The MLB postseason is a week away, and every team with World Series aspirations still has a lot left to play for.
Let’s break down the playoff picture, what’s at stake and who’s facing whom heading into Tuesday.
Who has clinched a spot in the playoffs?
The Padres clinched a postseason spot with a walk-off victory in extra innings Monday. They are in line to secure the second NL wild card and the No. 5 seed.
The Blue Jays clinched a postseason spot on Sept. 21, making them the first American League team in the field. They’re in line to win the AL East and secure the No. 1 seed in the AL.
The Dodgers clinched a postseason spot on Sept. 19. They are in line to win the NL West and secure the No. 3 seed.
The Cubs clinched a postseason spot on Sept. 17. They are in line to secure the top wild card in the NL and the No. 4 seed.
The Phillies clinched a postseason spot on Sept. 14. They won the NL East and are in line to secure the NL’s No. 2 seed.
The Brewers clinched the first spot in the playoffs on Sept. 13. They won the NL Central and are in line to secure the NL’s No. 1 seed.
A team-by-team look at the latest on the playoff fieldJump to a team by clicking on the links below:Toronto Blue Jays
The Jays clinched a playoff berth Sunday with their victory over the Royals, making them the first AL team in the postseason. They have a two-game lead on the Yankees in the AL East. Toronto’s 90 victories lead the AL, which has it in position to clinch the No. 1 seed and secure a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the division series. The Jays’ magic number to clinch the East is four.
Up next: The Jays conclude the regular season with a six-game homestand, with three vs. the Red Sox starting Tuesday and three vs. the Rays starting Friday.
Seattle Mariners
The Mariners swept the Astros this weekend to put them in the driver’s seat for their first AL West title since 2001. They also own the tiebreaker over the Astros. They’re currently in line to secure the No. 2 seed in the AL and a bye to the division series.
Up next: The M’s end the regular season with six games at home, beginning Tuesday against the Rockies with a three-game series. Their final series is a three-game set against the Dodgers beginning Friday.
Detroit Tigers
They were swept by the Atlanta Braves this weekend, falling 6-2 on Sunday. That marked their third straight series in which they’ve either been swept or lost two of three. The Tigers are now clinging to a one-game lead in the AL Central after having a double-digit lead for much of the season.
Up next: On Tuesday, they’ll be in Cleveland to begin a critical, three-game series against the Guardians, who trail by one game in the division. Detroit finishes the regular season at the Red Sox, who currently hold the second wild-card spot.
New York Yankees
The Yankees took three of four games against the Orioles this weekend in Baltimore. They trail the Blue Jays in the AL East by two games with six remaining, and Toronto owns the tiebreaker with New York. The Yankees are currently the top wild-card team in the AL, with a three-game lead over the Red Sox.
Up next: The Yanks have a six-game homestand that begins Tuesday, starting with the Chicago White Sox for three games. The Yankees’ regular season concludes with three more games against the Orioles.
Boston Red Sox
Amid the chaos around them, the Red Sox have been holding on to the second AL wild card and the No. 5 seed for most of the past two months. They’re currently in line to face the Yankees for three games in the Bronx to begin the playoffs.
Up next: The Sox play a three-game series in Toronto that will get a lot of divisional attention. Boston enters the week trailing Toronto by five games, and the Yankees are just two back in the division. The Sox conclude the regular season by hosting the Tigers in a three-game series.
Houston Astros
The Astros just got swept by the Mariners to put the division title largely out of reach. They’re now three games back of Seattle and fighting for the third wild card in the AL. They’re tied with the Guardians in the wild-card race, and Cleveland has the tiebreaker, so Houston will be sweating it out over the final week.
Up next: The ‘Stros finish the season on the road but against teams that should hand them wins. They have three in West Sacramento against the A’s before they visit the Angels for three games to conclude the regular season.
Cleveland Guardians
Their 10-game winning streak was snapped Sunday with a 6-2 loss to the Minnesota Twins, a defeat that kept them one game behind the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central. They are a game back of the Red Sox for the second wild-card spot and tied with Houston for the last wild-card slot. They own the tiebreaker against the Astros.
