MLB playoff pools built for October.
PikSheet runs two MLB postseason formats on the 12-team bracket. In the Playoff Bracket, members pick every series winner and, with the bonus on, how many games it goes. In the Playoff Ladder, they rank all 12 teams and each team earns its rank for every series it wins.
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MLB pool formats
Pick every series of the MLB postseason. Later rounds count more.
Fill out the 12-team MLB postseason bracket before first pitch: every series winner, and optionally how many games each series goes.
MLB Playoff LadderRank all 12 playoff teams. Every series they win pays their rank.
Rank the 12 MLB postseason teams from 12 down to 1 before first pitch. Each team earns you its rank value for every series it wins.
The MLB postseason
- Twelve teams: a best-of-3 Wild Card round with seeds 1 and 2 on byes, best-of-5 Division Series, then best-of-7 League Championship Series and World Series.
- Both formats lock once, at the first pitch of the Wild Card round. 2026 picks locked on September 29, 2026.
- Both formats return for the 2027 postseason. Pools can be created before the field is set; picks open once the 12 teams are known.
What PikSheet handles
- Bracket scoring: 1, 2, 4 and 8 points per round for a correct series winner. With the series-length bonus on, also calling the exact length scores those points again, so a perfect bracket is worth 56.
- Ladder scoring: rank teams 12 (highest) down to 1, and each team earns its value for every series it wins.
- Tiebreaker for both: total runs in the final World Series game.
- Everyone's picks become visible at lock, and standings update daily as series finish.
MLB pool questions
How does an MLB playoff bracket pool work?+
Before the Wild Card round starts, members pick the winner of every series through the World Series. A correct pick scores 1 point in the Wild Card round, 2 in the Division Series, 4 in the LCS and 8 in the World Series. Picks must be bracket-consistent, and the tiebreaker is total runs in the final World Series game.
What is a series-length bonus?+
An optional rule, on by default, where members also predict how many games each series lasts. Calling the right winner and the exact length scores the round's points twice: a perfect bracket is worth 56 points with the bonus and 28 without.
How is a playoff ladder pool scored?+
Members rank all 12 playoff teams from 12 (most confident) to 1. Each team earns its ranking value every time it wins a series, so a team ranked 12 that wins the World Series after a Wild Card round earns 48. An optional bye credit counts a top-two seed's bye as a series won.
Can I still start a 2026 MLB playoff pool?+
No. 2026 picks locked at the first Wild Card pitch on September 29, 2026. The Playoff Bracket and Playoff Ladder return for the 2027 postseason.