The Toronto Blue Jays have advanced to the American League Championship Series for the first time in about 10 years, and things are heating up in earnest.
But those new to the sport may need a primer on how exactly it works, from the flow of the playoffs to the rules of the game.
Below, we will analyze the basics.
What is the structure of the postseason?
There are four rounds in the Major League Baseball postseason. MLB was once comprised of two organizations, the National League and the American League, which jointly hosted the World Series starting in 1903 and officially merged in 1999. Both leagues follow the same playoff format. The Blue Jays belong to the American League.
The postseason begins with the Wild Card Round, a series of best-of-three games between the bottom four teams from each league that qualify for the playoffs.
The Blue Jays won the American League East title during the regular season, resulting in them skipping the wild card round.
After the wild card, teams will play in a Division Series, with the first three wins advancing to the best-of-seven Championship Series.
Championships are played between teams from the same league.
The championship winners from each league then advance to the World Series. The World Series is also a best-of-seven game. The Blue Jays have only won the World Series twice, in 1992 and 1993.
Related videos
The Blue Jays are a Canadian team, so why are they in the American League?
Get the latest national news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news and have it delivered directly to you as it happens.
In the 1970s, the American League wanted to create a geographic rival to the Montreal Expos, which was part of the National League, and the Blue Jays were born.
The Montreal Expos moved to Washington, DC in 2004, leaving the Blue Jays as Canada's only team.
What are the rules of the game?
If you want to know all the details, you can read Major League Baseball's 192-page rulebook. But here are the basics.
Each game consists of 9 innings. Each team is given an at-bat during the inning, starting with the visiting team. The defensive team includes pitchers, catchers, infielders, and outfielders.
Sports Details More Videos
The attacking team consists of nine batters.
The pitcher throws the ball to the catcher, and if the ball passes through the “strike zone,” the batter can take a swing at it.
The strike zone is the area beyond home plate from the batter's knees to his shoulders.
If the ball passes through the strike zone three times and is not hit because the batter did not swing or missed the ball, the batter is out. If the pitcher throws the ball and misses the strike zone four times and the batter does not swing, the batter will end up going to first base with a “walk.”
This is one of nine ways a batter can become a “runner” and advance to first base. But the main method is for the batter to hit the ball into the field.
current trends
Yaletown stabbing death toll rises to 7 after suspect images released
Saying goodbye to the long days: When daylight saving time ends in Canada
When the batter hits a fair ball, he becomes a runner and heads to first base. If a fielder catches the ball before it hits the ground, the runner is out. If the ball touches the ground before being caught, the catcher can touch the ball and put the runner out before proceeding to the next base. In some cases, just touching the base the runner is heading to is sufficient.
Each time a runner reaches home plate by touching all three other bases, he is awarded a point called a “run.”
When three players on the attacking team are out, that team's turn at bat ends.
How many people are on each team?
During the postseason, each team has a roster of 26 players.
There are nine players from each team in the batting lineup and nine players on the field. There are eight players who serve as both fielders and batters, one player who is a full-time pitcher, and one player who stands in for the pitcher when the team is at bat.
Other players on the roster may be substituted in the batting order. Similarly, a pitcher in the bullpen may replace a starting pitcher.
Deciding when to substitute players is part of the game's strategy.
The players seem to be spitting a lot. why?
Historically, players would chew tobacco during games and spit out the excess saliva from the chewing. That has changed over the decades and now we chew sunflower seeds.
Some players chew gum or play pranks on each other when they are in the dugout when they are not playing. It's all part of the fun of the game.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 12, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press