The MLB postseason is just around the corner. And with three games left in the regular season, there’s still plenty to play for every team aiming for the World Series.
Let’s analyze today’s MLB standings and playoff situation.
Who made it to the playoffs?
On Thursday, the Dodgers defeated the Padres to clinch the National League West title and top two seeds. In the NLDS, they will receive a bye due to the wild card round and home field advantage. The Dodgers defeated the Marlins 20-4 (yes, 20-4) on September 19th, clinching their 12th consecutive postseason appearance. In that game, Ohtani delivered an absolutely historic performance, clinching the first 50-50 season in MLB history. .
The Yankees defeated the Orioles 10-1 on Thursday, clinching a top-two seed in the American League East, a first-round bye, and home-field advantage. They are competing with the Guardians for the No. 1 seed in the American League.
On Wednesday, the Phillies clinched the top two seeds in the National League playoffs with a win over the Cubs and a Brewers win over the Pirates. The National League East champions will receive a bye due to the wild card round and the National League’s home field advantage. They are competing with the Dodgers for the No. 1 seed in the National League.
On Tuesday, the Orioles clinched a spot in the AL playoffs with a win over the Yankees and a Twins loss to the Marlins. They have yet to earn a postseason seed.
Also on Tuesday, the Astros defeated the Mariners, clinching a postseason ticket and winning their fourth consecutive American League West title. They will be the No. 3 seed in the American League and host the Wild Card Series.
The Padres clinched a spot in the National League postseason with a 4-2 win over the Dodgers on Tuesday, but the game ended in a triple play. They have yet to earn a postseason seed.
On September 19th, the Guardians earned a walk-off victory over the Twins, clinching their ticket to October. Cleveland clinched the AL Central title on Saturday and secured a spot above the American League’s No. 2 seed with a 6-1 victory over the Reds on Tuesday. This means they will be able to pass through the wild card round and home field with a bye. That’s an advantage in the ALDS.
The Brewers won the National League Central Division title on September 18, but have not yet secured a playoff seed.
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Who can clinch next?
According to FanGraphs, the Royals, Tigers and Mets are all set to make the postseason, with odds of over 70%. The Diamondbacks are above 50%, but still have a ways to go before they reach October.
Seven of the eight teams that qualified for the postseason are competing for seeding in the playoffs. Only the Astros have secured a seed (3rd place in the American League).
The Twins and Braves are not eliminated yet and are still in the hunt for a wild-card spot, but they have work to do and will need significant help to get there.
What are we still waiting for?
Even if the team clinches a ticket to the postseason, there’s still a lot to play for. Teams could compete for playoff spots until the final weekend of the season.
The No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in each league will be awarded to the division winners with the top two records. These teams will earn byes through the Wild Card Round and the right to host the Division Series.
The third seed will be awarded to the winner of the third division, and that team will host a three-game wild card series against the sixth seed (advance to the third wild card). The top wild card team will earn the fourth seed and host the fifth seed in the wild card round.
If they get that far, the higher seeds will also have home-field advantage in the Championship Series.
If the season ended today, what would the playoff standings be?
A lot can still change between now and October 1st. (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports)
american league
Wild Card: 6th place Detroit Tigers vs. 3rd place Houston Astros*
ALDS: Wild Card Winner vs. 2nd Place 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. 2nd Place Philadelphia Phillies*
Wild Card: 5th place New York Mets vs. 4th place San Diego Padres*
NLDS: Wild Card Winner vs. No. 1 Los Angeles Dodgers*
(*Playoffs confirmed)
The battle for the 2024 postseason has begun. (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports)
What is a tie breaker?
If the season ends with a tie, the team will not be able to play Game 163. Instead, tiebreakers will be determined first by head-to-head records and, if necessary, secondly by intradivision records.
The tiebreakers that may be involved are:
The Yankees decided on a tiebreaker against the Guardians.
The Phillies had a tiebreaker against the Dodgers and Brewers.
The Twins won a tiebreaker against the Tigers and Royals.
The Royals won a tiebreaker against the Tigers.
The Mets had a tiebreaker against the Padres and Diamondbacks.
The Braves won a tiebreaker against the Diamondbacks.
The D-backs hold the tiebreaker against the Padres with three games remaining.
The Braves hold the tiebreaker with the Mets with two games remaining.
Read more: 2024 MLB Offseason Preview: What’s Next for the White Sox, Nationals, Athletics, and More?
What will the schedule be for the Wild Card Series and Division Series?
wild card series
Game 1: Tuesday, October 1st
Round 2: Wednesday, October 2nd
Game 3: Thursday, October 3rd*
division series
Al’s
1st match: October 5th (Sat)
Game 2: Monday, October 7th
Game 3: Wednesday, October 9th
Game 4: Thursday, October 10*
Game 5: Saturday, October 12th*
NLDS
1st match: October 5th (Saturday)
Round 2: Sunday, October 6th
Game 3: Tuesday, October 8th
Game 4: Wednesday, October 9th*
Game 5: Friday, October 11th*
(*if required)
