]] between the top two wild card teams in one matchup, and the divisional winner with the second best winning percentage hosts the winner of the series between the lowest-seeded divisional winner and the lowest-seeded wild card team.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-playoff-format-faq | title=New MLB postseason format, explained | website=[[MLB.com]] }}</ref> (From 2012 to 2021, the wild card team was assigned to play the divisional winner with the best winning percentage in the regular season in one series, and the other two division winners met in the other series.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kepner |first=Tyler |date=2012-03-05 |title=For No. 1 Seeds, Road to Title Comes With Bumps |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/05/sports/baseball/adding-wild-card-play-in-puts-no-1-seeds-in-tough-spot.html |access-date=2023-03-09 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> From 1998 to 2011, if the wild-card team and the division winner with the best record were from the same division, the wild-card team played the division winner with the second-best record, and the remaining two division leaders played each other.) The two series winners move on to the best-of-seven ALCS. According to [[Nate Silver]], the advent of this playoff series, and especially of the wild card, has caused teams to focus more on "getting to the playoffs" rather than "winning the pennant" as the primary goal of the regular season.<ref>[[Nate Silver]], "Selig's Dream: The Wild Card as Enabler of Pennant Races," in Steven Goldman, Ed., ''It Ain't Over 'til It's Over'' (New York: Basic Books): 170-178.</ref>

From 2012 to 2021, the wild card team that advances to the Division Series was to face the number 1 seed, regardless whether or not they are in the same division.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120229&content_id=26927024&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb|title=Addition of Wild Card berths finalized for 2012|first=Barry M.|last=Bloom|work=MLB.com|date=March 2, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2012-03-02|title=MLB to expand playoffs by two teams to 10|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/7638357/mlb-expand-playoffs-two-teams-10|access-date=2021-04-08|website=ESPN.com|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Rudnansky |first=Ryan |title=MLB Playoff Format 2012: Explaining Wild Card, Divisional Series Changes & More |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1356314-mlb-playoff-format-2012-explaining-wild-card-divisional-series-changes-more |access-date=2023-03-09 |website=Bleacher Report |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Kepner |first=Tyler |date=2012-10-05 |title=In Wild-Card Play-In Game, It’s Win or You’re Out |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/05/sports/baseball/in-wild-card-play-in-game-its-win-or-youre-out.html |access-date=2023-03-09 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The two series winners move on to the best-of-seven ALCS. Beginning with the 2022 season, the winner between the lowest-ranked division winner and lowest-ranked wild card team faces the number 2 seed division winner in the Division Series, while the 4 v. 5 wild card winner still faces the number 1 seed, as there is no reseeding even if the 6-seeded wild card advances. Home-field advantage goes to the team with the better regular season record (or head-to-head record if there is a tie between two or more teams), except for the wild-card team, which never receives the home field advantage.<ref>{{Cite web |title=New MLB postseason format, explained |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-playoff-format-faq |access-date=2023-03-09 |website=MLB.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Kepner |first=Tyler |date=2022-10-06 |title=Baseball’s Postseason Is Evolving, for Better or Worse |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/06/sports/baseball/wild-card-postseason-preview.html |access-date=2023-03-09 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name=12teamplayoff>{{Cite web|title=Everything you need to know about '22 season|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-2022-season-faq|access-date=2022-03-10|website=MLB.com|language=en}}</ref>

Beginning in 2003, MLB has implemented a new rule to give the team from the league that wins the All-Star Game with the best regular season record a slightly greater advantage. In order to spread out the Division Series games for broadcast purposes, the two ALDS series follow one of two off-day schedules. Starting in 2007, after consulting the [[MLBPA]], MLB has decided to allow the team with the best record in the league that wins the All-Star Game to choose whether to use the seven-day schedule (1-2-off-3-4-off-5) or the eight-day schedule (1-off-2-off-3-4-off-5). The team only gets to choose the schedule; the opponent is still determined by win–loss records.

Initially, the best-of-5 series played in a 2–3 format, with the first two games set at home for the lower seed team and the last three for the higher seed.<ref>[https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1984_NLCS.shtml 1984 NL Championship Series], Baseball-Reference.com</ref><ref>[https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1997_ALDS1.shtml 1997 AL Division Series], Baseball-Reference.com</ref> Since [[1998 Major League Baseball season|1998]], the series has followed a 2–2–1 format,<ref>{{cite encyclopedia | editor-last = Gillette | editor-first = Gary | editor2-last = Palmer | editor2-first = Pete | encyclopedia = The 2006 ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia | title = October Classics: Postseason Series and Playoffs | page = 1656 | publisher = Sterling Publishing | year = 2006 | location = New York}}</ref> where the higher seed team plays at home in Games 1 and 2, the lower seed plays at home in Game 3 and Game 4 (if necessary), and if a Game 5 is needed, the teams return to the higher seed's field. When MLB added a second wild card team in [[2012 Major League Baseball season|2012]], the Division Series re-adopted the 2–3 format due to scheduling conflicts. However, it reverted to the 2–2–1 format starting the next season, [[2013 Major League Baseball season|2013]].<ref name="SportingNews-2012WildCard">{{cite web | author = [[Sporting News]]| title = MLB expands playoff field to 10 teams with addition of two wild cards| date = 2012-03-02| url = http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb/story/2012-03-02/mlb-wild-card-two-more-playoff-expansion-postseason| access-date =October 28, 2013}}</ref>