MLB

Spring training in February and March is the preseason. Those games are exhibitions and do not count in the standings. The regular season has 162 games for each team and usually runs from late March to late September.

The postseason starts with wild-card series in late September or early October, then the division series, the league championship series and the World Series. The World Series usually ends in October, and it can run into early November. The exact dates change each year.

A play is a plate appearance, the batter's turn at the plate. It usually ends with a hit, a walk, a strikeout or an out. Play-by-play lists every one in order, with the game situation.

Teams score runs, and a run counts when a runner crosses home plate. A home run scores at least one run, and a grand slam scores four. Nine innings make a regulation game, and a game tied after nine goes to extra innings. For example, with the bases loaded, a home run scores four runs: three runners and the batter.

An Antic Rating is a player's score for one game on a 0 to 10 scale. It reflects what the player did and how much their plays helped the team win, so it describes that game, not the season.

Above 10 is reserved for outstanding games. Antic also gives each game a game rating, from how much the win chance swung. Ratings describe what happened: they are not picks or predictions.

Player props are bets on one player's stat or event. In baseball you will see hits, runs and RBIs combined, RBIs, total bases and strikeouts. Most are over or under a number.

Antic never places bets. If betting stops being fun, set limits or call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Polls ask who wins and, where there is a spread, who covers it. In baseball the spread is usually the run line. Polls do not ask about individual innings. Votes show the split.

Lineups show the probable starting pitcher first, then the batting order of nine with the position players, then the pitchers. Positions are catcher (C), first base (1B), second base (2B), third base (3B), shortstop (SS), the outfield (LF, CF and RF) and designated hitter (DH). Pitchers are starters (SP), relievers (RP) and closers (CL). Each row shows injury status when one is reported.

Standings rank teams by winning percentage, which is wins divided by games played, within each division. Ties are broken first by head-to-head record, then by division record and later steps in the league's rulebook. A tie for a division title or a playoff spot can be settled by a one-game playoff.