The Wild Card has been entrenched in the MLB for 13 seasons now and has created great September races every single season.
In 1997 and 2003, the Marlins won the World Series as the Wild Card representative and in 2002, both the Angels and Giants reached the World Series via the Wild Card.
The Wild Card has also created multiple classic playoff match-ups between the Red Sox and Yankees.
So while we wait for the Giants and Dodgers and the Cubs and Cardinals to finally meet in the postseason, here is what the playoffs would have looked like if there was still no Wild Card.
2007
AL East: Boston Red Sox/Cleveland Indians
AL West: Los Angeles Angels
NL East: Philadelphia Phillies
NL West: Arizona Diamondbacks
2006
AL East: New York Yankees
AL West: Minnesota Twins
NL East: New York Mets
NL West: San Diego Padres
2005
AL East: New York Yankees/Boston Red Sox
AL West: Chicago White Sox
NL East: St. Louis Cardinals
NL West: Atlanta Braves
2004
AL East: New York Yankees
AL West: Minnesota Twins/Anaheim Angels
NL East: St. Louis Cardinals
NL West: Atlanta Braves
2003
AL East: New York Yankees
AL West: Oakland Athletics
NL East: Florida Marlins
NL West: Atlanta Braves
2002
AL East: New York Yankees
AL West: Oakland Athletics
NL East: St. Louis Cardinals
NL West: Atlanta Braves
2001
AL East: New York Yankees
AL West: Seattle Mariners
NL East: St. Louis Cardinals
NL West: Houston Astros
2000
AL East: Cleveland Indians
AL West: Chicago White Sox
NL East: St. Louis Cardinals
NL West: San Francisco Giants
1999
AL East: New York Yankees
AL West: Texas Rangers
NL East: New York Mets
NL West: Atlanta Braves
1998
AL East: New York Yankees
AL West: Texas Rangers
NL East: Chicago Cubs
NL West: Atlanta Braves
1997
AL East: Baltimore Orioles
AL West: Seattle Mariners
NL East: Florida Marlins
NL West: Atlanta Braves
1996
AL East: Cleveland Indians
AL West: Texas Rangers
NL East: Montreal Expos/St. Louis Cardinals
NL West: Atlanta Braves
1995
AL East: Cleveland Indians
AL West: Seattle Mariners
NL East: Chicago Cubs
NL West: Atlanta Braves






