2002 Major League Baseball postseason

The 2002 Major League Baseball postseason was the playoff tournament of Major League Baseball for the 2002 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 Anaheim Angels, formerly known as the California Angels, returned to the postseason for the first time since 1986. Joining them were the New York Yankees, who made their eighth straight postseason appearance, the Oakland Athletics, who returned for the third year in a row, and the Minnesota Twins, who made their first appearance since 1991.

In the National League, the San Francisco Giants returned for the second time in three years, the Arizona Diamondbacks returned for the third time in four years, the St. Louis Cardinals returned for the third straight time, and the Atlanta Braves made their eleventh consecutive appearance.

The postseason began on October 1, 2002, and ended on October 27, 2002, with the Angels defeating the Giants in seven games in the 2002 World Series to win their first World Series title in franchise history. This was the first World Series to feature both Wild Card teams from the American and National Leagues. It was also the last World Series to feature two teams from the same state.

Playoff seeds
The following teams qualified for the postseason:

American League

 * 1) New York Yankees - 103–58, Clinched AL East
 * 2) Oakland Athletics - 103–59, Clinched AL West
 * 3) Minnesota Twins - 94–67, Clinched AL Central
 * 4) Anaheim Angels - 99–63, Clinched Wild Card

National League

 * 1) Atlanta Braves - 101–59, Clinched NL East
 * 2) Arizona Diamondbacks - 98–64, Clinched NL West
 * 3) St. Louis Cardinals - 97–65, Clinched NL Central
 * 4) San Francisco Giants - 95–66, Clinched Wild Card

Playoff bracket
 

(1) New York Yankees vs. (4) Anaheim Angels
This was the first postseason meeting between the Angels and Yankees. The Angels knocked off the four-time defending American League champion Yankees in four games to reach the ALCS for the first time since 1986.

This was the first playoff series win in franchise history for the Angels. The Yankees unsurprisingly took Game 1, as they prevailed in an offensive slugfest by an 8-5 score thanks to home runs from Derek Jeter, Jason Giambi, Rondell White, and Bernie Williams respectively. Game 2 was yet another offensive showdown between both teams, however the Angels would narrowly emerge victorious by an 8-6 score, thanks to home runs from Tim Salmon, Scott Spiezio, Garret Anderson, and Troy Glaus respectively. When the series shifted to Anaheim, the Yankees jumped out to a 6-1 lead after the top of the third, however the Angels scored eight unanswered runs to come from behind and win by a 9-6 score. In Game 4, the Yankees led 2-1 after the top of the fifth, but the Angels again rallied with eight runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a lead they would not relinquish, as they won 9-5, ending the Yankees' bid for a fifth straight AL pennant.

The Angels and Yankees would also meet in the 2005 ALDS (Angels victory) and the 2009 ALCS (Yankees victory).

(2) Oakland Athletics vs. (3) Minnesota Twins
This was the first postseason meeting between the Twins and Athletics. The Twins defeated the Athletics in five games to return to the ALCS for the first time since 1991.

In Oakland, the first two games were split by both teams - in Game 1, the Twins prevailed in an offensive slugfest, 7-5. While in Game 2, the A's offense got the best of Twins' starter Joe Mays as they prevailed in a 9-1 blowout to even the series. When the series shifted to Minneapolis, the Athletics won Game 3 by a 6-3 score to take a 2-1 series lead, thanks to home runs from Ray Durham, Scott Hatteberg, Terrance Long, and Jermaine Dye respectively. In Game 4, Eric Milton pitched seven solid innings as the Twins blew out the Athletics by an 11-2 score to force a decisive fifth game back in Oakland. In Game 5, the Twins held off a late rally by the Athletics in the bottom of the ninth to win 5-4, and advance to the ALCS.

Both teams would meet again in the ALDS in 2006, which the Athletics won in a sweep. This was the last time the Twins won a playoff series until 2023, and this remains their only LDS series win.

(1) Atlanta Braves vs. (4) San Francisco Giants
This was the first postseason meeting between the Giants and Braves. The Giants knocked off the top-seeded Braves in five games to advance to the NLCS for the first time since 1989.

In Atlanta, both teams split the first two games. Game 1 was an offensive slugfest that was won by the Giants, 8-5. The Braves evened the series with a 7-3 victory in Game 2. When the series shifted to San Francisco for Game 3, Greg Maddux pitched six solid innings as the Braves blew out the Giants by eight runs to take a 2-1 series lead. The Giants would strike back with a blowout victory of their own in Game 4, as Rich Aurilia helped lead the Giants to an 8-3 victory with solid hitting. Russ Ortiz out-dueled Atlanta's Kevin Millwood as the Giants won the series with a 3-1 victory.

They would meet again in the NLDS in 2010, which the Giants also won.

(2) Arizona Diamondbacks vs. (3) St. Louis Cardinals
This was the second straight postseason meeting between the Cardinals and Diamondbacks. They met in the NLDS the previous year, which the Diamondbacks won in five games. The Cardinals swept the defending World Series champion Diamondbacks to advance to the NLCS for the second time in three years.

In Phoenix for Game 1, things got ugly for the Diamondbacks fast, as St. Louis' Matt Morris outdueled Cy Young winner Randy Johnson in a 12-2 blowout win for the Cardinals. In Game 2, the Cardinals held off a potential rally by the Diamondbacks to win 2-1, thanks to stellar pitching from relief pitcher Jason Isringhausen. When the series shifted to St. Louis, the Cardinals completed the sweep with a 6-3 victory in Game 3.

