The New York Yankees clinched their playoff berth Tuesday night, which means the Seattle Mariners could do their own clinching just hours later.
Bryan Woo injury update provided by Seattle Mariners GM Hollander
The Yankees came back to beat the American League-worst Chicago White Sox 3-2 Tuesday at Yankee Stadium, allowing them to lock up the first of the AL’s three wild cards.
It also gives the Mariners a chance to lock up a guaranteed playoff spot Tuesday if they win their series opener against the MLB-worst Colorado Rockies, which began at 6:40 p.m.
It was an old friend that delivered the final blow for New York: former Mariners infielder José Caballero dropped in the walk-off RBI single to score Aaron Judge as the Yankees scored twice in the bottom of the ninth to punch their ticket to the postseason.
José Caballero walks it off!
The @Yankees are heading to the #postseason! pic.twitter.com/hgehGsGSck
— MLB (@MLB) September 24, 2025
The reason the Yankees are connected to the Mariners potentially locking up a postseason berth is a bit complicated. Of the five teams that could have still won one of the three wild cards from the AL over Seattle, the Mariners hold the tiebreaker over each one except New York. But with the Yankees (89-68) reaching 89 wins on the season, they cleared themselves of being involved in any multi-team tiebreaker scenario (not counting seeding) that could also include the Mariners.
The other teams still concerned in this scenario are the Boston Red Sox (86-71), Cleveland Guardians (85-72) and Detroit Tigers (85-72). Boston currently holds the AL’s second wild card at one game ahead of Detroit, while Cleveland has possession of first place in the AL Central thanks to holding the tiebreaker over Detroit.
The important thing is that the Tigers and Guardians are currently in a three-game series against each other in Cleveland, and the Red Sox will host the Tigers for three games to end the season. Because of those series against each other, it is guaranteed that at least one of those teams will finish with 88 wins or less.
As long as the Mariners (87-69 entering Tuesday) reach 88 wins, Seattle will make the playoffs as at least a wild card thanks to owning the tiebreakers over each of the Red Sox, Guardians and Tigers.
The Mariners own the tiebreakers over Cleveland and Detroit due to head-to-head records, with Seattle going 4-2 against both teams this season. The M’s have the advantage over the Red Sox despite splitting the season series 3-3 because they are guaranteed to have a better intradivision record against AL West rivals (34-18) than the Red Sox will have in the AL East (31-19 with two games remaining against division-leading Toronto).
Perhaps more important, though, is that the Mariners’ magic number to win the AL West is three, which means any combination of M’s wins and Houston Astros losses that equal three will eliminate Houston from division title contention and crown Seattle the AL West champion. That could happen as soon as Wednesday.
The Astros opened a three-game series with the Athletics in Sacramento on Tuesday night.
Seattle won the tiebreaker over Houston in the midst of their three-game sweep of the Astros over the weekend, giving the Mariners an 8-5 record in the season series between the two rivals.
More on the Seattle Mariners
• ESPN’s Passan details Mariners’ case as World Series favorite
• Drayer: The first-place Mariners explain why it’s all coming together now
• Salk: Four players have put the Mariners in their prime position
• Morosi: M’s showing designs on ‘winning the whole darn thing’
• Job ‘not finished’ for Seattle Mariners after huge sweep of Astros
