With the Wild Card Games now complete, the 2016 American League Division Series is set to begin Thursday, with the league's final four teams vying for the AL pennant.

Each contest will have its own spotlight, as the Game 1 slate features an afternoon showdown followed by a nightcap. Regardless, Thursday should yield some spectacular baseball, as both sets of teams appear evenly matched.

Following the AL and NL Wild Card wins by the Toronto Blue Jays and San Francisco Giants, respectively, the MLB playoff bracket is officially set, and both the ALDS and NLDS are about to kick off and begin the road to the World Series.

Fact: San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner threw a complete-game shutout against the New York Mets on Wednesday night, the third of his postseason career. He is now tied for the second-most complete-game shutouts in postseason history.

Bleacher Report will be bringing sports fans the most interesting and engaging Cold Hard Fact of the day, presented by Coors Light.

Manager Terry Collins didn't hesitate to use his All-Star closer like his counterpart Buck Showalter did, but the results for New York Mets were the same as they were for the Baltimore Orioles in the Wild Card Game—an abrupt end to a promising season.

The waiting is just about over for the Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians and the Texas Rangers. The Toronto Blue Jays just want to pick it up from where they left off Tuesday night.

The Blue Jays won their Wild Card Game against the Baltimore Orioles when Edwin Encarnacion launched an Ubaldo Jimenez pitch into the second deck in left field with two runners on in the bottom of the 11th inning at the Rogers Centre, giving the Blue Jays a 5-2 walk-off victory.

The Miami Marlins officially picked up the contract option on outfielder Ichiro Suzuki on Wednesday to keep him with the organization for the 2017 season. 

Fact: Edwin Encarnacion hit a three-run walk-off home run in the Toronto Blue Jays' 5-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night. He became the first player since the New York Yankees' Aaron Boone (2003 ALCS Game 7 vs.

The 2016 MLB playoffs commenced in grand fashion Tuesday when the Toronto Blue Jays knocked off the Baltimore Orioles in extra innings in the American League Wild Card Game, but there are several more intriguing matchups on tap moving forward.

Major League Baseball's postseason is officially underway after the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Wild Card Game on Tuesday night. 

While there are only nine teams remaining ahead of Wednesday night's National League Wild Card Game between the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets, 21 other teams have officially set their sights toward next spring. 

Whether it's in the field or in the dugout, here is the latest on baseball's biggest rumors.

Despite missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season, the Detroit Tigers reportedly exercised manager Brad Ausmus' fourth-year option for 2017 on Tuesday night.