The Diamondbacks would not return to the postseason again until 2007.

(3) Minnesota Twins vs. (4) Anaheim Angels
After three previous failed attempts, the Angels finally broke through, as they defeated the Twins in five games to advance to the World Series for the first time in franchise history.

Minnesota's Joe Mays out-dueled Anaheim's Kevin Appier in a tight Twins' victory in Game 1. In Game 2, the Angels jumped out to a big lead early thanks to home runs from Darin Erstad and Brad Fullmer and held on to win 6-3 to even the series headed to Anaheim. Troy Glaus led the Angels to victory in Game 3 with a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth. Game 4 started off as a pitchers' duel between John Lackey and Brad Radke, but things then got ugly for the Twins as the Angels' offense came alive in the bottom of the seventh, and they blew out the Twins by a 7-1 score to take a 3-1 series lead. In Game 5, the Angels blew out the Twins 13-5 to clinch the pennant, a game which was notable for Adam Kennedy's three home runs and the Angels scoring ten runs in the bottom of the seventh.

After the series loss, the Twins would go on to win the American League Central in three of the next four seasons, although they would lose in the ALDS each time. The Angels returned to the ALCS in 2005 and 2009, but they would lose both to the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees respectively.

While the Angels and Twins experienced regular-season success in the following years, 2002 marked a high point for both franchises. To date, this is the only pennant win by the Angels, while this is the last ALCS appearance by the Twins. In 2020, the Twins set a mark of postseason futility when they lost their 18th straight playoff game, setting a record for major professional sports in North America.

(3) St. Louis Cardinals vs. (4) San Francisco Giants
This was a rematch of the 1987 NLCS, which the Cardinals won in seven games. This time, the Giants defeated the Cardinals in five games and advanced to the World Series for the first time since 1989.

The Giants convincingly stole Games 1 and 2 on the road. In Game 3, the Cardinals staved off a sweep thanks to a solo home run from Eli Marrero in the sixth inning which put them ahead for good. The Cardinals attempted to tie the series with a late rally in Game 4, but Giants closer Robb Nen struck out Albert Pujols and J.D. Drew to put the Giants up 3-1 in the series. Tim Worrell pitched a complete game in Game 5 as the Giants won in the bottom of the ninth, 2-1, to clinch the pennant.

The Cardinals and Giants would meet in the NLCS again, in 2012 and 2014, and both times the Giants won. The Giants would win their next NL pennant in 2010, against the Philadelphia Phillies in six games en route to a World Series victory. The Cardinals returned to the NLCS in 2004, where they defeated the Houston Astros in seven games before falling in the World Series to the Boston Red Sox.

(AL4) Anaheim Angels vs. (NL4) San Francisco Giants
This was the first of six consecutive World Series to feature at least one Wild Card team.

This was the first all-California World Series since 1989 and the last to feature two teams from the same state. It was also the third World Series between teams from the San Francisco Bay Area and the Greater Los Angeles area (1974, 1988). The Angels defeated the Giants in seven games to win their first (and only) title in franchise history.

The Giants stole Game 1 on the road thanks to home runs from Barry Bonds, Reggie Sanders, and J.T. Snow. Game 2 was a slugfest which the Angels won, 11-10, to even the series headed to San Francisco. In Game 3, the Angels blew out the Giants to go up 2-1 in the series as Ramón Ortiz got the best of Liván Hernández, while the Giants narrowly took Game 4 by one run to even the series. In Game 5, the Giants embarrassed the Angels in a 16-4 blowout to be one win away from their first World Series title since 1954. Game 6 became famous for a late Angels rally in which the team scored 3 runs in both the seventh and eighth innings to overcome a 5-0 Giants lead to force a seventh game. In Game 7, the Giants struck first with one run in the top of the second, however the Angels tied the game in the bottom of the inning. The Angels then took the lead for good with a three-run third inning, and the strong Angels bullpen led by closer Troy Percival closed out the series in the top of the ninth despite putting two runners on base. The Angels made MLB history in Game 7 as John Lackey became the first rookie pitcher to win a World Series Game 7 since 1909.

Due to the Angels claiming the championship in Game 7, the Game 6 collapse entered baseball lore as part of the Curse of Coogan's Bluff superstition used to explain the Giants' championship drought after the 1954 World Series. This is the last time the Giants lost in the World Series.

Along with the Los Angeles Lakers winning the 2002 NBA Finals, the Greater Los Angeles area had NBA and World Series champions in the same season or calendar year for the first time since the Dodgers and Lakers did so in 1988. This was the first World Series to feature two Wild Card teams, a phenomenon that would repeat again in 2014 - another World Series that featured the Giants, as well as in 2023.

The Giants would break through in 2010, where they defeated the Texas Rangers in five games to win their first title since 1954.

Broadcasting
This was the only postseason in which Division Series games aired across ABC Family, Fox, and Fox's sister network FX in the United States. After Fox sold Fox Family to ESPN's parent company Disney in November 2001, and rebranded it as ABC Family, it was decided that the channel could still air selected Division Games in 2002. The ABC Family broadcasts were ESPN-produced telecasts. After the season, ABC Family's rights for selected Division Series games were transferred to ESPN proper.

Both League Championship Series and the World Series aired on Fox.