The MLB postseason is upon us, and with only two series remaining in the regular season, there’s a lot at stake for any team with World Series aspirations.
Let’s analyze the current state of the MLB standings and the playoff situation.
Who has secured a place in the playoffs?
The Brewers won the NL Central title on Wednesday, but they haven’t yet secured their playoff spot. The Chicago Cubs’ 5-3 loss to the Oakland A’s secured the division for the Brewers.
Also on Wednesday, the Yankees secured their first postseason berth in the AL with their 2-1 overtime win over the Mariners. The Yankees have not yet secured the AL East Division title or their postseason berth.
On Thursday, the Guardians sealed their ticket to October with a 3-2 walk-off win over the Twins in the 10th inning. On Saturday, they clinched the AL Central title. They have not yet secured their spot in the postseason.
Also on Thursday, the Dodgers secured their 12th consecutive postseason appearance with a 20-4 (yes, 20-4) victory over the Marlins. Ohtani delivered an absolutely historic performance to secure the first 50-50 season in MLB history. The Dodgers have not yet secured the NL West Division title or their postseason berth.
On Friday, the Phillies secured their third consecutive playoff berth with a 12-2 win over the Mets. They have not yet won the NL East title or secured a postseason berth.
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Who can win next?
According to FanGraphs, the Orioles, Padres and Astros have at least a 99% chance of reaching the postseason. The Royals, Diamondbacks, Twins and Mets have their sights set on the postseason, but still have a long way to go.
The Phillies, Dodgers, Astros and Yankees have a good chance of winning their divisions, assuming they hold their current leads. The Phillies, Dodgers, Yankees and Guardians have a good chance of securing a bye in the wild-card round.
What else is there to win?
Once a team has clinched its ticket to the postseason, there is still a lot at stake. Most teams have comfortable division leads, but they may be battling for playoff spots until the final weekend of the season.
First and second place in each league will go to the division winners with the two best finishes. These teams will receive a bye in the wildcard round and host rights in the division series.
3rd place goes to the winner of Division 3 and that team will host a three-game wildcard series against 6th place (who will receive the third wildcard). The top wildcard team will receive 4th place and will have to play 5th place in the wildcard round.
Once we get that far, the higher seeds will also get home field advantage in the championship series.
What would the playoff standings look like if the season ended today?
American League
Wildcard: No. 6 Detroit Tigers vs. No. 3 Houston Astros
ALDS: Wildcard winner against No. 2 Cleveland Guardians*
Wildcard: No. 5 Kansas City Royals vs. No. 4 Baltimore Orioles
ALDS: Wildcard winner against No. 1 New York Yankees*
Bundesliga
Wildcard: No. 6 Arizona Diamondbacks vs. No. 3 Milwaukee Brewers*
NLDS: Wildcard winner against No. 2 Los Angeles Dodgers*
Wildcard: No. 5 New York Mets vs. No. 4 San Diego Padres
NLDS: Wildcard winner against No. 1 Philadelphia Phillies*
(*Playoff spot secured)
What are the tiebreakers?
Teams will no longer play Game 163 if they finish the season tied. Instead, tiebreakers will be determined first by head-to-head results and, if necessary, by intra-division results.
The following tiebreakers could come into play:
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The Yankees won the tiebreaker against the Guardians.
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The Guardians won the tiebreaker against the Orioles.
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The Phillies won the tiebreaker against the Dodgers.
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The Twins won the tiebreakers against the Tigers and Royals.
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The Royals won the tiebreaker against the Tigers.
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The Mets won the tiebreakers against the Padres and Diamondbacks.
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The Orioles have the tiebreaker against the Yankees, with three games left to play.
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The D-backs have the tiebreaker against the Padres, with three games left to play.
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The Mets have the tiebreaker against the Braves, with three games left to play.
Read more: 2024 MLB offseason preview: What’s next for the White Sox, Nationals, A’s and more??
What is the schedule for the wildcard and division series?
Wildcard Series
Game 1: Tuesday, October 1st
Game 2: Wednesday, October 2
Game 3: Thursday, Oct. 3*
Division Series
ALDS
Game 1: Saturday, October 5
Game 2: Monday, October 7
Game 3: Wednesday, October 9
Game 4: Thursday, October 10*
Game 5: Saturday, October 12*
NLDS
Game 1: Saturday, October 5
Game 2: Sunday, October 6
Game 3: Tuesday, October 8
Game 4: Wednesday, October 9*
Game 5: Friday, October 11*
(*if required)