The MLB postseason is right around the corner. And with just two days left in the regular season, the playoff picture is finally coming together.
Let’s break down the state of the MLB standings and the playoff bracket as it looks today.
Who has clinched a spot in the playoffs?
The Los Angeles Dodgers: The Dodgers have clinched the NL West title, the No. 1 seed in the NL bracket and the best MLB record overall, meaning they have a bye through the wild-card round and home-field advantage through the entire postseason.
The Philadelphia Phillies: The Phillies have clinched the NL East title and the No. 2 seed in the NL bracket, meaning they have a bye through the wild-card round and home-field advantage in the NLDS.
The Milwaukee Brewers: The Brewers were the first team to clinch their division, winning the NL Central back on Sept. 18. They have secured the No. 3 seed in the NL bracket and will host a wild-card series against the No. 6 seed.
The San Diego Padres: The Padres have clinched the top wild card in the NL bracket. They will be the No. 4 seed and host a wild-card series vs. the No. 5 seed.
The New York Yankees: The Yankees have clinched the AL East title and the No. 1 seed in the AL bracket, meaning they have a bye through the wild-card round and home-field advantage through the AL playoffs.
The Cleveland Guardians: The Guardians have clinched the AL Central title and the No. 2 seed in the AL bracket, meaning they have a bye through the wild-card round and home-field advantage in the ALDS.
The Houston Astros: The Astros have clinched the AL West title and the No. 3 seed in the AL bracket. They will host a wild-card series against the No. 6 seed.
The Baltimore Orioles: The Orioles have clinched the top wild card in the AL bracket. They will be the No. 4 seed and host a wild-card series vs. the No. 5 seed.
The Detroit Tigers: The Tigers have clinched a wild card in the AL bracket. They have not yet secured their seed but will land at No. 5 or No. 6.
The Kansas City Royals: The Royals have clinched a wild card in the AL bracket. They have not yet secured their seed but will land at No. 5 or No. 6.
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Who still needs to clinch?
Three teams — the Mets, Braves and Diamondbacks — are competing for the final two wild-card spots in the National League. According to FanGraphs, the Braves are likely to secure one of those spots, with playoff odds above 90%. The Diamondbacks and Mets are still in contention but have odds below 60%.
The Diamondbacks have one more game to play Sunday vs. the Padres, while the Mets and Braves are set to play a doubleheader on Monday in Atlanta after concluding this weekend’s series on Sunday.
The Tigers and Royals are still competing for seeding in the AL wild-card bracket. The Dodgers, Phillies, Brewers, Padres, Yankees, Guardians, Astros and Orioles have secured their seeds and have nothing else to play for.
What would the playoff bracket look like if the season ended today?
American League
Wild card: No. 6 Kansas City Royals* vs. No. 3 Houston Astros**
ALDS: Wild-card winner vs. No. 2 Cleveland Guardians**
Wild card: No. 5 Detroit Tigers* vs. No. 4 Baltimore Orioles**
ALDS: Wild-card winner vs. No. 1 New York Yankees**
National League
Wild card: No. 6 New York Mets vs. No. 3 Milwaukee Brewers**
NLDS: Wild-card winner vs. No. 2 Philadelphia Phillies**
Wild card: No. 5 Atlanta Braves vs. No. 4 San Diego Padres**
NLDS: Wild-card winner vs. No. 1 Los Angeles Dodgers**
(*clinched playoff spot, **clinched postseason seed)
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:
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The Royals have clinched the tiebreaker against the Tigers.
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The Mets have clinched the tiebreaker against the Diamondbacks.
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The Braves have clinched the tiebreaker against the Diamondbacks.
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The Braves hold the tiebreaker against the Mets, with two games left to play.
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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)
