With only three MLB games scheduled for today, it feels like the quiet before the storm. Multiple division titles and Wild Card spots are on the line in the final week of the regular season.

Only two of the six divisions have been clinched: the Philadelphia Phillies locked up the NL East earlier this month, and the Milwaukee Brewers sealed the NL Central over the weekend.

That leaves four divisions — the NL West, AL East, AL Central, and AL West — where the second-place team is within three games or fewer of the leader.

Given those stakes, this week will be defined by both head-to-head series and the playoff races they shape. Here are the matchups and battles most likely to decide who reaches October.

AL Central: Tigers vs. Guardians

No series looms larger than the Cleveland Guardians versus the Detroit Tigers, which begins on Tuesday night. The Guardians trail the Tigers by just one game in the AL Central, setting up a direct battle for the division crown.

Cleveland’s September surge has been fueled by one of the league’s best pitching staffs. But the stakes are higher than just the Central. The Guardians are also tied with the Houston Astros for the final AL Wild Card spot. Losing to Detroit would not only cost them ground in the division but could also push them out of the postseason picture altogether.

For Detroit, holding off Cleveland would mean securing their first division title since 2014.

For Cleveland, this is all-or-nothing: win and October is likely, lose and both the division and Wild Card could slip away.

AL East: The Blue Jays-Red Sox-Yankees Triangle

The Toronto Blue Jays begin the week with a two-game lead over the New York Yankees in the AL East. The Boston Red Sox, five games back, are still mathematically alive but would need an almost perfect finish to force their way in.

That makes this head-to-head clash between Boston and Toronto pivotal in multiple ways.

For the Red Sox, wins would help secure their hold on the second AL Wild Card spot. But the ripple effect could be even bigger: if Boston takes games from Toronto while the Yankees handle the Chicago White Sox — the worst team in the American League — New York could overtake Toronto for the division lead.

The Yankees already hold the top Wild Card with a three-game cushion over Boston, but their prime target is the division. Toronto has clinched a playoff berth, so this series is about securing a first-round bye by fending off Boston and keeping the Yankees at bay.

AL West: Mariners in Control, Astros on the Brink

The Seattle Mariners enter the week with a three-game lead in the AL West after sweeping the Houston Astros. Seattle now has the inside track on its first division title since 2001, but the final stretch won’t be easy.

The Mariners open with a favorable three-game set against the Colorado Rockies, the worst team in baseball, before closing the season against the Los Angeles Dodgers, one of the league’s best.

The Astros, meanwhile, are reeling. They are chasing the final Wild Card spot with the Guardians. That makes their upcoming series against the Athletics and the Los Angeles Angels must-wins. Any stumble could leave Houston on the outside looking in once the dust settles.

The NL West Race and the Wild Card Chase

With the NL East and Central already locked up, the focus shifts to a two-way race in the NL West between the Dodgers and the San Diego Padres. 

The Dodgers hold a three-game edge, but San Diego still has a chance to flip the standings, though they face a daunting series against Milwaukee this week.

The first and second Wild Card slots are comfortably in the hands of the Chicago Cubs and Padres, but the real drama lies in the battle for the third and final spot, where six teams are still mathematically alive.

The Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets are currently tied for the final slot. The Mets begin a three-game series with the Cubs and then wrap up the season against the Miami Marlins, who’ve won six in a row and are four games out of the final Wild Card spot. The Reds play the Pittsburgh Pirates, who sit at the bottom of the NL Central, then finish with the formidable Brewers.

The Arizona Diamondbacks sit just one game behind the Mets and Reds. But they have the toughest closing schedule in the majors, facing the Dodgers and then the Padres.

The San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals sit three and four games back, respectively. They open a head-to-head series tonight that carries elimination stakes, with both clubs on the brink.

A Photo Finish

The upcoming weekend brings two more series that could decide who plays in October:

Tigers vs. Red Sox: If the Tigers slip against Cleveland, this three-game set could turn into a direct fight for a Wild Card spot.

Mets vs. Marlins: With the Mets clinging to the final NL Wild Card and Miami hanging on the fringes, their Friday–Sunday clash could serve as an elimination series.

And Sunday promises high drama: all 15 MLB games start just after 3:00 PM Eastern, ensuring simultaneous action across the league. With division titles and Wild Card berths on the line, it’s almost destined to deliver one of the most dramatic finishes in years.