Major League Baseball officially announced Friday that the 2012 playoffs format has been changed, with one additional wild card team in each league resulting in a 10-team postseason.
The two bottom wild card teams in each league will compete in a play-in game to reach the division series.
Due to a set date for the 2012 World Series to begin, the divison series format will change just for the 2012 season. Rather than the normal 2-2-1 format, the division series schedule will follow a 2-3 slate in 2012, meaning that divisional winners will begin the postseason on the road. The division series will revert back to its usual format in 2013 and beyond.
"The enthusiasm for the 10-team structure among our clubs, fans and partners has been overwhelming," commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement. "This change increases the rewards of a division championship and allows two additional markets to experience playoff baseball each year, all while maintaining the most exclusive postseason in professional sports."