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 bottom two wild card teams in each league will participate in a one-game play-in to reach the division series. For 2012 only, the format of the division series has also been altered.
Rather than the normal 2-2-1 schedule, the division series will follow a 2-3 format in 2012, before reverting to the old 2-2-1 slate in 2013 and beyond. The 2012 changes mean division winners will start the playoffs on the road, just for one year.
"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."