There isn’t anything better than postseason baseball. And that means the MLB playoff picture is becoming clearer as teams hone in on their spots.
Here is where the major postseason races stand as we inch closer to October baseball and the World Series. Standings are as of Sept. 25.
JUMP TO:
Current Bracket | Clinching Scenarios
AL: East | Central | West | Wild Card
NL: East | Central | West | Wild Card
What’s The Bracket As Of Now?
*- confirmed playoff teams
American League
Wild-card round (best of three):
(6) White Sox* at (3) Astros
(5) Red Sox* at (4) Yankees*
AL Division Series (best of five):
White Sox*/Astros vs. (2) Guardians*
Red Sox*/Yankees* vs. (1) Rays*
AL Championship Series (best of seven):
TBD vs. TBD
National League
Wild-card round (best of three):
(6) Phillies at (3) Braves*
(5) Padres* at (4) Cubs*
AL Division Series (best of five):
Phillies/Braves* vs. (2) Dodgers*
Padres*/Cubs* vs. (1) Brewers*
NL Championship Series (best of seven):
TBD vs. TBD
World Series (best of seven)
TBD vs. TBD
Friday’s Clinching Scenarios: What’s At Stake?
1. Neither the AL Central nor the AL West champions can be determined.
2. The Philadelphia Phillies can clinch the third and final NL wild-card spot if they beat Tampa Bay (6:40pm ET), and Arizona loses to San Diego.
The Tampa Bay Rays have clinched the division title, ahead of wild-card teams New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. The Yankees will host one of the two AL wild-card series and will host the Red Sox, with the winner then facing the Rays in the ALDS. But the question in the Bronx will be whether Aaron Judge will be healthy enough to return in time for the postseason.
The Orioles and Blue Jays are out.
Two teams – the Cleveland Guardians and the Chicago White Sox – are battling for the division crown. One team will win the division while the other is looking at a wild-card spot. The division winner will also likely have a wild-card series bye and have home-field advantage for the ALDS. The White Sox have the season tiebreaker over the Guardians should both finish with equal records.
Minnesota, Kansas City and Detroit are already out.
Two teams – the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers – are battling for the division crown. Only one of these teams will advance to the postseason. The winner will likely host one of the wild-card series. The Astros have the season tiebreaker over the Rangers should both finish with equal records.
The Mariners, the Angels and Athletics are done.
New York and Boston hold the top AL wild card spots, with the Yankees hosting the Red Sox in the first round. That leaves four teams in contention. The White Sox and Guardians have both clinched postseason spots but are battling for the AL Central division. Texas and the Astros are battling the AL West crown, with the loser out of contention altogether.
The Mariners, Orioles, Blue Jays, Twins, Tigers, Royals, Angels and Athletics have been eliminated from playoff contention.
The first-place Atlanta Braves have punched their ticket to the postseason for the eighth time in nine years and have also captured the NL East. They’ll also host a wild-card series.
The Philadelphia Phillies are honing on a wild-card spot. The other three division teams – Marlins, Mets, and Nationals – have been eliminated.
The Milwaukee Brewers wrapped up the NL Central division and have won 100 games in a season for the first time in franchise history. They have wrapped up a wild-card bye and home-field advantage throughout the postseason. The Chicago Cubs have clinched a wild-card spot.
The Pirates, Cardinals and Reds as the division’s eliminated teams.
The Dodgers have taken another step toward a third straight World Series title. They have wrapped up a 13th NL West title in the past 14 seasons. The defending two-time champions have now made the postseason in 14 straight seasons, tying Atlanta’s all-time record set from 1991-2005.
The Dodgers will have a first-round bye and have home-field advantage in the NLDS.
San Diego has clinched a wild-card spot, with the Diamondbacks still holding out hope for remaining spot. The Rockies and Giants are out.
Chicago and San Diego have wrapped up two of three spots. Philadelphia and Arizona remain in contention for the third and final spot.
Teams that have been eliminated are the Marlins, Cardinals, Pirates, Rockies, Giants, Reds, Mets and Nationals.
