The MLB postseason is right around the corner. And with less than a week left in the regular season, every team with World Series aspirations still has a lot to play for.
Let’s break down the state of the MLB standings and the playoff picture as it looks today.
Who has clinched a spot in the playoffs?
On Wednesday, the Philadelphia Phillies clinched no worse than the No. 2 seed in the NL playoffs with their 9-6 victory over the Chicago Cubs, combined with the Milwaukee Brewers’ 2-1 defeat against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The NL East champions will have a bye through the wild-card round and host an NLDS. They’re competing with the Dodgers for the NL’s No. 1 seed.
On Tuesday, the Orioles clinched an AL playoff berth with their 5-3 win over the Yankees, combined with the Twins’ 4-1 loss to the Marlins. They have not yet secured their postseason seed and are still alive for the AL East crown, four games behind the first-place Yankees — courtesy of Wednesday’s 9-7 victory in the Bronx — with four left in the regular season.
Also Tuesday, the Astros clinched their postseason ticket and fourth consecutive AL West title with a 4-3 victory over the Mariners. They have not yet secured their postseason seed.
Last but not least, the Padres clinched their spot in the NL postseason bracket with a 4-2 victory over the Dodgers on Tuesday, one that ended with a triple play. They have not yet clinched their postseason seed and trail the Dodgers by three games in the NL West with four remaining.
On Sept. 19, the Guardians clinched their ticket to October with 3-2 walk-off victory against the Twins. Cleveland secured the AL Central title on Saturday, and with Tuesday’s 6-1 victory over the Reds, they secured the No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the American League, meaning they have a bye through the wild-card round and will host an ALDS.
Also on Sept. 19, the Dodgers clinched their 12th straight postseason appearance with a 20-4 (yes, 20-4) victory over the Marlins. Ohtani delivered an absolutely historic performance to seal the first 50-50 season in MLB history. The Dodgers, who haven’t yet secured their postseason seed, can clinch the NL West title with a win Thursday vs. the Padres.
The Brewers clinched the NL Central title on Sept. 18. They have not yet clinched their playoff seed.
The Yankees clinched the AL’s first postseason spot on Sept. 18. They have not yet secured the AL East title or their postseason seed.
Subscribe to Baseball Bar-B-Cast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.
Who can clinch next?
The Royals, Tigers and Mets have the postseason in sight, with odds above 70%, according to FanGraphs. The Diamondbacks are above 50% but still have a ways to go to get to October. The Twins, Mariners and Braves have not been eliminated yet and are still in the hunt for wild-card berths.
The Dodgers and Yankees are positioned to win their divisions, assuming their current leads hold. Those two teams are also in line to earn byes through the wild-card round.
What’s still up for grabs?
Once a team clinches its ticket to the postseason, there’s still a lot to play for. Teams could be battling for playoff positioning through the final weekend of the season.
The Nos. 1 and 2 seeds in each league will go to the division winners with the two best records. Those teams earn a bye through the wild-card round and hosting rights in the division series.
The No. 3 seed will go to the third division winner, and that team will host a three-game wild-card series against the No. 6 seed (which will go to the third wild card). The top wild-card team will earn the No. 4 seed and hosting duties against the No. 5 seed in the wild-card round.
The higher seed also gets home-field advantage in the championship series, once we get that far.
What would the playoff bracket look like if the season ended today?
American League
Wild card: No. 6 Detroit Tigers vs. No. 3 Houston Astros*
ALDS: Wild-card winner vs. No. 2 Cleveland Guardians*
Wild card: No. 5 Kansas City Royals vs. No. 4 Baltimore Orioles*
ALDS: Wild-card winner vs. No. 1 New York Yankees*
National League
Wild card: No. 6 Arizona Diamondbacks vs. No. 3 Milwaukee Brewers*
NLDS: Wild-card winner vs. No. 2 Philadelphia Phillies*
Wild card: No. 5 New York Mets vs. No. 4 San Diego Padres*
NLDS: Wild-card winner vs. No. 1 Los Angeles Dodgers*
(*clinched playoff spot)
What are the tiebreakers?
No longer do teams play a Game 163 if they finish the season tied. Instead, tiebreakers are determined by head-to-head records first and, if needed, intradivision records second.
Here are the tiebreakers that could come into play:
-
The Yankees have clinched the tiebreaker against the Guardians.
-
The Guardians have clinched the tiebreaker against the Orioles.
-
The Phillies have clinched the tiebreakers against the Dodgers and Brewers.
-
The Twins have clinched the tiebreakers against the Tigers, Royals and Mariners.
-
The Royals have clinched the tiebreakers against the Tigers and Mariners.
-
The Tigers have clinched the tiebreaker against the Mariners.
-
The Mets have clinched the tiebreakers against the Padres and Diamondbacks.
-
The Braves have clinched the tiebreaker against the Diamondbacks.
-
The Padres have clinched the tiebreakers against the Dodgers and Brewers.
-
The Orioles hold the tiebreaker against the Yankees, with one game left to play.
-
The D-backs hold the tiebreaker against the Padres, with three games left to play.
-
The Braves hold the tiebreaker against the Mets, with two games left to play.
Read more: 2024 MLB offseason previews: What’s next for the White Sox, Nationals, A’s and more?
What’s the schedule for the wild-card and division series?
Wild-card series
Game 1: Tuesday, Oct. 1
Game 2: Wednesday, Oct. 2
Game 3: Thursday, Oct. 3*
Division series
ALDS
Game 1: Saturday, Oct. 5
Game 2: Monday, Oct. 7
Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 9
Game 4: Thursday, Oct. 10*
Game 5: Saturday, Oct. 12*
NLDS
Game 1: Saturday, Oct. 5
Game 2: Sunday, Oct. 6
Game 3: Tuesday, Oct. 8
Game 4: Wednesday, Oct. 9*
Game 5: Friday, Oct. 11*
(*if necessary)