Up next: Starting Tuesday, the Guards host a three-game series vs. the Tigers with massive division implications. They’re 6-4 overall against Detroit this season. Cleveland closes out the regular season with a three-game series vs. Texas at home.
Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers are cruising to the No. 1 seed in the National League and the best record in baseball. They’ve already clinched the NL Central title.
Up next: The Brewers finish the season against NL wild-card contenders battling for their spots. First, they visit the Padres for two more games Tuesday and Wednesday. Then they host the Reds for three to finish the regular season.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies have been one of the top teams in baseball all season, and they were the first to claim a division title, leaving the Mets in their wake as they won the NL East on Sept. 16. They’re in line to claim the No. 2 seed in the National League and, with it, a bye to the division series.
Up next: The Phillies finish the regular season with six games at home against teams with nothing to play for. They host the Marlins for three to start the week, followed by three against the Twins next weekend.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers are in line to win yet another NL West title, sitting 2.5 games up on the Padres with six games to play. They’re in line to get the No. 3 seed and host a wild-card series.
Up next: The Dodgers finish the season on the road against contenders. First, they visit the Diamondbacks for three games, and then they finish the regular season with three games in Seattle this weekend.
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs have already clinched their first postseason berth since 2020. Even though they have one of the top records in the sport, they’ll claim a wild card and finish behind the Brewers in the NL Central. The Cubs are in line to get the No. 4 seed and hosting duties in the wild-card round.
Up next: The Cubs finish the regular season at Wrigley field, first hosting the wild-card-contending Mets for three games during the week and then hosting the already eliminated Cardinals for three games this weekend.
San Diego Padres
The Padres currently hold the NL’s second wild-card spot. They clinched their postseason spot on Monday. If the current standings hold, San Diego will finish as the No. 5 seed and face the Cubs at Wrigley in the wild-card round.
Up next: The Padres finish the season at home, first with a possible playoff preview versus the Brewers. (Milwaukee would be their opponent in the divisional round.) The Padres end the season with three games versus the Diamondbacks, who could be fighting for that last wild-card berth.
New York Mets
The Mets are nearing an egregious, late-season collapse, as they are now tied with the Reds for the NL’s final wild-card spot after losing 11 of their past 15 games. Cincinnati holds the tiebreaker based on head-to-head record, so the Mets have to finish ahead in the standings to make the postseason.
Up next: The Mets finish the season with a six-game road trip, facing the Cubs and Marlins. They might have to hope that the Cubs are more concerned with preparing for the playoffs than winning any more games. However, the Marlins might put up a fight with a chance to finish over .500.
Cincinnati Reds
The Reds have won five straight games and six of their past seven to capitalize on the Mets’ slide and tie them for the NL’s final wild-card bid. With a 4-2 record against the Mets this season, Cincinnati holds the tiebreaker. However, both teams still need to win to stay ahead of the Diamondbacks.
Up next: The Reds finish their home schedule with three games against the Pirates (and Paul Skenes scheduled to start Wednesday). Cincinnati then visits Milwaukee for a three-game set. The Brewers might’ve clinched the NL’s best record by then and thus have nothing left to play for.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Lurking one game behind the Mets and Reds in the wild-card standings are the D-backs, who could seize the NL’s final playoff spot if the teams ahead of them falter. Arizona has won seven of its past 10 games to put itself in position to earn a surprise postseason bid.
Up next: Perhaps no team has a more difficult final six games than the D-backs. First, they host the Dodgers for their final three home games. Then the D-backs close out the season with three games at San Diego.
Who can clinch next?
The Yankees’ magic number to clinch a playoff spot is down to one.
On the NL side, the Dodgers are in position to win the NL West, the last division up for grabs. The Reds currently hold the final wild-card spot via a tiebreaker over the Mets.
