1996 Major League Baseball postseason

The 1996 Major League Baseball postseason was the playoff tournament of Major League Baseball for the 1996 season. The winners of the League Division Series would move on to the League Championship Series to determine the pennant winners that face each other in the World Series.

In the American League, the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians returned for the second consecutive year, the Baltimore Orioles returned to the postseason for the first time since 1983, and the Texas Rangers made their first postseason appearance in franchise history.

In the National League, the San Diego Padres returned to the postseason for the first time since 1984, the St. Louis Cardinals made their first appearance since 1987, the Atlanta Braves made their fifth consecutive postseason appearance, and the Los Angeles Dodgers made their second straight appearance.

The postseason began on October 1, 1996, and ended on October 26, 1996, with the Yankees defeating the defending champion Braves in six games to capture their first title since 1978. It was the Yankees' 23rd title in franchise history.

Yankees

Indians

Rangers

Orioles

Braves

Cardinals

Dodgers

Padres

American League Teams National League Teams

The following teams qualified for the postseason:

• New York Yankees – 92–70, AL East champions^[2]
• Cleveland Indians – 99–62, AL Central champions^[3]
• Texas Rangers – 90–72 AL West champions^[4]
• Baltimore Orioles – 88–74^[5]

Home-field advantage priority order: Central, West, East

• Atlanta Braves – 96–66, NL East champions^[6]
• St. Louis Cardinals – 88–74, NL Central champions^[7]
• San Diego Padres – 91–71, NL West champions^[8]
• Los Angeles Dodgers – 90–72^[9]

Home-field advantage priority order: East, West, Central

Baltimore won the series, 3–1.

This was the first postseason meeting between the Orioles and Indians. The Orioles knocked off the defending American League champion Indians in four games to advance to the ALCS for the first time since 1983.

The Orioles blew out the Indians in Game 1, capped off by a grand slam from Bobby Bonilla. In Game 2, the Indians rallied to tie the game in the top of the eighth, but the Orioles retook the lead for good in the bottom of the inning, capped off by an RBI from Roberto Alomar. When the series shifted to Cleveland, the Orioles held a 4-3 lead in the fourth inning and were hoping to sweep, but the Indians put up five unanswered runs afterward, capped off by a grand slam from Albert Belle. In Game 4, the Indians were on the verge of tying the series as they lead 3–2 in the top of the ninth with the Orioles down to their final out. However, Alomar hit an RBI single to send the game into extra innings. Alomar then won the series for the Orioles with a solo home run in the top of the twelfth inning.

Both the Orioles and Indians would meet each other again in the 1997 ALCS, which the Indians won in six games before falling in the World Series.

New York won the series, 3–1.

This was the first postseason meeting between the Yankees and Rangers. The Yankees defeated the Rangers in four games to advance to the ALCS for the first time since 1981.

John Burkett pitched a complete game for the Rangers as they stole Game 1 in the Bronx. Game 1 was the only playoff game won by the Rangers until Game 1 of the 2010 ALDS. In Game 2, the Rangers lead going into the bottom of the eighth, but the Yankees slowly chipped away at their lead to tie the game and force extra innings. The Yankees evened the series in the bottom of the twelfth thanks to a sacrifice bunt from Charlie Hayes which scored Derek Jeter due to an error by Texas’ Dean Palmer. In Arlington for Game 3, the Rangers again held a late lead going into the ninth, but couldn’t hold it again as Bernie Williams tied the game with a sacrifice fly, and Mariano Duncan put the Yankees ahead for good with an RBI single. In Game 4, the Rangers quickly put up a 4–0 lead, but the Yankees scored six unanswered runs to close out the series.

The Rangers and Yankees would meet again in the postseason, in 1998, 1999, and 2010, with the Yankees winning the former two and the Rangers winning the latter.

St. Louis won the series, 3–0.

This was the first postseason meeting between the Cardinals and Padres. The Cardinals swept the Padres to return to the NLCS for the first time since 1987.

Despite ending in a sweep, all three games were decided by two runs or less. The Cardinals won Game 1 thanks to an early three run home run from Gary Gaetti. In Game 2, the Padres rallied to tie the game thanks to an RBI ground out from Steve Finley, but the Cardinals ultimately prevailed thanks to an RBI ground out from Tom Pagnozzi. Game 3 in San Diego was an offensive slugfest between both teams, which was won by the Cardinals as they completed the sweep.

The Cardinals and Padres would meet again in the NLDS in 2005 and 2006, as well as the Wild Card series in 2020. The Cardinals won the former two meetings, and the Padres won the latter.

Atlanta won the series, 3–0.

This was the first postseason meeting between the Braves and Dodgers. The Braves swept the Dodgers to advance to the NLCS for the fifth consecutive year.

Game 1 was a pitchers’ duel that ended up going into extra innings tied at one. The tie was later broken by Atlanta’s Javy López, who hit a solo home run in the top of the tenth to win the game for the Braves. Greg Maddux outdueled Ismael Valdéz in another pitchers duel as the Braves took Game 2 to go up 2–0 in the series headed back home. In Game 3, the Braves’ offense chased Hideo Nomo from the mound as they won 5–2 to complete the sweep.

Both teams would meet in the postseason again four more times - in the NLDS in 2013 and 2018 (both won by the Dodgers), the NLCS in 2020 (won by the Dodgers), and 2021 (won by the Braves).

