In Major League Baseball (MLB), a sweep refers, depending on the playoff format, to a 4âÂÂ0, 3âÂÂ0, or 2âÂÂ0 series win where one team wins all the games without losing any. The following is a complete list of Major League Baseball postseason sweeps since the World Series began in .
Between 1969 and 1984, the League Championship Series (LCS) were held in a best-of-five format. Hence, to accomplish a sweep, a team had to win 3âÂÂ0. Since 1985, the LCS has been held in a best-of-seven format, requiring a team to win 4âÂÂ0.
The Division Series first took place in , due to the 1981 MLB players' strike dividing the season up into two different halves. Winners of each half of the season played against each other in a best-of-five format. The best-of-five Division Series were reintroduced in , as part of a postseason and divisional realignment.
To complete a sweep in the Division Series, a sweep requires a 3âÂÂ0 series win.
After being implemented in the pandemic-shortened 2020 MLB postseason, MLB permanently implemented the Wild Card Series starting , with a best-of-three format. To date, nearly every Wild Card Series held has ended in a sweep, with only 7 of the 24 series going to a Game 3.