# wild card race

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-card-race/76076>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 13, 2001, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-card-race/76076 "2001-08-13T18:14:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mazzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@mazzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mazzer)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2001, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-card-race/76076/1 "2001-08-13T18:14:27Z")

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I apologize if this has been answered before … I ran a search and could not find it. What happens in a three way tie for a MLB wild card, where none of those three teams are in a tie for the division? I.e., one team from each division is in a tie for the wild card spot.

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**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2001, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-card-race/76076/2 "2001-08-13T18:25:30Z")

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3-way ties in MLB for the wildcard are broken thusly:

1. The commissioner seeds the teams 1, 2, and 3. I’m pretty sure this is a done by a random draw.

2. Team 1 gets an option. It can play team 3 at home and if it wins, it plays team 2 the next day to go to the playoffs

OR and much more likely

1. Team 1 opts to take a bye on the first round. Team 2 hosts Team 3 and the winner of that game hosts Team 1.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mazzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@mazzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mazzer)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2001, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-card-race/76076/3 "2001-08-13T18:38:59Z")

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Thank you, sir. You 'ave settled a bet. No money involved, so don’t ask for a cut.