MLB playoff picture tight as regular season winds down
With four games remaining for most clubs, division winners are set while several wild-card spots and seeding positions remain undecided in both leagues.
The American League division winners are locked in, with the Tampa Bay Rays clinching the AL East, the Cleveland Guardians leading the Central and the Houston Astros ahead in the West. The Rays hold a tiebreaker over the New York Yankees, who have already secured a wild-card berth, while the Yankees retain a tiebreaker over the Boston Red Sox, also in the wild-card race. The Guardians need one more win or a loss by the Texas Rangers or Houston Astros to guarantee a postseason spot. In the National League, the Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves have clinched their respective divisions. The Brewers sit one win away from the league’s top seed, while the Dodgers need a single victory to lock the No. 2 seed. The San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies are each one win from a wild-card berth, with the Cubs also needing a loss by the Arizona Diamondbacks to clinch.
Several teams remain on the playoff bubble. In the AL, the Rangers sit three games back of the final wild-card spot and are tied with the Astros for the West title, but the Astros hold the tiebreaker. The Baltimore Orioles are 3½ games behind the White Sox for the last wild-card place. In the NL, the Diamondbacks trail the Padres, Cubs and Phillies by three games for the final wild-card position.
Thursday’s games could resolve many of these scenarios. A Guardians win or a Rangers loss could clinch Cleveland’s berth; a Red Sox victory could secure the second AL wild-card; a White Sox win would lock their spot. In the National League, a Cubs win or a Diamondbacks loss could clinch Chicago, while a Padres win or a Diamondbacks loss could secure San Diego’s place. The Brewers can capture the No. 1 seed with a win and a Dodgers loss, and the Dodgers can guarantee at least the No. 2 seed with a victory over the Padres.
The postseason schedule begins with the Wild Card Series on September 29, followed by Division Series in early October, Championship Series later in the month, and the World Series to conclude the season.