This was the last time the Dodgers appeared in the postseason until 2004.

New York won the series, 4–1.

This was the first postseason meeting between the Yankees and Orioles. The Yankees defeated the Orioles in five games to advance to the World Series for the first time since 1981.

Game 1 of the series became famous for the "Jeffrey Maier incident" - in the eighth inning of Game 1, rookie Derek Jeter hit a fly ball to deep right field off Armando Benítez. Right fielder Tony Tarasco backed up to the wall, but 12-year-old Yankees fan Jeffrey Maier reached over the fence and brought the ball into the stands and out of the field of play before Tarasco could attempt to catch the ball for a possible out. Tarasco immediately pointed above and protested that it was fan interference, but right field umpire Rich Garcia controversially ruled it a home run and his call was upheld by the other members of the umpiring crew. The Yankees would win Game 1 in eleven innings by a 5–4 score. In Game 2, the Yankees jumped out to an early lead, but a pair of two—run home runs from Todd Zeile and Rafael Palmeiro put the Orioles in the lead for good as they evened the series headed to Baltimore. In Game 3, the Orioles took an early lead thanks to another two-run blast from Zeile, but the Yankees scored five unanswered runs, capped off by a two-run home run from Cecil Fielder to win and retake the series lead. In Game 4, the Yankees jumped into the lead early and held it to take a 3–1 series lead. In Game 5, the Yankees jumped out to a big lead early thanks to home runs from Fielder, Jim Leyritz and Darryl Strawberry, and they held it to win the pennant.

This was the first of three consecutive losses in the ALCS for the Orioles - the next year, they would lose to the Cleveland Indians in six games, and in the 2014 ALCS they were swept by the Kansas City Royals. This was the first of six pennants won by the Yankees over the span of eight years - they would win it again in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2003.

The Yankees and Orioles would meet again in the ALDS in 2012, which the Yankees won in five games before falling in the ALCS.

Atlanta won the series, 4–3.

This was a rematch of the 1982 NLCS, which the Cardinals won in a sweep en route to winning the World Series. The Braves became the first team in NLCS history to overcome a 3–1 series deficit to win the series, and they returned to the World Series for the fourth time in six years.

John Smoltz pitched eight solid innings as the Braves took Game 1. The Cardinals evened the series with a blowout win in Game 2, capped off by a grand slam from Gary Gaetti. In St. Louis for Game 3, Ron Gant led the Cardinals to victory with a pair of home runs. In Game 4, the Braves had a 3–0 lead after six and a half innings, but the Cardinals scored four unanswered runs to take a commanding 3–1 series lead. However, things quickly turned ugly for the Cardinals. Smoltz had yet another stellar performance on the mound as the Braves embarrassed the Cardinals 14–0 in front of their home fans to send the series back to Atlanta. In Game 6, Greg Maddux outdueled Alan Benes in a pitchers’ duel to force a seventh game. The Braves clinched the pennant in Game 7 in a 15–0 rout to become the first team to ever come back from a 3–1 series deficit in the NLCS.

The Braves and Cardinals would meet again three more times in the postseason — during the 2000 NLDS, 2012 NL Wild Card Game, and 2019 NLDS — with the Cardinals winning all three match-ups.

The Cardinals would return to the NLCS in 2000, but they fell to the New York Mets in five games. They would win their next pennant in 2004 over the Houston Astros in seven games.

New York won the series, 4–2.

This was the third World Series meeting between the Braves and Yankees. The Braves won in 1957, while the Yankees won in 1958 after trailing 3–1 in the series. The Yankees, after trailing two games to none in the series, upset the defending World Series champion Braves in six games to win their first title since 1978.

At first, it appeared as if the Yankees were no match for the defending champion Braves. In the first World Series games played in the Bronx in 15 years, the Braves blew out the Yankees by a 12–1 score, and then prevailed in Game 2 by a 4–0 shutout thanks to a stellar pitching performance by Greg Maddux to go up 2–0 in the series headed back to Atlanta. However, the Yankees would take Game 3 by a 5–2 score to get on the board in the series for the first time. Game 4 was an offensive duel which the Yankees won by an 8–6 score to even the series at two. The Yankees narrowly prevailed in a 1–0 shutout in Game 5 to go up 3–2 in the series headed back to the Bronx. In Game 6, the Yankees jumped out to a 3–0 lead early, and while the Braves cut their lead to one in the top of the ninth, the Yankees ultimately prevailed to secure the title.

These two teams would meet in the World Series once more in 1999, which the Yankees won in a sweep.

The Yankees would eventually become a dynasty, as they returned to the World Series in 1998, 1999 and 2000, winning all three to pull off a three-peat. The Braves wouldn't win the World Series again until 2021, where they defeated the Houston Astros in six games.

This was the first season under a five-year rights agreement with ESPN, Fox, and NBC, marking the first time that playoff games aired nationally on U.S. cable television. Division Series games aired across ESPN, ESPN2, Fox, and NBC so that each game could be available nationally instead of regionally during the previous postseason's The Baseball Network broadcasts. Then in even-numbered years starting in 1996, NBC televised the American League Championship Series, and Fox aired both the National League Championship Series and the World Series. In odd-numbered years starting in 1997, Fox had the American League Championship Series, and NBC showed both the National League Championship Series and the World Series.

• League Baseball Standings & Expanded Standings - 1996