| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | October 7–22, 1972[1] |
| Teams | 4 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Oakland Athletics (6th title) |
| Runner-up | Cincinnati Reds (6th World Series appearance) |
| Tournament statistics | |
| MVP | Gene Tenace (OAK) |
The 1972 Major League Baseball postseason was the playoff tournament of Major League Baseball for the 1972 season. The winners of each division advance to the postseason and face each other in a League Championship Series to determine the pennant winners that face each other in the World Series.
In the American League, the Detroit Tigers made their first postseason appearance since the 1968 World Series, and the Oakland Athletics made their second straight postseason appearance. In the National League, the Cincinnati Reds returned for the second time in three years, and the Pittsburgh Pirates made their third straight postseason appearance.
The playoffs began on October 7, 1972, and concluded on October 22, 1972, with the Oakland Athletics defeating the Cincinnati Reds in seven games in the 1972 World Series. It was the Athletics' sixth title in franchise history and first since 1930, when the team was still based in Philadelphia.