 | |
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | October 5 – November 2, 2021 |
| Teams | 10[1] |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Atlanta Braves (4th title) |
| Runner-up | Houston Astros (4th World Series appearance) |
| Tournament statistics | |
| MVP | Jorge Soler (ATL) |
The 2021 Major League Baseball postseason was the playoff tournament of Major League Baseball (MLB) for the 2021 season. The winners of the Division Series advanced to the League Championship Series to determine the pennant winners that face each other in the World Series. After the 2020 postseason, MLB returned to a 10-team playoff format following the loosening of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. This was the last postseason to feature the 10-team format, as the league expanded to a 12 team-format for the 2022 postseason.
In the American League, the Houston Astros and New York Yankees both returned to the postseason for the sixth time in the previous seven years, the Tampa Bay Rays returned for the third year in a row, the Chicago White Sox made their second straight appearance, and the Boston Red Sox returned for the fourth time in the previous six years.
In the National League, the Los Angeles Dodgers returned to the postseason for the ninth straight time, the Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers returned for the fourth year in a row, the St. Louis Cardinals returned for the third straight time, and the San Francisco Giants made their first appearance since 2016. This was the fourth postseason in the previous five years to feature at least three 100-win teams.
The postseason began on October 5, and ended on November 2, with the Braves defeating the Astros in six games in the 2021 World Series. It was the first title for the Braves since 1995 and fourth overall.
- ^ "Complete 2021 Major League Baseball postseason results". MLB.com. November 2, 2021. Retrieved August 15, 2022.