In the AL, only the Blue Jays have clinched, though the Yankees and Mariners have playoff odds of 99% or better. Also in playoff position are the Tigers, Red Sox and Guardians. The Tigers, Blue Jays and Mariners currently lead their divisions, with the Yankees, Red Sox and Guardians (via a tiebreaker over the Astros) making up the wild-card field.
Which of these MLB stars will lead his team to a World Series title this fall? (Davis Long/Yahoo Sports)
What else is up for grabs?
The Nos. 1 and 2 seeds in each league go to the division winners with the two best records. Those teams earn a bye through the wild-card round and hosting rights in the division series. Currently, the Brewers, Phillies, Mariners and Blue Jays are in line to claim those byes.
The No. 3 seed goes to the third division winner, and that team will host the three-game wild-card series against the No. 6 seed (which goes to the third wild card). The top wild-card team will earn the No. 4 seed and host the No. 5 seed (the second wild card) in the wild-card round.
The higher seed also gets home-field advantage in the championship series, once we get that far.
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:
The Blue Jays have clinched the tiebreaker against the Red Sox, Yankees and Tigers.
The Red Sox have clinched the tiebreaker against the Yankees.
The Tigers have clinched the tiebreaker against the Astros.
The Mariners have clinched the tiebreaker against the Tigers and Astros.
The Mets have clinched the tiebreaker against the Phillies and Padres.
The Phillies have clinched the tiebreaker against the Dodgers.
The Brewers have clinched the tiebreaker against the Phillies.
The Cubs have clinched the tiebreaker against the Brewers.
The Dodgers have clinched the tiebreaker against the Padres.
The Astros have clinched the tiebreaker against the Blue Jays.
The Guardians have clinched the tiebreaker against the Astros.
The Reds have clinched the tiebreaker against the Mets.
What would the playoff bracket look like if the season ended today?
(Davis Long/Yahoo Sports)
American League
Wild card: No. 6 Cleveland Guardians vs. No. 3 Detroit Tigers
ALDS: Wild-card winner vs. No. 2 Seattle Mariners
Wild card: No. 5 Boston Red Sox vs. No. 4 New York Yankees
ALDS: Wild-card winner vs. No. 1 Toronto Blue Jays
National League
Wild card: No. 6 Cincinnati Reds vs. No. 3 L.A. Dodgers
NLDS: Wild-card winner vs. No. 2 Philadelphia Phillies
Wild card: No. 5 San Diego Padres vs. No. 4 Chicago Cubs
NLDS: Wild-card winner vs. No. 1 Milwaukee Brewers
What’s the schedule for the postseason?Wild-card series (best of three)
Game 1: Tuesday, Sept. 30
Game 2: Wednesday, Oct. 1
Game 3: Thursday, Oct. 2*
Division series (best of five)
ALDS
Game 1: Saturday, Oct. 4
Game 2: Sunday, Oct. 5
Game 3: Tuesday, Oct. 7
Game 4: Wednesday, Oct. 8*
Game 5: Friday, Oct. 10*
NLDS
Game 1: Saturday, Oct. 4
Game 2: Monday, Oct. 6
Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 8
Game 4: Thursday, Oct. 9*
Game 5: Saturday, Oct. 11*
Championship series (best of seven)
ALCS
Game 1: Sunday, Oct 12
Game 2: Monday, Oct. 13
Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 15
Game 4: Thursday, Oct. 16
Game 5: Friday, Oct. 17*
Game 6: Sunday, Oct. 19*
Game 7: Monday, Oct. 20*
NLCS
Game 1: Monday, Oct 13
Game 2: Tuesday, Oct. 14
Game 3: Thursday, Oct. 16
Game 4: Friday, Oct. 17
Game 5: Saturday, Oct. 18*
Game 6: Monday, Oct. 20*
Game 7: Tuesday, Oct. 21*
World Series (best of seven)
Game 1: Friday, Oct. 24
Game 2: Saturday, Oct. 25
Game 3: Monday, Oct. 27
Game 4: Tuesday, Oct. 28
Game 5: Wednesday, Oct. 29*
Game 6: Friday, Oct. 31*
Game 7: Saturday, Nov. 1*
(*if necessary)