This is the most recent edition of the postseason to not feature the Houston Astros, who would make what is currently eight consecutive appearances starting the following season.

The postseason began on October 4, and ended on November 2, with the Cubs defeating the Indians in seven games in the 2016 World Series.

It was the Cubs' first title in 108 years, ending the longest championship drought in North American sports history, as well as the Curse of the Billy Goat.

The Blue Jays defeated the Orioles, 5–2, in the eleventh inning, when Edwin Encarnación hit a walk-off three-run home run off Ubaldo Jiménez.

The Giants won 3–0 after a 3-run home run by Conor Gillaspie in the top of the ninth inning as Madison Bumgarner pitched a complete-game shutout in the Wild Card Game for the second time in three years.

The Blue Jays took Game 3 in extra innings, capped off by an error made by Texas' Rougned Odor while attempting a double play — the throw went wide of first baseman Mitch Moreland, which allowed Toronto's Josh Donaldson to run to home plate and clinch the series win for the Blue Jays.

In Game 2, the Indians shut out the Red Sox, 6–0, thanks to a solid pitching performance from Corey Kluber.

Game 2 was notable for Chicago’s Travis Wood becoming the first relief pitcher since the 1924 World Series to hit a home run.

The Cubs forced extra innings in the top of the ninth thanks to a two-run home run from Kris Bryant, but the Giants ultimately prevailed in the bottom of the thirteenth thanks to a walk-off RBI double from Joe Panik.

However, the Giants’ defense imploded - they used five pitchers in the inning and gave up four unanswered runs as the Cubs took the lead for good.

The Giants were denied the chance to win a fourth World Series title in seven years, officially ending their dynasty.

They last met in the 1981 NLCS - back when the Nationals were known as the Montreal Expos, and was won by the Dodgers en route to a World Series title.

In Game 2, José Lobatón hit a three-run home run to put the Nationals up for good as they won to even the series headed to Los Angeles.

Anthony Rendon and Jayson Werth both homered for the Nationals in Game 3 as they blew out the Dodgers to take the series lead.

Andrew Miller and Cody Allen would silence the Blue Jays’ offense late in Game 2 as the Indians won 2–1 to take a 2–0 series lead headed to Toronto.

The Indians set an MLB record with the lowest batting average by a winning team in a postseason series, hitting just .168 against the Blue Jays.

As of 2025, this is the last time the Indians won the AL pennant, and this remains the last postseason appearance outside of the Wild Card round for the Blue Jays.

The Cubs defeated the Dodgers in six games, advancing to the World Series for the first time since 1945, ending what was the longest pennant drought in the MLB, as well as the longest conference championship drought in North American sports (in the process denying a rematch of the 1920 World Series between the Dodgers and Indians).

Game 2 was a pitchers duel between Los Angeles’ Clayton Kershaw and Chicago’s Kyle Hendricks, which was won by the former as the Dodgers evened the series with a 1–0 victory.

In Game 6, Anthony Rizzo and Willson Contreras each hit home runs and Kris Bryant, Ben Zobrist, and Dexter Fowler each drove in a run as the Cubs jumped to a 5–0 lead and didn’t relinquish it, ending their long pennant drought and finally returning to the World Series.

In what is considered by many to be one of the greatest World Series ever played, the Cubs defeated the Indians in seven games to win their first title in 108 years, officially ending the Curse of the Billy Goat and the longest championship drought in North American sports.